Bon Galbi is a galbi house run by The Born Korea, the group behind Saemaeul Sikdang and Hansin Pocha. The fact that it works with imported Australian beef does hold it back from being a truly outstanding restaurant, but it is easy to get to and cheap as galbi goes, so it turns out to be a great spot for a group dinner. Its value shines all the brighter when I am the one picking up the tab..
The table setting
A pretty standard spread.
Yangnyeom galbi (marinated short rib)
Maybe because it is Australian beef, the portion is generous.
Just grill it well and eat..
It does not have the deep flavour of hanwoo, but it is not easy to eat galbi this good at this price near Gangnam Station, so I am plenty satisfied.
Saeng galbi (unmarinated short rib)
The freshness is good too. To be honest the flavour does fall a little short of hanwoo, but it is good enough that if someone offers to treat you, you eat it happily and gratefully. About ten of us turned up that day, and it did not hurt the wallet much ^_^
Naengmyeon
They do a good naengmyeon as well. Exactly what you would expect from a place run by one of the big players in the restaurant business. Personally I would rather save up the three or four visits here and go to a hanwoo specialist once – live fast, die young – but life does not always go the way you plan. It is undeniably a handy place to know about.