Galmaegisal: The Korean Food from Netflix's "Hey! First Time in Korea?" That Isn't What You Think

 

You watched Netflix's "Hey! First Time in Korea?" and ended up here. Good. You found the right place. Remember that mystery meat the guests ate after their sashimi course? It's called galmaegisal. And if you assumed it was seagull, you're not alone. I made the same mistake.

Quick answer: Galmaegisal, the Korean food featured on Netflix's reality series "Hey! First Time in Korea?", is actually pork. Its real name is garomakssal — the pig's diaphragm muscle. A single pig yields only 250 to 400 grams of it, and the trimming process is brutal. That's why it costs more than most cuts. The Seoul restaurant from the show is Namsan Makchang, in Yongsan-gu.

The Korean Food You Saw on Netflix's "Hey! First Time in Korea?"

This story starts on Netflix.

• The show is called "Hey! First Time in Korea?"
• It originally aired on MBC every1, a Korean cable channel. Now it's streaming on Netflix too.
• The format is simple: a foreigner living in Korea invites friends from back home. Those friends experience Korea for the first time, on camera.
• This particular Korean food moment comes from episode 18.
• After sashimi, they moved to a second spot and ordered galmaegisal.

What Galmaegisal Actually Is — Pork Diaphragm

Watching the show alone won't tell you what this cut is. Most Koreans don't fully know either.

• The official name is garomakssal (가로막살).
• Translated literally, it means "the flesh that blocks horizontally."
• That flesh is the diaphragm muscle.
• This is the same muscle that gives you hiccups.

Why It's Called "Galmaegisal" (But Has Nothing to Do With Seagulls)

Here's the fun part. "Garomakssal" was awkward to say. Over time, Korean speakers smoothed it into "galmaegisal." "Galmaegi" happens to mean seagull in Korean. That's a coincidence of pronunciation. Nothing more.

Why This Korean Food Cut Costs More Than You'd Expect

If you watched the show and wondered why this dish looked pricier than the rest of the spread, here's why.

• A single pig produces only 250 to 400 grams of galmaegisal.
• Trimming the fat and connective tissue takes real skill.
• It sits right next to the organs, so freshness matters. Handled wrong, it smells.
• All of that pushes the price up.

How to Eat Galmaegisal the Right Way

If this is your first time ordering it, remember this.

• The best version is raw galmaegisal grilled over charcoal.
• A marinated version exists too, but marinated meat is usually a sign the raw cut wasn't fresh enough to serve on its own.
• The membrane on the outside used to be scored with a knife before grilling.
• These days, most places grill it whole, like a sausage, then cut it into bite-sized pieces afterward.
• The texture is springy, almost bouncy. The flavor leans closer to beef than pork.
• Plenty of people eat it without realizing it's pork at all.

A Note From Experience

Freshness is not optional with this cut. Order it somewhere you trust, and ask for the raw version if you can.

Where to Eat It: Namsan Makchang in Seoul

This is the restaurant the E18 crew visited on "Hey! First Time in Korea?" Since the show aired, plenty of people have gone looking for this exact address. Here it is.

Detail Info

Address	81 Jangmun-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Hours	3:00 PM – 1:00 AM
Phone	+82-2-790-2918
Reservations	Instagram DM (@namsan_2918)
Signature dishes	Garomakssal (galmaegisal) 19,000 KRW (~$14), fresh cod makchang 18,000 KRW (~$13), gabrisal (pork jowl) 22,000 KRW (~$16), fire chicken feet 18,000 KRW (~$13)

• The restaurant is named "Namsan Makchang" — makchang meaning pork intestines. Ironically, though it's named after makchang, their signature dish is actually galmaegisal.
• It sits between the National Museum of Korea and Hannam Station.
• Since the show aired, expect a wait on weekday evenings and weekends.
• Groups of four or more should reserve ahead through Instagram DM.
• The E18 crew ordered galmaegisal, beef tendon doenjang stew, fire chicken feet, and a dried radish greens hot pot rice.

FAQ

What show is this galmaegisal from, exactly? It's from "Hey! First Time in Korea?", a reality series streaming on Netflix. It originally aired on MBC every1 and is now available on Netflix as well.

Is galmaegisal actually pork? Yes. 100 percent pork. It has no connection to seagulls whatsoever.

Are galmaegisal and garomakssal the same cut? Same cut. Garomakssal is the official name. Galmaegisal is the nickname that stuck after the pronunciation shifted.

Why is galmaegisal so expensive? Because a single pig yields only 250 to 400 grams of it, and trimming it takes real skill.

Should I order the raw or marinated version? Raw, if you can. Marinated versions are usually a sign the meat wasn't fresh enough to serve as-is.

Bottom Line

Now you know what that mystery meat from "Hey! First Time in Korea?" actually is. It's Korean food's best-kept secret cut: pork diaphragm, sold under a name that means seagull by accident. If you're in Seoul, go find the real thing at Namsan Makchang. And if there are four or more of you, reserve ahead on Instagram.

In three lines:

1. Galmaegisal, the Korean food from Netflix's "Hey! First Time in Korea?", is pork diaphragm — officially called garomakssal.
2. The name is a pronunciation accident. It has nothing to do with seagulls.
3. Namsan Makchang in Yongsan-gu, Seoul is the restaurant from the show. Reserve ahead for groups of four or more.

Related reading:

• Korean Food That Could Kill You (But Won't, If You're Smart)
• Dakbal: Why Korean Chicken Feet Might Be the Spiciest Korean Food You'll Ever Eat

Sources:

• Netflix — "Hey! First Time in Korea?"
• Namsan Makchang on Instagram (@namsan_2918)