Pyeongtaek pork galbi restaurant with generous banchan: Ihwajeong

I went out for pork galbi for the first time in a while and somehow found the absolute number-one spot ..

Ihwajeong Charcoal-Grilled Pork Galbi

What about hours and parking?

They are open 16:00–22:00 Monday through Friday, and 10:00–22:00 on Saturday and Sunday. There is no break time, and they have a very large parking lot.

Pork galbi that is great for eating out with kids

Pork galbi is such a great menu choice for eating out with kids! I found this place while looking for delicious pork galbi in Pyeongtaek ..

The interior was bigger than I expected. Ihwajeong Charcoal-Grilled Pork Galbi has enough seating for groups too, including 12 tables for four and four tables for eight. The whole restaurant was clean and comfortable. I visited around 7 p.m. on a Friday and was able to eat very leisurely.

Which meat should I order?

There are just three main menu items: signature Ihwajeong marinated pork, marinated pork galbi (marinated pork ribs), and beef rib meat! With both pork and beef, it looked easy to choose based on your preference.

What I ordered

As a signature-menu fan, I went with the signature meat, haha.

First, all the basic banchan (side dishes) came out! There was such a variety, and yangnyeom gejang (marinated raw crab) as a basic side dish? .. It was not just a tiny portion either—they gave us plenty, which I loved even more, haha. (I really love this kind of basic side-dish spread.)

How was the signature marinated pork?

Look at the color of that meat .. It is insaneㅠ The marinade had soaked in deeply, so it looked incredible even before grilling. Onto the grill it goes, haha.

~ Sizzle, sizzle ~ Meat really tastes best grilled over charcoal! While it browned beautifully, the charcoal aroma kept wafting up, and I could not stop waiting for a bite.

Ihwajeong pork galbi goes through two cross-aging stages over 144 hours, they say! Refrigerated aging locks in the juices and flavor, while their special pear-based marinade adds a naturally sweet note. Double-fired charcoal and rice-husk smoking are added too, so I could really taste that subtle, deep smoky charcoal flavor.

The meat was seriously thick .. Every piece had real thickness, and the mouthful of juices was no jokeㅠ

I added pickled onions, wrapped it up in ssam (leaf wraps), and ate it with musaengchae (seasoned shredded radish) too .. Once I started pairing it with all the side dishes, I could have kept going forever, haha.

Oh, and the japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) side dish was really delicious! It was seasoned just right, so I refilled it twice, haha.

Mul naengmyeon and a pear smoothie too

The mul naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) was delicious too! I especially liked the broth, haha. I ate it without adding even a bit of mustard or vinegar, because the broth itself was so good that I kept eating it!

They also had a pear smoothie for dessert! It was so cool and delicious, haha. The pear's own sweet, refreshing flavor came through exactly as it was, and drinking it after the meat made my mouth feel completely refreshed. (Forget ice cream—the pear smoothie is the best ..)

Thick meat with proper juiciness too! This is the number-one pork galbi in Pyeongtaek, haha. If you are looking for a great pork galbi restaurant, I can recommend it with confidence!