Byeokje Galbi Bangi

Byeokje Galbi has been serving barbecued beef short ribs since 1986, and it has grown from a single restaurant into one of the best-known names for premium Korean beef. The Bangi branch in Songpa, in the south-east of the city, is a large, smart restaurant where families celebrate birthdays and business hosts entertain clients, and it is listed in the Michelin Guide.

Beef is the whole story. The cattle are raised on a farm in Pocheon, north of Seoul, and only top-grade carcasses, at the highest marbling score, are bought at auction and broken down by an in-house butcher. The signatures are galbi, beef short ribs, and ribeye, grilled over charcoal at the table, with staff on hand to make sure the meat is cooked well. For a lighter finish, the menu also includes cold buckwheat noodles and a beef soup, both classic ways to end a barbecue meal in Korea.

This is a restaurant for a special occasion rather than a casual night out. It suits food lovers who want to taste Hanwoo, Korea's native beef, at its best, as well as families and business groups. Prices are high, as you would expect for this grade of beef, so it is worth looking at the menu before you order and sharing several cuts across the table.

Contact the restaurant ahead where possible, especially for weekend evenings and holidays, when it is busy with families. There is a car park with valet parking, and credit cards are accepted. Dress is smart casual. If you are new to Korean barbecue, ask staff to recommend a sequence of cuts, and leave room for the noodles.

Korean beef is graded by marbling, and the restaurant's insistence on the top grade explains both the flavour and the bill, so ask staff to explain the difference between the short rib and the ribeye if you are choosing between them.

The restaurant is in Bangi-dong, near Olympic Park, and is easiest to reach by taxi; Bangi and Olympic Park stations on Line 5 and Line 9 are the closest subway stops. Olympic Park, with its sculpture garden, walking paths and remains of the Baekje-era Mongchontoseong earthen fortress, is a short walk away, and Lotte World Tower and Seokchon Lake are nearby in Jamsil.