Hanwoo restaurant in Gongdeok: sirloin dinner for a tired friend, Usu

My friend has seemed so drained lately that I wanted to feed them something really good, so we went to Usu, a Korean set-course restaurant near Gongdeok Station in Seoul.

Where is Usu at Gongdeok Station, and what are the rooms like?

Usu is directly connected to a Gongdeok Station exit, so the location is fantastic.

On top of that, every seat is a private room, which was a huge plus! I'd also highly recommend it as a restaurant in Seoul for meeting the in-laws. The staff service and the atmosphere are both really lovely.

Which hanwoo cut comes with the Usu Dinner B course (90g)?

We had Usu's Dinner B course with 90g of beef, and it was so filling and delicious. We were completely satisfied.

And here comes the star of the day, hanwoo (Korean beef)! Before the course starts, they show you the ingredients that will be used today, and I already thought this felt super fancy, haha.

Today's cut was striploin. It's my favorite cut of beef, and how did they know to prepare striploin?❤️

In what order is the Usu hanwoo course served?

1. Ugye jinjuk (rice porridge)

The first dish of the Usu course is ugye jinjuk, a rice porridge made by simmering beef and chicken until rich. It has asparagus in it, so there's a slight bitterness, but the deep flavor was great. Passes as a starter.

2. Three bite-sized dishes

The three bites were a bulgogi sandwich, a scallop and clam bite, and sweet shrimp on a gimbugak (seaweed cracker). This is actually my second visit to Usu, and the course structure is the same but the dishes change a little. The bulgogi sandwich seems to be a permanent item, and the other two were new.

They told us to start with the bulgogi sandwich, and I wondered if it was okay to start with something strongly flavored, but there was none of that heavy bulgogi taste, just a subtle bulgogi flavor, so it was a good opener. The scallop and clam bite tasted really refined.

My favorite of these was the sweet shrimp with gimbugak. It isn't plain gimbugak but myeongran (pollock roe) gimbugak, with a gentle saltiness from the roe and rich sweet shrimp on top. So good. I strongly recommend it as a Seoul Korean restaurant.

3. Shiitake shrimp and zucchini

The shiitake shrimp has a flavor grown-ups would love. It's like menbosha (shrimp toast), but wrapped in mushroom instead of bread, so it tastes much more upscale. I don't really like zucchini, but the zucchini dish blended its mild zucchini flavor with the tofu inside, and I really enjoyed it.

My friend said thanks for bringing them somewhere like this, hahaha.

4. Yukhoe gamtae (beef tartare with seaweed)

I think the yukhoe gamtae is also a regular item. Every time I come, I get so excited when it arrives, haha. It's beef tartare wrapped in gamtae (a fine seaweed), and how do the two go together this well? Fried nurungji (scorched rice) on top adds crunch too, so it's insanely good. Usu tastes so good that it would be a great choice for meeting the in-laws. Highly recommended as a restaurant in Seoul for that.

5. Okdom (tilefish)

Next came okdom (tilefish), a fish that's hard to get at home. Of course the fish is delicious, but the broth was the real hit. They said it's a neungi mushroom broth, and even though I'm not a mushroom person, the broth was genuinely great.

The taste of refined Korean fine dining. Usu really does hanjeongsik (Korean set course) well.

6. Tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty)

Nobody dislikes tteokgalbi, right? Usu's tteokgalbi is on a whole other level from the frozen kind sold on Kurly. No odor at all, and absolutely delicious.

7. Abalone five-color gardenia noodles

Put simply, the abalone five-color gardenia noodles are cold noodles, and they're a superb appetite booster. Slightly chilled, with a garlic sauce made with mustard that was amazing.

The abalone on top was tender and wonderful too. I'm already full at this point, but the real star hasn't arrived yet🙂🙂

8. Main: hanwoo sirloin on a personal grill with a set meal

The main of the Usu course is hanwoo grilled on a personal grill, served with a bansang (traditional set meal). The glowing hanwoo makes its entrance! Beef alone would be great, but with the set meal alongside it was a really hearty meal. The color of the beef was unreal.

Each person has their own grill, so you can eat at your own pace, which I liked. The fire is strong, so it cooks quickly. The hanwoo just melts in your mouth. Hanwoo is love.

And here's the KakaoTalk message my friend sent, haha. They've been so busy lately, working weekends and even staying until 3 a.m. a few days ago, and they said this was a taste that gives you strength, haha.

9. Chamoe (Korean melon) sorbet

The Usu course ends with a melon sorbet dessert, and even the last dessert is pretty. Usu is a place anyone you bring would love. I really recommend it for anniversaries or meeting the in-laws.

The melon sorbet tastes completely different from ordinary ice cream. The subtle melon aroma was crazy good. It was a Korean restaurant in Seoul at Gongdeok Station where I ate well all the way through dessert.

Does Usu in Gongdeok offer free parking and corkage?

Usu offers up to 3 hours of free parking regardless of how many cars you bring, and even free corkage, so there's no reason not to come. If you choose Usu near Gongdeok Station for an anniversary or meeting the in-laws, I think you're bound to succeed, haha.

The staff are real pros too. Usu is a true all-rounder. I'd revisit five thousand percent!