Mapo Korean restaurant dinner with charcoal-grilled sirloin: Usu

A quiet Hanwoo course spot right by Gongdeok Station

While looking for somewhere quiet to share a meal with someone dear, I finally visited a place I’d had my eye on for a while. For a special day or gathering, I find myself preferring a place with every table in a private room, where we can talk rather than contend with the noise of a typical restaurant.

Usu (우수) is on B2 of Lotte Castle President, right in front of Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station, so it was incredibly easy to reach by public transport. There is also a large parking lot in the building with three hours of free parking, so bringing a car felt easy, too. The neat, polished interior caught my eye from the moment I walked in, raising my expectations even more.

The atmosphere of all-private rooms

From the entrance onward, Usu was filled with a refined yet cozy atmosphere. The luxurious wood tones and soft lighting came together beautifully, and my first thought was that it would be perfect for a formal occasion or get-together.

Every seat is in a private room, so it was an environment where we could focus entirely on our meal and conversation without worrying about surrounding noise. They also offer corkage-free service, and I saw quite a few guests bringing wine they liked to enjoy with the meal. As I slowly read through the descriptions of the course dishes on the menu, the beautifully arranged table setting already put me in a good mood before the food arrived.

The deep flavor of beef-and-chicken jinjuk porridge

The first course, ugye jinjuk, a rich beef-and-chicken porridge, was warm and deeply flavorful—just right for settling the stomach. Its rich broth, slowly made with Hanwoo beef bone and chicken stock, held scorched rice and a green-onion crust, filling my mouth with a toasty aroma.

The chewy shiitake and white wood-ear mushrooms, along with the crisp asparagus, worked so well together that this first course was enough to awaken the appetite. Its balance of clean yet substantial flavor made me look forward to the dishes that followed even more.

Fun little bites to choose from

The set of bite-sized dishes that followed was eye-catching from the start. The bulgogi sandwich was packed with tender Hanwoo bulgogi and mushroom duxelles between crisp brioche, so every bite brought together meat juices and mushroom aroma. The scallop dish paired gently cooked scallops with aburi (lightly seared) roe and a clam cream sauce, leaving a full, savory taste of the sea in my mouth.

The dish of sweet shrimp and gim bugak, crispy fried seaweed, was especially unusual: the sweet shrimp’s signature springy sweetness met the crunch of fried rice with abalone innards. The lobster taco combined sous-vide lobster and smoked gochujang mayonnaise in a squid-ink tortilla, with a wonderful spicy, nutty flavor. They were only bite-sized, but each dish had such a distinct character that choosing what to eat first was genuinely fun.

Crisp shiitake shrimp and its sauce

The shiitake shrimp dish made a strong impression with its springy shrimp and large shiitake mushrooms. The coating was light and crisp rather than thick, letting the ingredients’ natural flavors come through, while the subtle peanut tofu sauce and chamnamul herb oil had an unusual but spot-on pairing.

If I had to name one small drawback, the overall dishes were so polished and the sauces so appealing that people who prefer lighter seasoning might find the flavors a little direct. Still, it played an important role in keeping the course from feeling bland, and I personally enjoyed it very much.

Raw beef with gamtae and tilefish in mushroom broth

For the yukhoe gamtae dish, we wrapped Hanwoo yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) with savory gamtae seaweed, along with house-made aioli, fried scorched rice, and pickled josaekjam. The springy raw beef, nutty cured egg, and crisp scorched rice came together for a definite pleasure in every chew.

The tilefish dish that followed featured tilefish grilled crisp outside and moist within, served with barley and chamnamul rice and a shallow pour of warm neungi mushroom broth. The fragrant mushroom flavor seeped into every grain of rice, creating a clean, delicate taste. It felt soothing from the inside out, and I was comfortable throughout the dish.

Tteokgalbi and five-color gardenia noodles with abalone

The tteokgalbi, a Korean grilled beef patty, came next with crushed pistachios, celeriac purée, and shiitake duxelles. The moment I bit into the thick patty, its rich juices and smoky fire-grilled flavor spread through my mouth. The balanced acidity of the white balsamic sauce neatly cut through a flavor that could otherwise have felt rich.

The five-color gardenia noodles with abalone were a cool, appetizing specialty. Bracken fern, shiitake mushrooms, seasoned chamnamul, and tender abalone came together with mustard-garlic sauce and a gamtae dressing, creating a sharp but refreshing flavor. The noodles’ chew and the texture of the greens went together beautifully.

Finishing with personal charcoal grills and dessert

The main charcoal-grilled beef and Korean table set were a work of art at a glance, with the marbling of the 1++ grade Hanwoo sirloin on full display. Since we could grill it on our own personal charcoal grill, it was easy to cook it to exactly the doneness we wanted. The moist juices melting away the moment the beef entered my mouth drew an audible wow.

The Hanwoo seaweed soup and fish pot rice served alongside were also neatly presented and nutty, helping bring the meal to a clean close. For dessert, corn ice cream and scone cake balanced sweetness and toasty flavors, making for a polished finish right to the end.

Thanks to the thoughtful dishes I had at Usu, I came away having spent a truly special and satisfying time. How about spending time with someone dear over delicious food in a private space this weekend?