Maebong Station Korean BBQ date after a Lotte Cinema movie: Woosang

Dinner after a movie at Maebong Station: how was Woosang Hwarogui?

Woosang Hwarogui Gangnam Maebong Station Branch (우상화로구이) was an aged beef short rib place with great meat quality, a great atmosphere, private seating, and even free corkage. We came after watching Toy Story 5 at Lotte Cinema (nicknamed "Lotsi") at Maebong Station, wondering what to have for dinner.

To start with the conclusion: I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a Gangnam date spot or a place for a Gangnam company dinner. If you love aged short rib, you'll be happy here.

Where is Woosang Hwarogui Gangnam Maebong Station Branch?

It's a 2–3 minute walk from Maebong Station Exit 4, right at the start of the Maebong Station restaurant street, so it's easy to find. It sits between Yangjae-dong and Dogok-dong, and it looked popular for office worker dinners too.

An orange sign you can spot from far away. Seeing the words "aged short rib specialist" got my hopes up before we even walked in.

Interior and curtained seats: good for a date?

The inside is roomier than I expected. The tables are spaced comfortably, so it doesn't feel cramped. There's also group seating, so it looked fine for company dinners and gatherings.

What I liked most was the space divided by curtains. You barely feel the eyes of the next table, so it's great for a date or for quiet conversation.

There were two of us, so we were shown to a private seat. The whole place is clean with a subtly upscale feel, so it seems fine for a blind date or an anniversary meal too.

Menu and prices: what we ordered

You order through the kiosk at each table. It was convenient to browse the menu at our own pace.

• Sang assorted platter (410g) ₩85,000
• Spicy soft tofu stew (sundubu-jjigae) ₩7,000
• Steamed rice ₩1,000

The Sang assorted platter lets you taste several cuts at once, including chamjinsal, angeomisal and gadak galbi, so it's the one I'd most recommend for a first visit.

Table setting and hot towel

Here comes the basic table setting. There aren't an excessive number of side dishes, but they go well with the meat and come out neat and tidy.

My standard for a classy restaurant = they hand you a warm towel first. Wiping my hands with it made me feel taken care of.

Sang assorted platter, 410g: enough for two?

The star of the day arrives: the Sang assorted platter. Even the color of the meat is different. The marbling is nicely present, and just looking at it made my mouth water.

For two people it's plenty filling. If you like beef, it's exactly the kind of set that will satisfy you.

The seasoned green onion salad (daepa-muchim) that came with it. At first I thought it was just a side dish, but it turned out to be the hidden star of the day.

Grilling chamjinsal first, with soft tofu stew on the side

How do you all cook your beef? I like it lightly cooked. In order, I put the chamjinsal on first.

The spicy soft tofu stew came out quickly too. It's packed with meat, so it alone could make a bowl of rice disappear.

The solemn first bite. I recommend dipping the first piece of meat lightly in salt, no exceptions. The juices spread the moment it hit my mouth, and I could really taste the depth of aged beef.

Scallion pile with aged beef

The pile of green onions that came with it: toss it around and pile it on top of the meat.

The scallion pile and meat combo is delicious. The scallions themselves aren't strongly seasoned, so they don't get in the way of the beef's aroma.

I grilled meat while eating the tofu stew in between. There's really a lot of soft tofu and meat in it.

A bite with the pickled chili peppers (gochu-jangajji) that came along too. With so many sides to go with it, it never gets greasy or tiring.

Personally, I really loved this scallion pile.

What do angeomisal and gadak galbi taste like?

Next up, angeomisal (a chewy cut of beef). Its charm is the chewy texture.

The more you chew, the nuttier it gets. If chamjinsal's charm was tenderness, angeomisal wins on texture.

The last thing I grilled was gadak galbi. It's long and looks kind of funny, but the taste is serious. Insanely good.

Eaten with grilled pineapple, the fruit juice and the meat juices exploded together.

To finish, charcoal-grilled corn. The faint charcoal aroma doubles the nuttiness.

Dessert ice cream with salt, pepper and olive oil?

I thought the meal would end with the meat, but they take care of dessert too.

It's Excellent ice cream, the one I thought only rich kids ate when I was little.

On top, they sprinkle salt, pepper and olive oil. The pairing is amazing. A staff member sprinkles the salt, pepper and olive oil right at the table. I was half doubtful at first, but

it was genuinely delicious. Salty meets sweet and it feels like a fancy dessert. A perfect end to the meal.

Overall: who is Woosang Hwarogui Gangnam Maebong Station Branch for?

I visited Woosang Hwarogui Gangnam Maebong Station Branch while searching for a good restaurant near Maebong Station. The aged beef quality and the atmosphere were both good, so I was satisfied. I especially recommend it to:

• Anyone looking for a beef restaurant near Maebong Station
• Anyone looking for a Gangnam date spot
• Anyone looking for a company dinner place near Yangjae
• Anyone looking for a private Korean BBQ restaurant
• Anyone looking for a restaurant with free corkage

Personally, the aged short rib eaten with the green onion salad and the Excellent ice cream dessert at the end stuck with me most. If you're looking for a beef place with a nice atmosphere near Maebong Station, I recommend Woosang Hwarogui Gangnam Maebong Station Branch.