Geobuki Dongne Sanbon Pork BBQ with Fresh Wrap Greens

Hi! Today I visited a newly opened Korean BBQ restaurant in Sanbon. Since it was a new meat spot and I had heard the self-serve bar was well set up, I went in with high expectations. If you are looking for a Sanbon pork restaurant for samgyeopsal, Geobuki Dongne (거북이동네) is one to consider.

Geobuki Dongne is located in Sanbon Rodeo, on the 2nd floor of the well-known Samtong Chicken building. If you go up the stairs, you can see it right away, and the entrance felt clean and pleasant. Opening hours: - 11:30–23:00 - Last order: 22:30 - Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 11:30–24:00 - Last order on Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 23:30 For a barbecue restaurant, the hours are fairly long, so it is a good option when you crave meat later at night. Parking: Restaurant parking is not available. The Sanbon Rodeo underground public parking lot is well set up, so the reviewer suggests using that instead.

The interior is very spacious, so it seems great for company dinners or group meals. Each table has two heat sources: one for grilling meat and another for keeping stew hot. That means you can continue eating the stew without it cooling down. The table itself was wide, so the meal felt comfortable. Spacious tables are the best.

Order: - Couple set - Doenjang-jjigae, soybean paste stew (2 people) - Gamasot rice, cauldron rice (2 people)

I visited with my mom and ordered the couple set. The composition was nice: samgyeopsal, moksal, gabrisal, hangjeongsal, and assorted mushrooms. There were three kinds of mushrooms, and I liked the mix of pork cuts. It was also a big plus that samgyeopsal made up the largest portion. One note: if cauldron rice orders are backed up, it can take more than 15 minutes, so it is better to order it in advance. I ordered it together when I placed the meat order.

After ordering the meat, we headed straight to the self-serve bar. Geobuki Dongne also has shabu-shabu, so the self-serve bar felt more varied than at some other places. Since we were only eating grilled meat, we took wrap greens and side dishes. There is no first table setting. You simply go to the self-serve bar and take the banchan you want. I actually liked that better because I could choose only what I wanted to eat instead of leaving uneaten food behind.

The self-serve bar was very clean. Staff kept organizing it and refilling side dishes before they ran out, so it felt well managed. There were many kinds of kimchi and jangajji pickles. I love pairing meat with pickles, and having gungchae jangajji and Cheongyang chili jangajji made the meal even better.

We also picked up ssamjang and sauces. Curry powder, wasabi, oil dipping sauce, teriyaki, and hot sauce were all prepared, so there were plenty of options.

Taking only the side dishes we wanted, in portions we could finish, meant there was nothing to waste. If you visit Geobuki Dongne, try the meat with the jangajji pickles first. All the pickled side dishes were delicious.

By the time we returned from the self-serve bar, the ordered meat and mushrooms were set on the table. The doenjang-jjigae is boiled at the table, and the staff said that when the timer makes a sound, you can lower the heat and start eating. The timer feature was unexpectedly interesting.

The meat looked amazing. The samgyeopsal was thick, and the hangjeongsal pieces were generously sized. The heat came up well, so the meat cooked nicely.

The stew was also boiling deliciously. What made the doenjang-jjigae stand out was that it had a lot of meat inside. With that much filling, I wondered how the restaurant could be so generous. The broth was rich, and it helped cut through the slight heaviness that can come from eating grilled pork.

We grilled the meat well and cooked the mushrooms on the side. There was a space where cooked meat could be moved up so it would not burn. The samgyeopsal was thick, giving it a nice texture, and the juiciness made it even tastier.

The cauldron rice was honestly impressive. Because it was freshly cooked, it was beautifully glossy. Even with the same rice, it felt completely different from ordinary rice served in a bowl. Since I shared it with my mom, the portion was enough for two of us. If you eat a lot, one portion per person may also be fine. After scooping out the rice, you pour in water to make nurungji, scorched-rice soup, so finishing all of that may feel like a lot for some people.

There were many kinds of ssam greens, so we wrapped the meat with different vegetables, added jangajji pickles and garlic, and enjoyed it all together. Ssam is essential for me when eating meat, and not many places provide this much variety in wrap greens. This is a place I would like to revisit. Since it is a newly opened meat restaurant, I recommend giving it a try. #SanbonMeatRestaurant #SanbonRestaurant #SanbonSamgyeopsal #SanbonShabuShabu #SanbonCompanyDinnerRestaurant #SanbonBBQForGroups #SanbonStationMeatRestaurant #SanbonStationBBQ #SanbonPorkRestaurant