New Taipei’s Best Japanese-Korean BBQ Joint – Sample 5 Types of Fresh Pork Belly in One Go

Text & Photos /Bear & Cat Rudy

At the all-you-can-eat-turned-a-la-carte Gankyo King Korean-Japanese BBQ Specialist, there's more than just Korean food and colorful pork belly – it's a smart mix of Japanese BBQ with great value. Many young folks are no strangers to the common criticisms from elders about all-you-can-eat meals being unhealthy, too much to eat, or encouraging overindulgence. But let’s be honest: the appeal of getting a wide variety of delicious food for a fair price is still way stronger than eating in moderation.

So no matter what, all-you-can-eat remains a very “Taiwanese” dining culture and has been a nearly unbeatable business model for the past decade. But because it’s all-you-can-eat, many people tend to order too much and end up eating less, their eyes fuller than their stomachs. As a result, these places often generate a lot of food waste, which is quite heartbreaking.

Back in the day, Bear and Cat were also believers in all-you-can-eat. About four or five years ago, Bear used to go about three times a week. These days, though, their mindset has shifted from “all-you-can-eat” to “eat-the-treasure” (savoring truly delicious food), so they’ve come to appreciate restaurants that adjust their approach – slightly lowering a la carte prices while keeping them close to the value of an all-you-can-eat meal, so everyone can enjoy higher-quality ingredients. After all, with an a la carte system, diners are more likely to consider whether they can finish what they order, naturally reducing waste.

That’s why Bear was invited to visit this Gankyo King Korean-Japanese BBQ Specialist in Luzhou, New Taipei, and it’s exactly the reason they decided to switch from all-you-can-eat to a la carte dining.

Stepping into the place for the first time, you’ll notice a rather strong Japanese BBQ vibe. The space isn’t too cramped but has a distinctive character.

Meanwhile, the wall decorations give off a distinctly Korean atmosphere.

Each table is equipped with various tongs and scissors, as well as spoons and chopsticks – all ready for the BBQ feast ahead.

Each table also has two grills: one dedicated to meat grilling, and the other for hot pot and Korean dishes. That means you can grill your meat while heating up things like army stew or dakbokkeumtang spicy chicken – how convenient and thoughtful is that?

After checking out the ambiance, the menu becomes the next key focus. Transitioning from an all-you-can-eat format to an a la carte one naturally requires elevating the overall quality, while also keeping prices and standards in check, plus showcasing the best of Japanese and Korean BBQ – definitely not an easy feat. However, in order to offer a more refined dining experience while managing costs, Gankyo King has set a reasonable minimum charge of NT$500 per person.

So this time, Bear tried quite a few dishes. On the Japanese BBQ side, that included the Onion Prime Beef Belly (NT$150), Salted Scallion Prime Beef Belly (NT$150), and King’s Boneless Short Rib (NT$220), paired with Secret Recipe Black Pork Heart Meat (NT$180) and Thinly Sliced Limited Edition Matsusaka Pork (NT$220). For seafood, there was the Egg-Rich Sweetfish (NT$180) and Palm-Sized Scallops (NT$250). As for the Korean BBQ offerings, there was the Fresh Five-Colored Pork Belly (NT$550) and Milky White Deer Chicken Thigh (NT$120).

Of course, Gankyo King Korean-Japanese BBQ Specialist isn’t just about grilling – there are plenty of Korean dishes too. Must-tries include the Army Stew (NT$320), Dakbokkeumtang Spicy Chicken (NT$380), plus homey favorites like Spicy Stir-Fried Rice Cake (NT$220) and Cold Squid Salad (NT$230).

Drink options are also abundant, featuring unique choices like Korean beer and Japanese sake.

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drive after drinking.

Also, Gankyo King has two great perks you shouldn’t miss out on. Aside from a free special grilled item when you check in and like their post, just make a reservation the day before and mention you came because of Bear & Cat’s content, and you’ll get a free “Onion Prime Beef Belly”!

After ordering, the staff also serves a variety of side dishes. These sides are all above average in taste and are rotated regularly. The sauces are light and refreshing, enhancing the flavors without overpowering the original taste of the food – a really nice touch.

First up is the iconic Korean dish, Army Stew (NT$320). Since the ingredients need to be cooked, it’s brought out first and heated slowly on low heat while you enjoy other dishes. Bear had a chat with the staff and decided to go through all the ready-to-eat and Korean dishes first, then move on to the Japanese and Korean BBQ.

The first dish is the Cold Squid Salad (NT$230), dressed with a generous amount of spicy Korean red sauce, but the flavor is mildly spicy rather than overwhelming.

Overall, the seasoning is balanced, not too sweet, and the ingredients are fresh. It’s great for sharing among three or four people.

Next up is the Spicy Stir-Fried Rice Cake (NT$220), which also has a refreshing taste.

Each bite offers chewy rice cakes paired with some vegetables – a simple flavor that’s easy on the palate and never gets tiresome.

Then comes the hearty and rich Army Stew, fully assembled. The instant noodles and melted cheese on top are a sight to behold.

Pretty irresistible, right? To be honest, every time Bear sees such a bubbling army stew, it’s hard to resist. To be fair, traditional army stew reflects Korea’s historical context with mostly processed ingredients, but the bold, rich flavors make it even more memorable.

With its sweet and mildly spicy broth, chewy noodles, mini hot dogs, and sausages, the piping hot and aromatic flavors are truly unique. Although Bear was most excited for the Japanese-Korean BBQ, even from these foundational dishes, Gankyo King definitely delivers.

Next is the even more authentic and richly flavored Dakbokkeumtang Spicy Chicken (NT$380).

Once heated, it’s stirred together.

The ingredients soak up the sauce – this is the boldest yet most distinctive luxurious dish. The chicken is fresh, and the sweet-spicy flavor makes the juices really stand out. Paired with stir-fried veggies, the layers of aroma and sweetness create a more elevated taste experience.

Of course, such Korean cuisine can naturally be paired with some Korean beer or soju—both are perfect choices. (But Bear also reminds everyone: don’t drink before driving or riding. Drinking responsibly is the best way to enjoy it!)

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.

After the Korean dishes, it’s finally time for the most anticipated part—the Korean-Japanese BBQ. The first items to arrive are generous portions of seafood, such as palm-sized scallops (250 TWD per serving) and egg-rich sweetfish (180 TWD per serving).

The scallops are simply seasoned—you can grill them as they are without any additions. They’re quite large, super fresh, and delicious when eaten hot.

Next, the plump, egg-packed sweetfish is actually quite tricky to grill, but at Ganfukyung, the staff are usually more than happy to offer tips on grilling fish or meat.

Thanks to this, even if Bear comes back next time, he wouldn’t hesitate to order the fish for fear of messing it up.

Finally, and most impressively thoughtful, the staff even manage to debone the fish for you using tongs after grilling.

They also remember to take out the fish roe, then put it back on the grill to heat up. Wow—this aroma and preparation method are really something special.

When everything is served together, the fish roe has a firm texture and an incredibly rich aroma, with each bite offering a satisfying pop of the eggs. As for the fish, the carbon-grilled texture remains delicate, the moisture level is just right, and it’s flavorful, smooth, and refined.

Next, there’s this thinly sliced limited-edition Matsusaka pork (220 TWD per serving). For an à la carte restaurant, this price and portion size are really competitive.

The owner explained that the meat at Ganfukyung is carefully selected. The goal is to let everyone enjoy refined flavors without breaking the bank, which is why they shifted from an all-you-can-eat format (which often leads to waste) to a semi-all-you-can-eat style—generous portions per plate with reasonable total pricing.

Though called “thinly sliced,” the meat still has a good thickness after grilling.

For Bear, eating it as is brings out its natural sweetness, but if you prefer to add sauces or extra textures—like pairing it with kimchi or wrapping it in veggies—that’s also a perfect way to enjoy it.

Next up is this secret recipe black-haired pork heart meat (180 TWD per serving), which is essentially pork liver meat.

The owner boldly placed the whole strip on the grill, flipping and cooking it carefully. The aroma was so rich that it was almost hard for Bear to keep taking photos (resisting the urge to snatch a bite was no easy feat).

With only minimal seasoning, you can taste the natural sweetness of the pork, and because it’s a cut closer to the organ meats, it also has a unique fragrance.

Then there’s this milky-white venison-flavored chicken thigh meat (120 TWD per serving). It looks absolutely delicious. The owner mentioned that dining at Ganfukyung is a very comfortable experience. While the place may not be luxurious, the staff are all very willing to help, so if things aren’t too busy, he personally checks on each table’s grilling status—even offering table-side service.

The key to delicious grilled chicken lies in mastering the heat.

Also, don’t forget the small side of creamy sauce that comes with the chicken. Once the chicken is heated and the sauce softens, you can dip it in.

For Bear, the chicken alone is flavorful enough, but if you want to switch up the texture or try something new, dipping it in the creamy sauce adds a smooth, rich taste.

After all that, it’s finally time for the last and most anticipated part—beef. The first cut is the stunning King Boneless Short Rib (220 TWD per serving).

This beef only needs a light grill before it’s ready to eat. For Bear, just grilling one side is probably enough, since Ganfukyung uses premium-grade Prime beef. With such high-quality meat, you can relax a bit more about the doneness.

Ta-da!! This is the perfect level of doneness—tender, sweet, with incredibly even marbling. It practically melts in your mouth with just a little chewing.

Next is the Prime Beef Belly paired with onions (150 TWD per serving).

Same rule applies here—no need to stress too much about the doneness. Just grill until it changes color on one side, and it’s ready to eat.

The intense sweetness and texture, combined with the freshness of the onions, create a flavor that’s truly indescribably delicious.

Finally, there’s the salt-and-green-onion flavored Prime Beef Belly (150 TWD per serving). For the price, the portion size is really quite reasonable.

No need for lengthy introductions—just throw it on the grill. The combination of green onion juice and beef belly juices creates an amazingly flavorful mix.

Each bite delivers the salty-freshness of the green onions, along with the richness of the beef belly fat—balancing sweetness and texture layers beautifully.

And last but not least, the secret weapon of Ganfukyung: the Fresh Five-Flavor Pork Belly (550 TWD per serving). As the name suggests, there are five flavors: spicy sauce, herbal, curry, garlic, and miso. The portion is seriously generous—best shared among three or four people.

Additionally, they also provide lettuce for you to pair with the meat—whether you eat it on its own or wrap the meat in it, it’s absolutely delicious!

Laid out in a row, it looks really impressive, and the portions are huge too; three to four people can easily share just one order.

Including the soybean paste flavor.

And garlic flavor (perfectly suited to the style of large chunks of pork belly)!

Curry.

Floral and herbal.

Finally, there's the very Korean-style spicy sauce flavor.

If you want to take your time eating, you could actually grill the meat piece by piece slowly—but I prefer a bold and dramatic approach, so I just went ahead and grilled everything all at once. Unexpectedly, because the meat pieces were so large, no one could flip them over, so we had to give up and just try three flavors in the first round.

Don’t assume that grilling such large pieces of pork belly means you can just leave them alone—if you really want to get the surface nicely seared and full of flavor, it’s actually harder than it seems. If you don’t control the heat well and let too much oil drip onto the charcoal at once, the sudden burst of flames can quickly burn the meat—that would be a disaster!

But the chef’s skills are spot-on; every piece of pork belly is grilled with expert control over the heat. It’s a wonderful sight—there’s smoke and flames, but the meat never gets overly dried out or tough.

When the surface is lightly charred and the outer layer has just a slightly dry feel, that’s the perfect moment to enjoy it!

The perfect interaction between the flames and the pork belly fully determines the final flavor.

Once everything is sliced open, it’s ready to be plated and served—this is Gan Gan Jing’s fresh-cut five-color pork belly.

In terms of taste, the soybean paste and curry flavors are rich and flavorful but don’t overpower the juiciness and charm of the pork belly itself. The spicy sauce and floral-herbal flavors are more intense, making them great matches with lettuce. The garlic flavor is best enjoyed plain, with nothing added. In terms of overall taste, I think these five different flavors complement each other wonderfully, and it’s not at all heavy or greasy.

Even though the pork belly is quite fatty, the interplay of the various flavors (you can also pair it with the broth from the budae jjigae) actually creates a nice synergistic effect. Also, considering the price and the quality of the meal, Gan Gan Jing Korean-Japanese BBQ Specialized Restaurant lets you enjoy a à la carte-style concept without being much more expensive than an all-you-can-eat place—it’s perfect for young barbecue lovers!

Gan Gan Jing Korean-Japanese BBQ Specialized Restaurant (Fan PagePlease click here)
Address: No. 32, Guangrong Road, Luzhou District, New Taipei City
Phone: (02) 8286-9038
Business Hours: Monday to Friday from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM (open every day).

Author of this article: Xiong Miao Rudy — a couple who love food, occasionally go wild spending big on eating, drinking, and playing, but generally stick to the principle of “limited money, endless appetite.” Their blog《Xiong Miao Eats the World》is updated simultaneously; Fan Page.Xiong Miao. Food Sharing.