Mapo Station Korean BBQ for a pre-wedding catch-up: Usijang Hoegwan

A get-together before a close unni's (older sister figure's) wedding, our long-overdue "Bulljjaem" meetup 💗

Our group is scattered all over Seoul, and Mapo Station is always our meeting point, so once again I went hunting for a good place near Mapo Station. Everyone was rushing over after work, and if we were going to meet anyway, we wanted something delicious. That's how I found Usijang Hoegwan (우시장회관) Mapo branch! It has a wide menu from beef to gukbap and looked good for group meetups, so we went.

Where is Usijang Hoegwan Mapo branch?

Usijang Hoegwan is right in front of Mapo Station, so it's easy to find. There are lots of cafés and bars nearby, so it works for meeting friends, and I think it would be fine for an evening date too. The location is great for gathering after work, so if you're looking for a restaurant near Mapo Station, I recommend it.

The exterior looks clean! They have everything from beef dishes to gukbap, and the prices aren't scary, so we went in with high hopes.

Inside Usijang Hoegwan

The inside was clean overall too. We came a bit early, yet quite a few customers were already eating. I guess lots of people seek this place out as a Mapo Station favorite.

The restaurant also had tips posted on how to enjoy the gukbap and beef even more. When there's something like that, I can't help reading it one more time. Once we'd checked how to eat it best, we were ready to dig in!

What's in the 3-person set for three people?

The Usijang Hoegwan 3-person set is a mixed platter, plus your choice of either yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) or yuksashimi, plus one meal dish. There were three of us, so we ordered the 3-person set.

After some deliberation, we went with the mixed platter + yuksashimi + clam and beef gukbap. Beef, yuksashimi and gukbap all in one meal, so that was a smart order.

They also had a review event running when we visited. If you want to join in, check the in-store notice when you go!

Usijang Hoegwan self-serve bar

If you run out of side dishes, you can grab more yourself from the self-serve bar on one side of the restaurant. It was kept neat, so it was easy to bring back what we needed. Side dishes disappear surprisingly fast when you're eating meat, so being able to refill without feeling awkward was nice.

Boiled water and side dishes

I found one thing I love about Usijang Hoegwan! Even the water isn't just water, it's boiled water. I love small touches like this.

The side dishes came out first. There was lettuce geotjeori (fresh-tossed salad), pickled chili peppers and other things that go well with meat. Every one of them pairs so well with beef that I felt I could finish a bowl of rice with the sides alone. We were totally ready for meat.

Which cuts come on the mixed platter?

The Usijang Hoegwan mixed platter came with a variety of cuts: premium jin-galbi-sal (rib finger meat), LA galbi (marinated, cross-cut short ribs) and galbi-sal (rib meat). Being able to taste several cuts rather than just one was great. I felt we'd made the right call ordering the 3-person set for three people.

The marbling caught my eye first. Even in the photo, doesn't the marbling spread through the meat look delicious? Wondering how it would taste, I quickly put it on the grill.

Generously sliced yuksashimi

After the platter, the yuksashimi came out quickly too. The Usijang Hoegwan yuksashimi was sliced generously and looked appetizing. The color of fresh yuksashimi was lovely, and the texture is so different from grilled beef that I liked having it included in the set.

What does the clam and beef gukbap taste like?

The Usijang Hoegwan clam and beef gukbap adds the deep flavor of beef to the clean, refreshing taste of clams, and it was quietly the most memorable dish that day. At first the clam and beef combination felt a bit unfamiliar. I'm used to clams on their own and beef on its own, so I was curious how they'd taste together in gukbap. And honestly, after one bite I almost ordered soju.

The refreshing clam flavor with the deep beefy richness was a much better combination than I expected. The broth is clear yet has that heavy, meaty depth, so the spoon just keeps going back in! I started with the gukbap before grilling anything and it was practically gone in no time. I think it would work great as a drinking snack too.

With our appetites properly woken up by the gukbap, it was finally time for the meat. While it grilled we ate gukbap and yuksashimi, so even the waiting wasn't boring.

Beef grilled right over charcoal

At Usijang Hoegwan you grill the meat directly over charcoal. Beef cooked over charcoal? I can't resist that. Watching the meat cook away on the grill made me want to eat it right away.

For the first bite of beef, a dip in salt, of course. I wanted to taste the meat itself first, so I went with the basics.

It was good wrapped in lettuce too. After eating the meat on its own, adding lettuce and side dishes gave us a different combination to enjoy.

Above all, the meat was really tender. It went down soft with nothing tough or heavy about it, which I loved. It reminded me again that with beef, the meat itself has to be good.

I tried the yuksashimi with wasabi too. The generously cut yuksashimi with wasabi was clean-tasting with a great texture. I think being able to enjoy charcoal-grilled meat and raw beef in one go is the strength of the mixed set.

We also grilled mushrooms and scallions over the charcoal. After nonstop meat, grilled vegetables refresh your mouth and make a great combination. Maybe because they were charcoal-grilled, the mushrooms and scallions were delicious too.

Meat just kept going onto the grill. Today's designated griller: me. I grilled away while chatting with my friends. Isn't that the fun of a meetup after ages apart?

My personal best combo: salt

The meat was good with all kinds of side dishes too. Switching up the accompaniments gave the same meat slightly different flavors, which I liked. Still, my favorite combination was salt! The quality of the meat itself is good enough that a light dip in salt, rather than piling things on, suited me best.

Last up: LA galbi

The last thing we ate was the LA galbi! With marinated galbi, a strong sauce can sometimes bury the flavor of the meat, but the Usijang Hoegwan LA galbi had a mild, gentle marinade, which I liked.

Going from plain beef to marinated galbi in order gave us a variety of flavors. At our long-awaited Bulljjaem meetup, we ate beef, enjoyed gukbap and went home properly full.

Verdict: how is it as a friends' meetup spot near Mapo Station?

Usijang Hoegwan is right in front of Mapo Station, so it was easy to get to for a group. I liked the menu: you can try several cuts on the mixed platter and also get yuksashimi and clam and beef gukbap. The gukbap, with the freshness of clams and the depth of beef, was an unexpected highlight. If you're looking for a place for a friends' meetup or an after-work dinner near Mapo Station, I highly recommend Usijang Hoegwan!