Seoul Korean BBQ for a couple: shaken lunchbox & bingsu, Mapo Mokjang

Today I visited Mapo Mokjang (마포목장), a Korean BBQ place in Mapo.

Where is Mapo Mokjang, and what's the vibe?

Mapo Mokjang is a 3-minute walk from Mapo Station. Retro vibes from the entrance, right?!

The entrance lists prices for the beef rib and Hanwoo (Korean beef) yukhoe set. Yukhoe and fresh ribs for under ₩100,000 is such good value 🩷

Wide tables: a good spot for a group dinner near Mapo Station?

The inside of Mapo Mokjang is really spacious. The tables are big too, so everyone can sit comfortably instead of squeezing together. (There were other guests inside, so I only photographed part of it.)

Retro-style restaurants are usually cramped, with everyone huddled together... but at Mapo Mokjang you can eat without bumping elbows. I recommend it if you're looking for a group dinner spot near Mapo Station.

Mapo Mokjang menu and what we ordered for two

The menu is simple: fresh beef ribs, marinated beef ribs and yukhoe, with cold noodles, a lunchbox, steamed egg and doenjang stew as sides. I went with my partner, and this is what we ordered.

• Fresh Hwangje beef ribs, 450g: ₩46,000
• Nostalgic lunchbox: ₩5,000
• Steamed egg: ₩5,000

Side dishes and the self-serve bar

These are the side dishes that come out as soon as you order ❤️ (lettuce, bean sprouts, scallion salad, garlic, ssamjang (dipping paste), cabbage, onion, pickled onion)

The self-serve bar at Mapo Mokjang has the same lineup as the basic side dishes: lettuce, bean sprouts, scallion salad, garlic, ssamjang, cabbage, onion and pickled onion.

Fresh Hwangje ribs, 450g: enough for two?

As soon as the side dishes are set, the staff bring the charcoal brazier, and add a swipe of garlic on top before leaving. Ready for smoky beef ribs 🤍

Can you see the juicy fat on those ribs, haha? They looked so good that I was super excited.

A whole plate of 450g beef ribs. For two people, 450g is plenty!

Grilling away 🤤 Beef ribs cook quickly, so we put on a little at a time.

Once my stomach filled up a bit, I spotted photos of celebrity visits,, haha

Free meat kimchi stew

After you've eaten a fair amount of meat at Mapo Mokjang, the owner brings kimchi stew, and the meat kimchi stew is free 🤤🤤 After all that rich meat, a bite of kimchi stew resets everything!

How were the nostalgic lunchbox, steamed egg and sides?

Eek, the old-school lunchbox I was so excited for! The nostalgic lunchbox at Mapo Mokjang is ₩5,000, and it's nothing special, so why is it so delicious? The same food just tastes so much better in an old-fashioned lunchbox tin. My partner and I took turns shaking it hard, haha. We're school-lunch generation people who love these lunchboxes, by the way.

While you're busily shaking the lunchbox, the steamed egg comes out right away. It's fluffy and warm 🤍

Actually, the lunchbox and steamed egg came out right as the meat started grilling, so I was shaking the lunchbox while eating meat and only got to the steamed egg later, haha.

Tips for grilling beef ribs at Mapo Mokjang

We took a bite of the sides, then went back to the meat. The meat was tender, so we hardly needed the scissors.

The heat at Mapo Mokjang is strong and the meat cooks fast, so if you put a lot on at once, the last pieces burn while you're eating (T_T). I really recommend putting on a little at a time.

I kept dipping the meat in salt, and when it got too rich I wrapped it in lettuce with garlic. I always dip meat in salt, but there was ssamjang too, so I tried it, haha. Ssamjang is of course tasty, but I prefer salt.

Free old-fashioned bingsu: dessert sorted

While eating meat at Mapo Mokjang, the owner asks, "Shall I give you a dessert on the house?!" Of course, yes yes yes!!!! They give you a huge old-fashioned bingsu (shaved ice dessert) for free?!

I took a photo next to a water glass to show the size. The bingsu is big, so I highly recommend this as a group dinner spot near Mapo Station for meat and drinks.

The old-fashioned bingsu at Mapo Mokjang is shaved ice topped with cereal, red bean, condensed milk and roasted soybean powder. Why is such a simple combo so good,, 🤤 The bingsu totally cleansed my stomach after the greasy meat 🫶🏻

We'd actually been saying while eating, "Should we get ice cream after this?!" ... so finishing dessert at Mapo Mokjang was wonderful!!

Is Mapo Mokjang worth going back to?

If you're looking for a good restaurant or bar in Dohwa-dong, beef near Mapo Station, or Korean BBQ in Mapo, Mapo Mokjang is good value and gives you dessert, so it's worth a visit. I would absolutely go back ❤️