Gongdeok Korean BBQ omakase with a personal tabletop grill: Usu

I wanted a proper hanwoo (Korean beef) omakase experience, so I headed to Usu near Gongdeok Station.

Every plate that came out felt less like food and more like a work of art — a genuinely upscale fine dining course experience.

Let me write up my Usu review — the taste, the plating, the atmosphere, and the friendly service all left me really satisfied overall.

• Usu
• Unit 201, B2, Lotte Castle President commercial building, 109 Mapo-daero, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• In front of Gongdeok Station Exit 2
• Daily 11:00–22:00 (no holidays)
• Break time 15:00–17:00
• At least 3 hours free parking at the Lotte President commercial building lot

Where Usu Gongdeok is and what the private rooms feel like

Usu is on B2 of the Lotte Castle President commercial building, connected to Gongdeok Station Exit 2, so it was easy to find. It's right in the middle of busy downtown Gongdeok, but the moment you step inside, the mood shifts completely.

The lighting was soft and the interior calm yet stylish. The spacing between tables felt steady and settled too, so rather than a loud, bustling place, it was somewhere good for slowing down and focusing on the food and conversation.

Every seat here is in an independent private room with a closing door, so you can eat privately and quietly. There's group seating too, which seems great for gatherings.

What comes in the Dinner B set at Usu

Usu's specialty is hanwoo charcoal grill and Korean dining courses built around seasonal ingredients. We ordered the Dinner B set today. It was a lineup that built plenty of anticipation well before the beef itself even arrived.

Before the course started, the staff explained the 1++ grade hanwoo and various fresh seasonal ingredients we'd be using that day. Being able to see the freshness of the raw meat and ingredients with my own eyes before eating made me even more excited and satisfied.

First up as an appetizer was ugyejinjuk, a rich porridge. The deeply reduced hanwoo and chicken broth had real depth and a savory umami roundness. It felt like a gentle way to warm up my stomach before the course began.

Three bite-sized dishes: bulgogi sandwich, sweet shrimp gimbugak, scallop verrine

Next came three dishes set up like a single work of art. It was a lineup of a bulgogi sandwich (brioche with hanwoo bulgogi and mushroom-truffle cream cheese), sweet shrimp gimbugak (crispy fried seaweed), and a scallop verrine.

Each bite brought a different, deeply satisfying flavor. It was a dish that showed off both the refined taste and the visual flair of seasonal ingredients.

Shiitake and zucchini, then hanwoo yukhoe with gamtae seaweed

The next dish paired shiitake mushroom and zucchini with fragrant charnamul (wild chervil) oil and a nutty peanut-tofu sauce.

The chewy shiitake and soft zucchini textures paired well, and the light yet lingering nutty flavor was memorable.

Next was a dish of hanwoo yukhoe (beef tartare) with gamtae (dried seaweed). The yukhoe alone was tender and nutty, but the gamtae's aroma deepened the flavor even further.

Wrapping the yukhoe in gamtae and eating it in one bite gave an indescribably luxurious flavor.

Jeju red tilefish rice ball and 1++ hanwoo tteokgalbi

Next came a Jeju red tilefish dish — tilefish set on a rice ball with charnamul and barley, poured over with neungi mushroom broth. After the tilefish, I mixed the rice into the broth like ochazuke, and it had a hearty, gently savory flavor that pulled my appetite right along.

The 1++ hanwoo tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) balanced rich juiciness with a subtle charred flavor, giving off a deep meaty aroma. Pistachio fan, white balsamic sauce, and basil oil made it taste even more elevated.

The tteokgalbi was a cute one-bite size, but still carried a deep, rich meaty flavor — I really liked that.

Abalone five-color gardenia noodles to reset the palate

Next came the abalone jachaeja noodles. Yellow gardenia noodles were topped with black sesame radish strips, bracken, shiitake, seasoned charnamul, and perilla leaf, finished with gamtae dressing and mustard-garlic sauce.

It was a refreshing, light noodle dish, but it also served to reset the palate before the main course. The thick abalone inside had a fantastic chewy texture too.

How to grill the main 1++ hanwoo on your own tabletop grill

Next up was Usu's main dish — the 1++ hanwoo beef grill, set on the table.

The marbling on the beef looked genuinely mouthwatering. A personal grill was provided, so it was great being able to cook it to each person's preferred doneness and pace.

Last came a really cutely plated corn ice cream with green tangerine cream sauce. It gave the meal a refreshing finish after the potentially heavy beef course.

Is Usu worth booking for a family introduction or anniversary in Gongdeok?

From the very first dish to the last dessert, the refined flavors and stylish plating stood out, and the course was thoroughly satisfying from start to finish with nothing to complain about.

After finishing the meal, what stayed with me most wasn't just feeling full — it was the sense of having been truly well hosted.

The Dinner B set I had at Usu Gongdeok wasn't simply a meal of expensive beef — it was a fine dining course that strung together various ingredients and cooking methods around hanwoo like a single story.

It had been a while since I slowly enjoyed food from start to finish and felt genuinely well taken care of. The all-private rooms felt private, and with group seating too it suited gatherings well; the location right at Gongdeok Station Exit 2 made it convenient to access, and the corkage-free service was an extra plus I really appreciated.

With a good balance of flavor, atmosphere, and service, this was a Gongdeok restaurant I'd want to return to for a special day. If you're looking for a hanjeongsik course restaurant or a Seoul spot for a formal family meeting, I'd recommend Usu Gongdeok.