Galbitang (갈비탕)

Clear beef short-rib soup — the polite lunch of choice.

Korean name: 갈비탕
Spice level: Not spicy
Flavor: savory · clear
Typically contains: beef
Vegetarian / vegan: Not vegetarian — meat or seafood is core to the dish
Typical price: ₩12,000–₩17,000 per person checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know: Beginner-friendly ●●●●○ Solo dining ●●●●○ Kid-friendly ●●●●○
Also written as: galbi tang, kalbitang, short rib soup

Spice and flavor are editorial assessments of the standard version — individual restaurants and recipes vary. Ingredient notes are typical, not guaranteed: always check with the restaurant for allergies or dietary needs. Eating and cooking notes describe common practice in Korea; our first-hand deep-dives live in the Eat Like a Local guides.

What is Galbitang?

Galbitang (갈비탕) is clear short-rib soup — beef ribs simmered until tender in a clean, translucent broth with radish and glass noodles. Where seolleongtang is milky and rustic, galbitang is clear and slightly formal: it is the classic soup course at Korean weddings and celebration halls. Meaty ribs eaten off the bone with rice in the broth make it one of the most approachable beef soups for newcomers.

How to eat it

Lift the short rib, work the meat off the bone with chopsticks, and dip it in the soy-vinegar sauce if provided.
Eat glass noodles early before they swell.
Salt-season to taste — like most Korean beef soups, it comes mild.

Cooking it at home

Blanch ribs first to remove blood, then simmer with radish, garlic and onion 1.5–2 hours until fork-tender.
Season lightly with soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang).
Add glass noodles and egg garnish before serving.

Good to know

Watch for small bone fragments near the cut ends.

The 'polite' celebration soup — weddings, first birthdays and holiday lunches run on galbitang.

Where to eat it

Selected classic places — verified, sourced, never sponsored. See all →

사미헌 · Samihun Seomyeon (Busanjin-gu) · ₩₩

Best known for this dishBusan galbitang name-brand

Busan's galbitang name-brand — a clear, deep short-rib soup so trusted it became a nationwide retail product, but best eaten at the Seomyeon source.

Known for: Galbitang

Naver Map ↗ Google Maps ↗

Open as of our last check (2026-07-20) · Sources: 공식 사이트 · Namu Wiki — hours, prices and status can change; check the map link before visiting.

Nutrition

Calories	54 kcal
Carbohydrate	0.4 g
Protein	8.51 g
Fat	2.06 g
Sodium	199 mg

Per serving (~670g): ≈362 kcal · sodium ≈1,333 mg (67% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100g · total serving 670g · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 갈비탕, synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.