I’ve always been a huge fan of gat kimchi,
so when I heard there was a Korean BBQ spot where you grill it right on the hot plate,
I had to go check it out.
This is one of the Balsan Station restaurants I’d recommend for group dinners around Magok,
and it’s easy to see why.
To give you the short version,
it’s perfect if you’re tired of the usual pork-and-regular-kimchi combo.
Balsan Station restaurant
Yeosu Gat Yukgo Balsan Main Branch
Location: 104-105, 1F, 15 Magokdong-ro 4-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
(4-minute walk from Balsan Station Exit 9)
Hours: Tue-Sat 4:00 PM-8:00 PM / Sun-Mon 4:00 PM-12:00 AM
Reservations: Naver Booking available / Phone 0507-1414-8825
Parking: Free parking in the building’s underground garage
Best for: Company dinners, family meals, and dining with kids
Yeosu Gat Yukgo Balsan Main Branch location
It’s about a 4-minute walk from Balsan Station Exit 9,
so it’s an easy place to reach on foot.
It’s also in one of the busier parts of Magok,
so the area has a lively vibe,
and it’s convenient if you want to head somewhere else after dinner.
Even if you drive, the building’s underground parking is free,
so there’s no parking hassle.
I went on a beautiful day, and they had the doors wide open,
which gave the whole place that open-air patio feel.
With the cool breeze coming in and pork sizzling on the grill,
the atmosphere was honestly so good.
The inside is clean and well kept too, so it would work really well for a work dinner.
Outside the restaurant, there was even a giant gat kimchi display,
so you really can’t miss it.
They also sell the gat kimchi separately.
Signature menu & what we ordered
Yeosu Gat Yukgo is a pork BBQ restaurant,
with cuts like samgyeopsal (pork belly), ogyeopsal (skin-on pork belly), pork neck, and gabrisal.
What makes it stand out
is the whole grilled gat kimchi pairing, plus all the different gat kimchi side dishes.
The basic table setting at Yeosu Gat Yukgo Balsan Main Branch
came with ssam vegetables, pickles, sauces,
seasoned gat kimchi packed with umami, and seasoned bean sprouts.
They also served toha-jeot, a Jeolla-style fermented shrimp condiment,
which gave the meal that distinct southern Korean table spread feel.
The grill had a splash guard around the edge to keep grease from popping out,
and it was slightly tilted
so the fat could drain downward.
I visited with my husband and our child,
and we ordered the Gat Yukgo Platter.
The platter comes with 700g of samgyeopsal, pork neck, and gabrisal.
Staying true to the Yeosu theme,
the meat is served on a tray shaped like a turtle ship,
and it’s definitely memorable.
It was about $51, and the portion was generous,
enough for three adults to share comfortably.
(I’d even recommend it for two adult men with solid appetites.)
You can swap the samgyeopsal for ogyeopsal,
so if you like that extra chewy bite, it’s worth trying.
We were told the pork is carefully selected Korean meat that’s been dry-aged for a long time,
so it’s served as aged pork,
and the gabrisal especially had a juicy texture that really stood out when you chewed it.
The ogyeopsal is supposed to have that chewy-crisp texture,
but we stuck with regular samgyeopsal.
They also have yukhyangsal, a cut with a stronger pork aroma,
so you can choose based on your taste.
Yeosu Gat Yukgo Balsan Main Branch also gives you a fluffy steamed egg
on the house, which was a nice bonus.
Another reason this Balsan Station restaurant stands out is the variety of side dishes.
There’s a gat kimchi stew loaded with Yeosu gat kimchi and pork belly,
and if you want to finish strong, you can order fried rice on the grill
or even Chapagetti.
If you go with a group, the set menus make it easy
to order a little bit of everything and share.
Honest taste review
The real star here is the grilled gat kimchi.
Once you put Yeosu Dolsan gat kimchi on the grill,
the heat softens the sharp spice and brings out a deeper sweetness.
They also served pickled mustard greens,
and the savory flavor was so good I kept reaching for it even without the meat.
I was curious about the fried rice and Chapagetti,
but that day I was more in the mood for the cold gat kimchi noodles,
so I ordered that instead for about $5.
The broth was slightly sweet and really savory,
which made it a great match to alternate with the rich, fatty pork.
I’ve had grilled regular napa kimchi at other BBQ places before,
and I usually get tired of it pretty quickly,
but gat kimchi has so much more character that I never got bored of it.
And one more thing I loved: the corn ice cream for dessert was seriously delicious.
If you finish a meal of samgyeopsal and soju
with corn ice cream, it honestly sounds like the perfect ending.
Who I’d recommend it to
Dining with kids: The staff grilled all the meat
and cut everything up for us,
and they even cut the kids’ portions smaller, which made things really easy.
Work dinners and group gatherings: There are lots of side dishes,
so it’s a great place to order several things and share.
Travelers without a car: It’s only a 4-minute walk from the station, so getting there is easy.
Final thoughts
From grilling the meat to cutting it up, the staff handled everything,
so this was one of those Balsan Station restaurant picks where you can just sit back and eat.
The staff were genuinely so kind, too.
The grilled gat kimchi pairing felt fresh instead of gimmicky,
so I left really satisfied.
As a Balsan Station restaurant for a nice bottle of soju on a pleasant day,
this one definitely stuck with me.
If you’re looking for a group dinner or company dinner spot around Magok or Balsan Station,
this is absolutely one to keep in mind.
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