Charcoal hanwoo BBQ in Geumcheon, Seoul: Ddeum Sukseong Hanwoo No.9

Today I visited Ddeum Sukseong Hanwoo, famous in Geumcheon-gu for hanwoo (Korean beef). Short version: it's ridiculously good, and I recommend everyone go at least once. Seriously, HIGHLY recommended!!!!

• Naver Reservation available
• 11:00–24:00 (break time 14:00–16:00)
• Parking available (Lotte Mart Geumcheon branch – 2 hours free)
• Corkage available (paid)
• High chair available

What is Ddeum Sukseong Hanwoo No.9? A 1++ No.9 hanwoo restaurant by Geumcheon-gu Office Station

Ddeum Sukseong Hanwoo is a restaurant where you can taste No.9 grade hanwoo — the highest grade within top-grade 1++. It's great that they're open for lunch too, and you can even get yukhoe (raw beef) and yuk-sashimi delivered via Baemin. Lots of delivery orders came in while I was eating! Apparently the Geumcheon-gu location is the flagship store.

There's a sign by the door showing the beef grade certification haha, which made it look confident and got me even more excited.

Seating at Ddeum Sukseong Hanwoo No.9: two 4-seat tables, a 6-seat table and a bar

The place was smaller than I expected. It's made up of two 4-seat tables, one 6-seat table, and bar (dachi) seating. If you come as a pair, you'll be seated at the bar table!

There's also a simple hanger for hanging up your coat haha.

What comes in the 500g special set: sirloin, shrimp cut, top blade and skirt meat

~ menu reading time ~ The menu is packed with set menus plus a la carte and side dishes. Out of everything, I went with the Special Set. It's 500g total, made up of sirloin, shrimp cut (saeu-sal), top blade (salchi-sal), and skirt meat. Wait... shrimp cut? That rare shrimp cut??????? 🦐🦐🦐 There was no way I wasn't ordering it ;;;;;

???? What is this marbling..? ??????? ??????????? What is this color??????????? ??????? It looked so good I honestly wanted to eat it raw — you could tell just by looking that the quality was amazing!!

The side dishes and menchobap that fill the table

On top of that, there were side dishes to go with it — shredded scallion, mountain garlic leaves (myeong-i namul), baek-kimchi, garlic scapes, chili peppers, basil pesto sauce, plus soy sauce, wasabi, salt, and finally menchobap ;;;; (it seemed like each person got two pieces of menchobap!) A full table's worth of food.

I also liked that the kitchen is fully open to view, which put my mind at ease about hygiene.

Complimentary ankimo (monkfish liver) and seasoned cockles

Among the side menu items are cockle salad and ankimo (monkfish liver). The cockles were nice and chewy, and the ankimo was so rich and savory. There was no ankimo on the menu, so I asked, and apparently they're currently offering it as a limited complimentary item. Wait, do they have extra? ;;;...... You can get a coupon by reserving through Naver, so I'd recommend everyone take advantage of it! (Who knows when it'll become a regular menu item, so better hurry and go, right? haha)

The owner grills every cut over charcoal: a semi-omakase service

Now let's get to the meat, shall we? Ah... everyone, watch out for drooling ;;; They set up a charcoal brazier right at the table and grill the meat right in front of you. Ddeum Sukseong Hanwoo has a grilling service, so it has the advantage of feeling like an omakase experience.

If beef isn't grilled well, it really can turn out tough and flavorless, right? Here, the owner grills it so well that there's zero chance of failure. And the charcoal itself is no joke — the heat is intense; if I'd grilled it myself it would already be ashes.

...You see this and still say you won't go? You see this and are still debating whether to go?????

The thicker-cut sirloin even goes through resting before being served perfectly cooked. He cuts it open to show you when it's rare and asks how you'd like it done further. If this isn't omakase, what is.

The garnish is mushroom and zucchini, and even the garnish is grilled amazingly well ㅠㅠ So good ;;;

It's just... too much. Just too much. It's too perfect.... It's too delicious... It felt like a shame to see the meat disappear with every bite ㅜㅜ

The moment I ate it, I basically became Eun-kyul Lee (magician-level impressed).

What to drink with hanwoo beef: soju, wine, highballs, sake and corkage

This is a flavor that flat-out demands alcohol. So I ordered soju too haha. They also have wine, highball, and sake, so there's a nice range of drinks to pair with the beef. Corkage is available too (paid), so bringing your own favorite drink is also a good option!

Sirloin with basil pesto, menchobap with ankimo

The sirloin is delicious with just a dip of salt, but with basil pesto on top, the flavor doubles in richness. Truly delicious... delicious.... just delicious...

Eating the menchobap that came out together with ankimo on top was also so good..!!! I've basically become a person who can only say 'delicious.' ㅜㅜ;;;;

Because there were so many things to pair with each bite, every piece felt like a new experience — I really loved that (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

House-made fish sauce and seasonal pickles from the owner

The soy sauce served alongside is actually a fish sauce (eo-ganjang) the owner makes himself. He adds chili to it for a spicy kick, and apparently uses this same sauce to make the mountain garlic leaves and other pickled dishes himself. He says the pickles change with the season, so I guess I'll have to come back each time the season changes...?

The main event: shrimp cut and top blade off the charcoal

As we were finishing up the first round of meat, he grilled up what was left. He kept an eye on the table so the grilling never stopped, which was really convenient and nice! He called it a semi-omakase, but honestly it might as well be full omakase ;;;

I'd never had shrimp cut grilled and served separately before, but here you get to eat it on its own, so I could really savor its flavor. Tender, with a deep meaty aroma — genuinely delicious......

The top blade was honestly beyond words ;;; The second you bite in, the fat bursts out and it melts like cotton candy. What was all the top blade I'd eaten before this....?

Finishing the meal with a bowl of ramyeon

We demolished the 500g in no time and were absolutely stuffed, but there's currently a Naver review event going on, so how could I not do it? Straight-up ordered the ramyeon.

Finishing off with ramyeon at the end made it a truly perfect full course. I feel like I really got to taste proper hanwoo. The owner and staff were all so kind too — the pride in the meat, the pride in the house-made fish sauce, plus complimentary ankimo and cockles ;; It was a restaurant that genuinely lacked nothing. I don't usually go around hyping up places like this, but this one I'll seriously, wholeheartedly recommend..

Who should book a table at Ddeum Sukseong Hanwoo No.9

• Looking for a spot for a special day, anniversary, or upcoming Christmas date
• Looking for a blind date spot
• Looking for a family dinner spot
• Looking for an upscale hanwoo restaurant to take your parents to
• Looking for a restaurant you can bring your baby to
• Looking for tableside beef grilling service