Seocho Korean BBQ near Sinnonhyeon Station: snowflake galbi, Hwaseol

Today I want to introduce a Gangnam BBQ spot I visited because I was craving beef ribs for a bit of a boost 🔥 It's Hwaseol Gangnam Direct Branch, a snow-flake beef rib specialist decked out like an old American west lodge! There's also a Seolleung branch I'd been saving to try, but I finally made it here first.

Where is Hwaseol Gangnam Direct Branch and how do you get there?

Hwaseol Gangnam Direct Branch is on the 1st floor of 38 Seocho-daero 73-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It's not far on foot from Sinnonhyeon Station, so it was easy to get to!

Group visits and reservations are possible, and with separate men's/women's restrooms plus baby chairs, it works for both family visits and company dinners!

There were a lot of foreign tourists around lately — when I went, I saw quite a few Japanese and Chinese tourists too.

Parking at Hwaseol Gangnam Direct Branch

Parking is available for about 3-4 cars in the alley beside the restaurant, but since it's narrow, if it fills up you'll need to use a nearby parking lot — good to keep in mind.

The 70-pyeong lodge-style space and rooms for 4 to 14

The moment I walked into Hwaseol Gangnam Direct Branch, I could really feel the 70-pyeong scale — it was spacious and comfortable. With the American west lodge-style interior, the atmosphere felt distinct right away.

What impressed me most was that Hwaseol has its own hidden lodge rooms! The rooms fit anywhere from 4 to 14 people, and the group seating also accommodates 4 to 14, making it perfect for company dinners or gatherings.

Even the corkage is free, so feel free to bring your own wine or favorite drink. Private seating plus friendly service — I loved it.

What we ordered at Hwaseol and the side dishes

At Hwaseol Gangnam Direct Branch we ordered beef rib meat, pork neck, mul naengmyeon, and hanwoo doenjang jjigae! The sauces and side dishes that came out before the meat were plentiful — so many banchan (side dishes).

White kimchi, salad, spicy radish salad, seaweed, salted squid, sweet pumpkin salad, green onion kimchi and more — it was really generous.

They even gave us basil sauce — such a nice touch...!

How do the beef rib meat and pork neck taste?

And then out came the meat, looking delicious with gold flakes sprinkled on top.

Sogalbisal (beef rib meat) is the lean cut between the rib meat, known for its chewy texture — and it really was a great bite when I tried it.

Watching it turn golden brown on the grill made me happy just watching, and one bite in, the juices were fully alive — soft yet chewy, exactly my type.

My favorite of the day: sogalbisal dipped in basil sauce!

We also grilled pork neck alongside it — clean and savory, great to alternate with the beef rib meat.

Mongja and I had a little contest over who could grill it better...! Haha

But since the meat was so fresh, it was delicious no matter how we ate it ^_^

Finishing with hanwoo doenjang jjigae and mul naengmyeon

Then came the side dishes — the hanwoo doenjang jjigae (Korean beef soybean paste stew) had a rich broth simmered from hanwoo beef, and sipping it while eating the meat felt soothing on the stomach. The deep, rich doenjang flavor didn't taste store-bought at all, which I loved.

Adding the mul naengmyeon on top let us finish cleanly without any greasiness haha. Also, there were several set menus — if you're planning to enjoy multiple cuts, ordering a set would be better value for money.

Who should book Hwaseol Gangnam Direct Branch?

• Anyone looking for a BBQ spot near Gangnam or Sinnonhyeon Station
• Fans of chewy beef rib meat and tender pork neck
• Anyone who needs a room for company dinners or gatherings
• Anyone who wants to bring their own wine with free corkage
• Anyone who wants a rich hanwoo doenjang jjigae to round things out