Korean restaurant in Gwangju for hot pot: Dugeori Usintang

I had two servings of Usin jeongol (beef hot pot) at Dugeori Usintang Gwangju Imam Branch (두거리우신탕 광주 임암점) in Imam-dong, Hyocheon District, Gwangju. I usually enjoy brothy dishes such as galbitang and gukbap, and this restaurant also had Usintang, galbitang, hot pots, and steamed dishes.

Was parking and entering the restaurant convenient?

I came by car and entered through the rear entrance instead of the front. There was signage for a dedicated parking lot behind the restaurant, and the rear entrance I used had room for about four cars. Parking was easy when I visited.

The rear entrance passage connected to the parking lot had several notices and a restroom. Both the passage and restroom were clean.

Is it suitable for family meals or group gatherings?

The restaurant was spacious overall, with plenty of space between tables. I thought it would suit family meals, work dinners, or group gatherings. However, when I visited between 5 and 6 p.m., every seat was full and it felt hectic. I liked the lively atmosphere, but it was somewhat disorderly during the busy period.

What did I order, and how did the side dishes work?

After hearing that the hot pot was good, I ordered two servings of Usin jeongol.

I could freely take more of the basic side dishes from the self-service corner. The perilla leaves in sauce caught my eye, and I especially liked the white kimchi, so I went back for it several times.

The four basic side dishes were simple. I had extra cubed radish kimchi and white kimchi because I liked them.

What was in the Usin jeongol, and how did it taste?

The ingredients to eat with the hot pot arrived on three tiers: beef and chives, udon noodles and egg, and ingredients for juk (rice porridge) to add at the end. I was pleased that the meal carried on from the hot pot through to the finish.

Along with the shabu-style meat, the hot pot also contained galbi. The initial set already felt generous.

I ate the galbi and meat with the side dishes. The meat went particularly well wrapped in perilla leaves, whose aroma added to it.

With bracken fern, green onion, onion, mushrooms, and other vegetables, it was easy to pick up vegetables along with the meat. At first, the broth was hearty, clean-tasting, and slightly spicy. As it boiled, the ingredients seemed to deepen the broth. The meat was tender rather than tough, so it was easy to eat with the broth.

How was it finished with udon and rice porridge?

After eating the meat and vegetables, I added the udon noodles and more broth, then let it boil. The noodles were chewy and tasty after soaking up the hot-pot broth.

I finished with rice porridge as well. Ending a hearty, spicy hot pot meal with udon and rice porridge made it feel like a satisfying full meal. The owner was kind, and I liked the quantity and progression of the food enough that I would like to return.