The city of Busan may be well known for its seafood, but did you know that they’re also famous for having the best BBQ spots in Korea?
In this article, we’re gonna tour some of the best barbecue spots that Busan has to offer. Ranging from the outrageously delicious intestine BBQ to the succulent beef ribs, Busan has a lot of Korean BBQ to offer. This is a city that knows how to eat meat!
Grilled Intestine BBQ
Grilled intestine BBQ is one of the most popular types of BBQ to eat in Korea. However, it wasn’t always like that.
Back in the days, cow meat was considered a luxury food eaten once every blue moon. As such, many Koreans resorted to eating cow’s intestines to satisfy their meat craving as it was cheap and abundant.
Today the intestines are considered a luxurious treat enjoyed by both young and old people! Due to its recently surging popularity, some even consider it the national BBQ dish.
Many Koreans enjoy eating intestine BBQ simply for its taste and unique texture. To the uninitiated, however, intestine BBQ can seem a bit put-off-ish at first. But once you have a taste of it, the unique and delicious flavor will have you coming for more!
There are typically 3 different types of BBQ intestines that you’ll find at restaurants. The first one is called daechang.
Daechang literally translates to big intestines as they are the biggest intestines found in a cow. Daechang is primarily enjoyed for its rich fattiness and overall nutty tasty.
The second type of intestine is called makchang. Makchang stands for “beef last viscous” and they comes from the abomasum of the cow, which is the final part of the cow’s intestine. They look like soggy tofu when you first see them. When cooked, they become hardened and crisp and develop a unique meaty flavor.
Finally, there is gopchang, which is the smaller intestines found in the cow. Gopchang is the most popular intestine out of the group. They usually take the longest to cook since they’re layered with a lot of fat. To pass the time, Koreans usually like to take a shot or two of soju while they wait for their gopchang to cook. The best way to eat gopchang is to wait until the outer tube-shaped layer is cooked to golden perfection. This way, you get to taste a crunchy outer texture with a creamy inner filling.
We went to an intestine BBQ alley in Busan that’s said to have some of the best BBQ of its kind in Korea. We eventually ended up going to this place after learning that our favorite gopchang place was under construction. We weren’t worried as all the restaurant owners here are veterans of this particular food and are passionate about serving the best intestines to their customers. We ordered the makchang sogeum gui (막창 소금 구이) which is a combination of daechang and makchang.
According to the workers, the intestines are marinated in kiwi and pineapple juice to enhance the flavors and kill off any bacterias remaining inside. They are completely safe to eat and delicious at the same time!
Our grilled intestines came out along with some pieces of cow’s heart. The heart cooked immediately since it was thin. While we let the intestines sizzle, we tried our first bite of the heart. At first, the very words “cow’s heart” sounded intimidating. But once I ate it, it reminded me of a freshly cooked sirloin steak. It was soft and chewy and had none of the fibery texture that I had expected.
Once the intestines reached a golden brown color, it was time to eat. I took the intestine and doused it in a mixture of sesame oil and chili paste. Then I took a perilla leaf and mounted on it a dollop of rice, a piece of intestine, and a grilled onion.
The food was phenomenal. There was an explosion of flavor that came from the different types of food packed inside the perilla leaf wrap. First I could taste the intestine — charred, oily, and sweet from the fruit marinade. It had a bouncy and chewy texture to it and a terrific meaty taste. The onion and chili paste revved up the spice level and helped enhance the flavor. The surprising element in all of this was the perilla leaves. There was a tangy sweet bitterness in the leaves that elevated the whole food to another dimension of flavor. If I could wrap this taste in a box and give it as a present, it would be worth more than a million dollars. It was a truly mind-altering experience.
Information
Name: 대정양곱창 신관 (Daejeong Yang-Gopchang Shingwan)
Open: Everyday, 5pm — 1am
Address: 32 Junggu-ro 23beon-gil, Bupyeong-dong, Jung-gu, Busan
Map: (Click Here)
All-You-Can-Eat BBQ
Our next stop was an All-You-Can-Eat BBQ place in Myeongji, Ocean City called Onggojip Bbyuh-daegalbi. An AYCE BBQ is as ubiquitous in Korea as McDonald’s is in America, except the food tastes 100x better and you know exactly where the meat is from.
An AYCE restaurant serves an endless amount of different meats at a fixed price. Usually the price is around $25 per person. Some places charge less than $15 depending on the time of day. We went to one that serves an unlimited amount of steak, pork belly, and marinated beef for $20 per person. If you’re a meat lover like me, then you have to try an AYCE restaurant when you come to Korea!
Information
Name: 옹고집뼈대갈비 (Onggojip Bbyuh-daegalbi)
Open: Everyday, 3pm — 11pm
Address: 3291 Myeongji-dong, Gangseo-gu, Busan
Map: (Click Here)
Haeundae Beef Grilled Short Ribs
Finally, as a cherry on top to this BBQ tour, we headed to the Haeundae Beef Grilled Short Ribs restaurant. Legend has it that this restaurant has the best Korean BBQ not only in Busan — but in all of Korea.
This restaurant has been operating for over 50 years by the same family. In that time, they’ve elevated their meat to a whole new level while staying true to the essence of what makes Korean BBQ delicious.
This restaurant is about a ten minute walk east from Haeundae beach. It’s located in a modest street next to a commercial area. At first glance, this place looks like any building in Korea. But once you step inside, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to Korea circa the 19th century.
Here, you’ll find happy customers eating away inside cozy traditional Hanok-style houses while waiters criss cross each house to take orders, bring food, and change the BBQ coals. As I sat in the middle amidst this hectic dance waiting for my number to be called, I got a sense that this restaurant is a place for serious meat lovers. I was home.
We went around opening time (11:30am) and already there was a queue of people waiting to get a table. After about 30 minutes, we were escorted to our seats in one of the houses. The restaurant offers no physical menu. The only thing you’ll see is a list of 4 items on a piece of paper tacked to the wall in minimalist fashion, as if to say you’ll eat only this but you’ll leave happy. I loved the simplicity of it all. The menu included: fresh beef ribs, marinated spicy beef ribs, bulgogi, and rice. You can also get a side of spirits and beer, soda, fermented soybean soup, and potato noodles.
We went with the fresh beef ribs and marinated spicy beef ribs. We were lucky because we were the last ones to order the fresh beef ribs for the day, even though the restaurant opened only an hour ago. Word of advice, make sure to come here a little earlier than opening time so you can order what you want on the menu first. These things sell like hotcakes!
The beef ribs were cooked on a unique stone grill that I’ve never seen before. On the stone grill was a moat of potato noodles surrounding the meat like a castle. The fire was set on high so the meat took only a few minutes to cook through. I took a piece of the beef by itself first so that I could taste it in all it’s glorious natural form.
The beef was unlike anything I’ve had, and that’s no hyperbole. It was the juiciest most fulfilling and wholesome beef that I’ve ever eaten. The beef’s fat gave a burst of intense umami flavor in my mouth. By the time I was done chewing, I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to swallow it or eat another one to continue the incredible sensation.
The marinated short beef ribs did not miss a beat either. It was packed with a spicy kick thanks to the homemade gochujang marinade.
The only part of this experience that was subpar were the potato noodles. They tasted sweet and just fine, but they didn’t do much to enhance the flavors of the meat or anything. It seemed like a misplaced food in this otherwise sublime entree.
Overall the bbq here was nothing short of excellent. It cracked the glass ceiling of my expectation of Korean BBQ. As the saying goes, once you eat sushi in Japan, it’ll ruin every other sushi that you eat for the rest of your life. Same goes for these Korean BBQ that I had at this restaurant. My palette has been forever spoiled by the Korean BBQ gods that is the Haeundae Beef Grilled Short Ribs.
Korean BBQ has never been more popular than it is today. I’m so happy that people around the world get to experience this unique delicacy that’s been a part of my life since I was a kid.
I hope you enjoyed my review of the best places to eat Korean BBQ in Busan. Check out my video below where I eat at all three of these restaurants and go into an even deeper review!
Information
Name: 해운대암소갈비집 (Haeundae Ahmso Galbijib)
Open: Everyday, 11:30am — 10pm, 8:50pm last order
Address: 32–10 Jungdong 2-ro 10beon-gil, Jung-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan
Map: (Click Here)
Video
This article was originally posted on my travel blog: www.yeoyutravel.com
