Yangpyeong Korean restaurant for hanwoo gukbap lunch: Jongjong Yukhoe

Jongjong Yukhoe in Seojong-myeon, Yangpyeong: a beef tartare stop on the Dumulmeori drive

Jongjong Yukhoe (서종육회) is a yukhoe (Korean seasoned raw beef) specialist in Seojong-myeon, Yangpyeong, along the road you reach after passing Dumulmeori and Semiwon. I heard the owner here is serious about yukhoe, so I made it a drive and headed to Seojong. This is the yukhoe spot celebrities are said to love: "Jongjong Yukhoe."

Parking and opening hours at Jongjong Yukhoe

The address is 4-1 Dangmokppuri-gil, Seojong-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi, one minute by car from Kuha House Museum. There's a parking lot right in front of the restaurant and you can also park in the empty lot across the street, so there's plenty of space.

• Closed: every Wednesday and Thursday
• Hours: Mon, Tue, Fri–Sun 11:00–20:30
• Break time: 15:00–16:30

The menu and a local lunch scene

The menu is split into lunch dishes, anju (food to go with drinks) and alcohol. Even before noon, Seojong locals were already eating, or already walking out after finishing, so I thought, yep, this is a real local favorite. Many were having yukhoe bibimbap, hanwoo gukbap (Korean beef soup with rice) or galbitang (short rib soup), so I watched what the locals chose very closely.

What style is the hanwoo yukhoe at Jongjong Yukhoe?

The yukhoe here comes without chili powder, served with shredded pear, radish sprouts and an egg yolk. Jongjong Yukhoe, in Seojong near Seoul, is a yukhoe place celebrities visit, and there are lots of autographs stuck on the walls.

The yukhoe arrived and I was already drooling~~ For me, the quality of the meat comes first in yukhoe, and second I prefer it served with shredded pear, and this was exactly that. I don't like yukhoe with chili powder, so that's an automatic no for me.

Hanwoo (Korean native beef) has its own distinct flavor, so when you taste it you can tell whether it's hanwoo or not, and the yukhoe here had a mildly sweet taste. Instead of mixing the pear and radish sprouts in, I piled on only as much as I was eating each time, which looked and tasted clean. The egg yolk comes alongside, and when you want to taste the pure flavor of the beef, it's better to leave the yolk out and eat it as is.

Hanwoo gukbap with red broth: is it spicy?

The hanwoo gukbap comes with a red broth that looks spicy, but it wasn't spicy at all. I tasted a deep meaty broth.

There's plenty of hanwoo beef and sujji (beef tendon), and if you order the special (teuk) size, isn't it half meat, half broth~~♡ The radish is refreshing too, an excellent choice! After eating the gukbap, I understood why the Seojong locals finish lunch here before 12.

Japanese-style octopus side dish and lemon danmuji

The side dishes that stood out were the Japanese-style octopus and the clean danmuji (yellow pickled radish) served with lemon, and I cleaned them all out. Overall it's Korean food with a Japanese touch, a fusion that wins over the younger generation, and on top of being tasty, there was no artificial seasoning flavor, which I really liked.

Makgeolli by the glass: how does Bonuidaltbam taste?

Jongjong Yukhoe has several kinds of makgeolli (rice wine), sold by the glass. The Bonuidaltbam makgeolli, made with chestnuts, first tastes like the sweet Bam Bam Bar (a chestnut ice cream bar), and the finish has the fragrant flavor of makgeolli.

Verdict: Jongjong Yukhoe for lunch on a Yangpyeong drive

Jongjong Yukhoe is a favorite of Seojong-myeon locals and celebrities. You can eat fresh, gentle, tasty food here: the deep flavor of the hanwoo gukbap, clean Japanese-style side dishes and Korean-style yukhoe. It's great as part of a drive to Semiwon and Dumulmeori near Seoul, and a good place for a good meal, so I recommend it♡