Busan galbitang restaurant with peppery ribs: Gang Galbitang

I visited Gang Galbitang, a great gukbap (rice soup) spot in Seomyeon, Busan. I went on a weekday evening, and there were seriously so many customers. Not only Koreans but lots of international visitors were eating there too~~ It made me weirdly proud 👏

Can you eat alone on a weekday evening in Seomyeon?

Exterior and interior

Gang Galbitang seems like a great place for dining solo, too. They have counter seats, and I saw plenty of people eating alone~ As soon as dinner peak time hit, it was full,, so I ate quickly and headed out!

Seomyeon is parking hell, but they support 30 minutes of parking when you spend ₩20,000 or more on food. Delivery and takeout are available too ✨ If I lived in Seomyeon, I think I would order delivery from here often ㅠㅠ

The ingredient origins are posted on the wall. Just for your reference!

They say they make fresh soup every morning. A gukbap place you can eat at with confidence!

Galbitang and medium-thin noodle menu

Menu board

We ordered Gang Galbitang for ₩14,000, Spicy Gang Galbitang for ₩15,000, and an added serving of Jeju medium-thin noodles for ₩2,500. Usually there are only glass noodles in galbitang, but the medium-thin noodles here seem like the specialty~ We added them all! The spicy galbitang has different heat levels. I chose level 2~

You can order using the kiosk~ They also sell suyuk (boiled sliced meat), so it would be nice as a drinking snack too.

Gang Galbi also sells meal kits. They can be frozen for up to three months~ They seem great to stock up on for convenient meals! Isn’t the meal kit such good value?

Refill side dishes at the self-service bar

Self-service corner

They bring the first side dishes with your food, and you can comfortably use the self-service bar for anything you run out of~ Their kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) is so good. I refilled it twice haha.

The shredded dried radish wasn’t served separately, so I brought some from the self-service bar!

Every table has salt, chili powder, and pepper. I love pepper, so I added a little extra~

How the clear and spicy galbitang taste

Galbitang

Is that the owner’s face on the spoon? Haha. Each spoon was individually wrapped too, which felt even more hygienic.

There was even ginseng on top. Proper nourishing galbitang~

A dipping sauce for the ribs comes with it too. Dipping the meat gave it savory depth while keeping it clean-tasting.

Garlic and chili peppers~ The peppers were spicy, so they went well with the ribs. And the doenjang (fermented soybean paste) is excellent haha. You could see the care they put into every detail, even the doenjang!

Careful, it’s hot,, The portion is generous, so it’s great for a filling meal~ The broth was delicious too, so I kept going even when I was full haha.

It was my first time having thin wheat noodles in galbitang, and they were delicious. It also comes with glass noodles as standard.

There are three rib bones in total. The clear broth is so good. Kids can enjoy it easily too, and the broth has real depth. If you want to try classic galbitang, I recommend Gang Galbitang~

I love spicy food, so I ordered the Spicy Gang Galbitang. I chose level 2, and it had a light kick that made it perfect for a hangover cure too~ I recommend it to anyone who likes spicy food.

The Jeju medium-thin noodle add-on combination

Galbitang and thin wheat noodles—what more is there to say? Definitely add them~ The combination works so well. It’s perfect when you want noodles and rice.

I thought only glass noodles would go with galbitang, but the thin wheat noodles felt like an even better match,, haha. I filled up on noodles first, then mixed rice into the soup too—it was seriously so satisfying.

They gave us scissors and tongs, so I cut the ribs into easy-to-eat pieces. The meat had no unpleasant smell and was incredibly tender. It just melts in your mouth. There was lots of meat too, so I came away properly nourished. The spicy one also had bean sprouts? in it, kind of like hangover soup~ While eating, I thought it would taste even better with soju,, haha. If you’re looking for a lunch or dinner spot in Seomyeon, I recommend Gang Galbitang ✨