Beef grill house in Yeonsinnae, Seoul: 38,000-won marinated rib set

Sambaek Hanu Daecheop: 2 minutes from Yeonsinnae Station Exit 7

Friday evening, walking home from work — my wallet was light, but after a week of overtime, all I wanted was to reward myself with some beef. So I wandered the alleys of Yeonsinnae with that one goal in mind.

Dragging my tired body after work, I set out on foot around Yeonsinnae Station Exit 7, determined to find beef and a drink for around 40,000 won.

I arrived at Sambaek Hanu Daecheop (삼백한우대첩), exactly 156m from Exit 7 of Yeonsinnae Station, a 2-minute walk. I'd heard it was a renewal of the former Kkuseokji Dolpan Hanwoo, so I walked in half-skeptical, half-hopeful. This turned out not to be just a place that sells meat — it was a solemn arena attempting the impossible feat of a full beef course for around ₩10,000-ish per person.

What comes with the 38,000-won marinated short rib set

What I picked at Sambaek Hanu Daecheop was the marinated beef short rib set (300g), priced at 38,000 won. As soon as I sat down, I studied the menu carefully, calculating the most efficient and perfect combination.

For 38,000 won, this was a jaw-dropping lineup: 300g of US beef marinated short rib, Korean yukhoe, hanwoo doenjang stew, and even mul naengmyeon included for participating in a Naver review.

To top it off, I added a bowl of rice to make sure I'd be properly full, drawing up my perfect meal execution plan. While waiting for the meat, the grill got set up on the table, and my own heart rate started picking up too.

Is the free Korean yukhoe portion too small?

But along the way, a small unexpected disappointment showed up. When the yukhoe included in the set landed on the table first, honestly, the portion didn't look very generous, and I felt a bit let down.

It's a free side dish, sure, but I hesitated to even pick up my chopsticks, thinking it looked too small. But the moment I took a big bite of the yukhoe, its sesame oil aroma drifting up, I regretted my hasty judgment. The cold beef hit my tongue, chewy and dense, releasing a nutty richness that filled my whole mouth. In the end, I realized the portion wasn't small — it was the perfect amount to whet the appetite before the meat itself arrived.

How the 300g US marinated short rib tastes on the grill

Next came the star: 300g of US beef marinated short rib, well-marinated in a sweet sauce.

As soon as the meat hit the grill, it sizzled and released a sweet, savory aroma into the air. Once it was cooked just right, I grabbed a piece and sent it straight to my mouth.

On the first bite, the salty-sweet umami of the marinade seeped out from between my teeth.

On the second bite, the characteristic chewy texture of galbisal (short rib meat) came through, giving it a firm bite.

On the third bite, the juices and marinade mingled and slid smoothly down my throat.

Wasn't I supposed to be someone who gets sick of marinated meat quickly?

I kept asking myself that, unable to stop reaching for more with my chopsticks.

Hanwoo doenjang stew and the free mul naengmyeon

This place's real secret weapon was the hanwoo doenjang stew and the mul naengmyeon I got as a review service. Mixing rice into the savory doenjang stew and taking a big spoonful, the spicy broth completely cut through the richness of the short rib.

Then the mul naengmyeon arrived, and the moment I drank its broth with floating shaved ice, the heat that had been rising in me dropped instantly.

The owner just brought the food over kindly, but in my eyes, they looked like a beef master who had calculated every move to fill a guest's stomach perfectly. The forbidden sweetness of completing the small mission of writing a Naver review and getting mul naengmyeon as a bonus was beyond words.

Getting this whole full course for 38,000 won plus just the price of extra rice — it was the best find in the alleys of Yeonsinnae.

A perfect evening where a full spread of beef melted away all of life's fatigue!