Jeju pork rib restaurant with naengmyeon: Jeju Daepo Galbi

While traveling in Jeju, I went to Jeju Daepo Galbi Ido Branch (제주대포갈비 일도점) for dinner with my dad. Its address is 1F, 31 Goma-ro, Jeju-si. This time, we ordered two servings of marinated galbi and followed them with naengmyeon.

How long was the wait at dinner time?

I visited while looking for somewhere to eat dinner near Jeju Airport and Dongmun Market. There were already many diners eating when we arrived.

Before going in, I noticed a sign outside advertising alcoholic drinks for ₩2,000. I thought it would ease the cost of ordering drinks with the meat.

We arrived at around 7 p.m., and there were no empty tables. We could not sit down right away and had to wait briefly.

That day, we were shown to a table after about 10 minutes. The wait was not long during my visit, so it did not feel too burdensome to fit into a travel itinerary.

While waiting, I could see meat cooking over charcoal at every table. I could smell the charcoal even before we went to our table.

What did we order, and how much was the set?

Each table had a tablet, so we could look through the menu and order right away. It was convenient not to have to call over staff to order.

My dad and I visited together, so we first ordered two servings of marinated galbi.

I also noticed the four-person galbi set for ₩79,000 on the menu. It included four servings of fresh marinated galbi, two dessert naengmyeon, and two alcoholic drinks or beverages.

I did not try the set this time, but I thought it would make it easy for a family to choose meat, dessert, and drinks all at once. The advertised alcohol price during my visit was also ₩2,000, so I liked the pricing arrangement.

How were the side dishes and doenjang-jjigae?

After we finished ordering, the basic side dishes were set out and charcoal was brought to the table. There were salad, onion, kimchi, ssam vegetables, and pa-muchim (seasoned scallion salad), giving us several ways to eat the galbi.

We took extra side dishes from the self-service bar as needed. The doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) had plenty of meat and tofu, and its savory warmth made it good with rice while we waited for the meat to cook.

What did the charcoal-grilled marinated galbi taste like?

The marinated galbi had a glossy surface, with marinade evenly absorbed between the pieces of meat. I could smell its lightly sweet aroma even before grilling.

When I put the meat over the charcoal, the scent of sweet marinade and charcoal rose together. I grilled it myself until the outside was lightly crisp and the inside moist.

With each bite, I first noticed the chewy, crisp texture around the edges. The inside was tender, and the marinade spread as I chewed.

The seasoning had reached the inside of the meat, so it was not bland even without anything else. Nutty flavors, sweet marinade, and a subtle smoky aroma lingered together.

Eating it as a ssam (wrap) with pa-muchim added a fresh vegetable note. Onion worked well for a crisp texture, while eating the meat on its own made the charcoal aroma and marinade stand out more clearly.

I especially liked the edges where the marinade had become lightly crisp. Their nutty aroma came through strongly when I chewed, so I found myself picking out those pieces.

Did mul-naengmyeon and bibim-naengmyeon pair well with galbi?

After eating some of the galbi, my dad ordered bibim-naengmyeon and I ordered mul-naengmyeon. We both ate them with the remaining meat.

The cool broth of the mul-naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth) refreshed my mouth after the rich marinade on the galbi. After eating meat in front of hot charcoal, the cold broth was especially welcome.

Putting warm galbi on the cold noodles paired the smooth noodles with tender meat. Even eaten together, the galbi's charcoal aroma came through subtly.

The bibim-naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles) was evenly coated in sauce. With the galbi, its deep seasoning joined the meat's light sweetness, making a different pairing from the mul-naengmyeon. Both noodles suited my taste, so I was glad we ordered them for dessert.

How were dessert and the overall meal?

After finishing the meal, we took out the prepared ice cream to eat. We ended the charcoal galbi and naengmyeon meal with a cold dessert.

I felt full after eating the meat, stew, naengmyeon, and dessert in turn. We could not enter right away, but the wait was about 10 minutes that day, and I was satisfied with the galbi and menu arrangement.

If my whole family visits next time, I would like to order the four-person set that I only looked over on the menu this time.