Jongno restaurant room for 18 and a ₩67,000 meat set: Yukrab Jongno

Whenever I visit Seoul I try to hit up the outdoor pojangmacha (street tent bars) in Jongno, but this summer was so brutally hot that somehow I just wasn't in the mood for it?! Outdoor grilling has its own vibe, but I wanted something a little more upscale, so I went to Yukrab, a well-known beef spot in Jongno run by 'the meat research lab.' Let's get right into this great-value restaurant.

Gogi Yeonguso Yukrab (고기연구소 육랩)

Where is Yukrab Jongno? Right on Jonggak's Youth Street

Yukrab, a Jonggak Station restaurant that says it researches and works to popularize beef and lamb, sits right in the middle of Jonggak Jeolmeum-ui-geori. The location was excellent.

Yukrab, this Jongno beef restaurant, is a classy room-style place I'd wanted to visit for a while. This time I went for a weekend dinner celebrating my younger sibling's birthday, who lives in Seoul!

A private room for 18 — Yukrab Jongno for Jongno company dinners

Since it was the weekend, I booked ahead through Naver before visiting. There are some hall seats, but it's mostly room-style, which would be great for important gatherings or company dinners too.

With rooms that can fit around 18 people, it's also known as a popular Jongno group dinner spot.

Walking in, the entrance is decorated with a variety of liquors that make the interior feel even more upscale. The whole place has a black interior scheme that gives it a hip feel too.

Side dishes already laid out when you reserve at Yukrab Jongno

Since I'd made a reservation, the table was already set when we arrived.

The banchan (side dishes) were laid out neatly, right on time, haha. I heard it's also popular on Instagram as a Jongno blind date spot — if you're looking for a tasteful place for one, Yukrab seems pretty solid.

There were various sauces and pickled vegetables, nice to try one by one.

Why Yukrab Jongno is good value for beef and lamb

What I liked about Yukrab, this Jonggak Station restaurant, is that you can enjoy top-grade beef and lamb at reasonable prices. The set was great and the à la carte items were good value too — turns out they own their own meat distribution company in-house, which apparently lets them lock in both quality and value.

The grill plates weren't thin disposable ones either — they use plates with no heavy metal risk, cleaned thoroughly between uses. Great value and this much attention to detail — no wonder this Jongno meat restaurant has so many repeat customers.

What comes in the ₩67,000 Yukrab set

We ordered the Yukrab set, which comes with jin-galbisal, lamb chops, tosisal, and an assortment of vegetables and cheese. It was plenty for two people. At ₩67,000, the value is insane!

The meat quality was excellent too — the lamb especially had no gamey smell at all, since they only use halal-certified young lamb, which made it noticeably tender.

The main menu items, Australian and American wagyu, had great value and flavor compared to hanwoo (Korean beef) at similar marbling levels. But for those who insist hanwoo is best, there's also a ₩39,900 hanwoo à la carte option, so you can enjoy great value to your own taste.

The doenjang jjigae included with the Yukrab set

The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) included in the set had an incredible savory flavor. You can call it the K-dessert of the meal — I just couldn't resist it! Even when I was too full for rice, this was a must-eat. So this well-rounded set comes highly recommended, haha.

Is Yukrab Jongno a good spot for a birthday dinner?

My sibling and I had a great time with some refreshing somaek (soju-beer mix) too. This visit to Yukrab, the meat lab restaurant near Jonggak Station, was affordable yet classy, and the quality was good enough that I'd happily bring my parents here too. Plus, since it's set up room-style, it's a must-visit Jongno restaurant whether you want a private date or a group dinner.

Corkage for wine or whisky is fairly cheap too, so next time I get a good bottle, I'll definitely bring it along and visit again, haha.