** This is Part 2 of my dinner experience after the delicious gopchang.

If you would like to experience standing, no frills BBQ. My friends welcome to Seoseo Galbi. When I first heard of this concept I was intrigued. Why would one want to enjoy a delicious full meal standing? We could have opted to visit other restaurants which offer seating and enjoy the meal leisurely. Then a thought flashes through my mind, Korean street food patrons also enjoy their meal while standing too. Perhaps this was the thought process of the owner. While I am not sure if standing BBQ is a popular concept in Korea, I was just curious. So I was up to experience this and went ahead with Part 2 of my dinner.

Seoseo Galbi used to be located at Sinchon before moving to their current location at Myeongdong. The restaurant setup feels raw and unfinished. With poor ventilation the air was rather thick and smoky. So, we were given plastic bags to put our stuffs in so that smoke will not permeate into them.

Seoseo Galbi only serves 1 item in their menu and that is marinated beef. Each serving is at 230g and it comes with chili peppers along with 2 types of dipping sauce. The price for one serving is rather affordable ₩18,000. It is such a steal as compared to what we pay in Singapore. And if protein is not enough and you need carbs you can also opt to buy instant rice for ₩1.000 to complete your dinning experience.

Normally, each patrons are required to order one serving. But since we arrived close to 11pm, the waitress allowed us to share one single serving. When we arrived 4 “tables” were occupied. The “table” is basically cylindrical steel drums fitted with coal briquettes as the heat source. This also gives the grilled beef a wok hey taste – a flavour profile where it gives a smoky, charred aroma to the food.

The waitress was friendly and she would come by to chat with us. From time to time she would also help us to grill our meat. There was no gamey or beefy taste to the beef. On it own the beef is tender and chewy. Dipping the beef to the the garlic dipping sauce enhances the flavour profile even more. The chili pepper is not spicy, it provides extra crunch while chewing the beef. It pairs really beautifully with the beef.

While enjoying our grilled beef standing, somehow I do not feel tired. There was no urge to rush though the meal, nor to look for a seat to rest my feet or belly. Even being full from the gopchang earlier, I really enjoyed my smoky, tender beef. It was a such a satisfying meal. After our unusually late dinner we took a slow stroll back to our hotel to end the day.

I would recommend to visit Seoseo Galbi during their non-peak timing. Either after the lunch hour, before or after the dinner hour. This way, you can avoid the crowd and it will be less smoky. Be prepared for the wait time as there was no time limit as to how long you can have your meal over at Seoseo Galbi.

I hope you will get the chance to try it for yourself and until then see you at the next one.

XOXO