Smoke-free galbi tables and bone soup in Yangju, Gyeonggi: Manpo

If you search for galbi restaurants in Yangju, Manpo Galbi in Mansong-dong is the name that comes up most often.

But there's also a place called Manpo Garden over in Goeup. The menu lineup is almost identical, so I was curious what actually sets them apart.

Rather than just wondering about it, I finally went and checked out Manpo Garden myself.

A Yangju galbi spot with no exhaust duct — you can see the face of the person sitting across from you

• The set-up is handmade seasoned galbi at ₩19,000 per serving, bone soup at ₩11,000, plus doenjang sulbap, all coming together as one table spread
• The smoke gets pulled downward instead of up, so the view across the table stayed completely open

Location and parking for Manpo Garden in Goeup, Yangju

Manpo Garden is at 28-37 Godeok-ro 355beon-gil, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, 1st floor.

It's within the Goeup living zone, so it's close to Okjeong too. Parking is free in the restaurant's own dedicated lot, and it was spacious enough that you never have to stress about squeezing into a spot.

A surprising number of BBQ places give you parking stress, so not having that burden alone earned this place points from me.

Once I parked and stood in front of the building, the exterior already had that freshly-built look.

No exhaust duct on the table: why I'd recommend Manpo Garden

Inside, it definitely has that new-building feel too. The ceilings are high and the hall stretches out wide, so the view opens up all the way to the back.

What I liked most was that there was no exhaust duct hanging over the table.

Usually at galbi places, the foil duct hangs down at face height and half-blocks the person across from you. Here, the smoke gets pulled downward, so nothing blocked the view at all.

That made conversation comfortable the whole time we were grilling. It felt weirdly refreshing.

Since the exhaust pulls down instead of up, there was also noticeably less smoke circulating overhead. If you're the type who worries about smelling like smoke afterward, this makes a real difference.

The hall is wide and there are private rooms too, so the layout works well for weekend family gatherings or company dinners.

On the flip side, if you like the cozy, narrow feel of an old-school joint, this might feel a bit too spacious. This is definitely a place for groups.

The menu at Manpo Garden

Opening up the menu, I was surprised how many options this galbi place actually had.

Handmade seasoned galbi runs ₩19,000 per serving, and there are also grilled cuts like pork belly, pork neck, pork jowl skirt, and pork jowl, plus hanwoo (Korean beef) served separately.

For meal options, there's doenjang sulbap, steamed egg, and at lunch there's galbitang (short rib soup), bone soup, and a galbi set meal.

The bone soup is ₩11,000.

Order meat and you get house-made Hamhung-style naengmyeon (cold noodles) as dessert, plus there's a puffed-rice soft-serve ice cream on your way out after the meal. There's a separate self-service bar, so you just help yourself to extra side dishes.

The side dishes were laid out. Yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) came as a complimentary side too, along with salad, yukjeon (pan-fried beef), and a good variety of other banchan.

We ordered two servings of handmade galbi along with doenjang sulbap and bone soup.

My review of Manpo Garden, a galbi restaurant in Goeup, Yangju

Handmade seasoned galbi / ₩19,000 x 2 servings

The seasoning isn't overly sweet.

When the galbi marinade is heavy, I often get sick of it after two or three pieces, but here I kept eating without feeling weighed down all the way through.

Grilling it over charcoal seemed to help the seasoning's aroma stick to the meat. The sweetness level is mild enough to bring kids along, so it seems like a solid pick for a family meal out.

Bone soup / ₩11,000

This one made me laugh a little the moment it arrived.

The bones come piled up like a mountain over the bowl. It's not just a few resting on top of the broth — they're genuinely stacked high.

With a visual like that for ₩11,000, you can't help but call it a great deal.

I ordered it thinking it'd just be a side soup to go with the meat, but this alone was enough to be a whole meal. If two people order it alongside meat, you might end up a little too full, so keep that in mind.

Doenjang sulbap / ₩8,000

With a name like doenjang sulbap, I expected something special, but when I tried it, it tasted exactly like mixing rice into doenjang soup.

That wasn't a bad thing though. It had a savory, familiar taste that was the perfect way to finish off the meat.

If you're hoping for a new flavor, it might feel a bit plain, but if you wanted a familiar home-cooked-style soup, you'll be satisfied. I was the latter.

The basic side dishes were all solid too. It was the kind of spread where nothing felt like it should be left out.

Manpo Galbi and Manpo Garden: same restaurant, in conclusion

The two places are only about a 5-minute drive apart, so it's easy to mix them up.

Manpo Galbi's Yangju main branch is at 65 Songnang-ro, Mansong-dong, 1st floor, while Manpo Garden is at 28-37 Godeok-ro 355beon-gil in Goeup.

Since the menus are similar, I first wondered if Manpo Garden was just copying the name, but after visiting, I found it actually has newer interiors and a bigger space. The ventilation is better here too.

If your group is splitting up into multiple cars, it's worth double-checking the exact name and address beforehand.

Dessert service: coffee and ppeong-scream

For dessert, they serve coffee alongside a soft-serve ice cream scoop on top of puffed rice. Dessert doesn't get skimped on here~^^

Tips for visiting Manpo Garden

• Parking is free in the dedicated lot, and there's plenty of space even on weekends
• Use the self-service bar for extra side dishes
• The bone soup is a big portion — one is plenty for two people
• For weekend evenings or group visits, it's worth calling ahead to reserve a table
• Manpo Garden and Manpo Galbi, 5 minutes apart, are the same restaurant — same menu, same prices

Beyond how good the meat tasted, I really felt how comfortable it is to eat a meal without an exhaust duct blocking your view. The hall is spacious and parking is easy, so it's also a good pick to bring along older family members.

If Manpo Galbi was the only Yangju galbi spot you knew about, it's worth checking out Manpo Garden over in Goeup too. Since they're the same restaurant, I heard they use the exact same recipes.

That said, since it's still people cooking, I felt the yukhoe was a bit more savory at Manpo Galbi, but everything else — the galbi, the side dishes — I found more satisfying at Manpo Garden.

If you'd rather eat in a newer, cleaner space with no duct in sight and big windows all around, I'd recommend Manpo Garden. It also seems like the better pick for family gatherings, space-wise.