Yeouido Korean BBQ with doenjang jjigae and cheesy rice cake: Yuk Lab

What kind of restaurant is Yuk Lab Yeouido?

If you're looking for a spot in Yeouido to enjoy meat privately, I'd recommend Yuk Lab. It's a great place for dinner near Yeouido Station and Yeouinaru Station, located at 42 Yeouinaru-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. It's open from 4pm to 11pm, so it also works well for an after-work dinner.

I visited around 6:30pm, and what I liked most was that every single seat is a private room. Most Korean BBQ places have tables packed tightly together or can get a bit loud, but here the room setup meant I could spend a much more comfortable and private time while eating.

The atmosphere felt especially well suited to a slightly more relaxed meat dinner in Yeouido — whether it's a gathering, a date, or a family meal. Being able to chat with your group inside your own room felt like a real strength of this place.

What comes in the 64,000 won galbi set for two

That day I ordered the galbi set for two. It costs ₩64,000 and lets you try both beef short ribs and lamb ribs together, so it's a great fit if you want to sample a little of several kinds of meat.

Once you order, the side dishes are laid out neatly. Salt and soy-based sauces come out for dipping the meat, along with pickled onions, various vegetables, cabbage salad and more. Eating meat non-stop can get a little heavy, so it was nice to have the tangy pickled onions and salad to balance it out.

How the doenjang jjigae in the set tastes

And the dish I personally enjoyed the most was the doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew). It comes included with the galbi set for two, and it was much tastier than I expected.

Doenjang jjigae at BBQ restaurants can sometimes taste heavily seasoned, but this one had a savory, deep flavor that felt more like it was homemade. There was plenty of tofu, plus vegetables including zucchini, making for a hearty, filling stew.

Even before I started grilling the meat, I tried a spoonful of the stew and it made me want rice right away. It also paired really well with the meat.

Grilling the jingalbi, lamb ribs and marinated galbi

Now for the main event — grilling the galbi set for two. The color and marbling of the meat looked great at first glance, which got me excited. The set for two includes several types of ribs — jingalbi, lamb ribs, and marinated galbi — so instead of eating just one cut, you get to enjoy a variety.

The lamb ribs in particular caught my eye for how generously sized they were. Being able to eat beef and lamb ribs side by side made it fun to compare their flavors. The lamb didn't have an overpowering smell and the meat was tender, so it was easy to eat without hesitation.

The beef short ribs also had great texture. Just watching them cook appetizingly on the grill was satisfying, and grilled to the right point, they were juicy and tender. Being able to try a little of each cut meant I could enjoy a variety of meat without leaning too heavily on one type.

Grilling vegetables, 3 pieces of cheese and the rice cake combo

The galbi set for two comes with vegetables to grill alongside the meat too. Zucchini, asparagus, rice cake, king oyster mushroom, sweet pumpkin, shiitake mushroom and more — there was enough variety to fill the whole grill.

The most unique part of the set, though, was the cheese. Three pieces of cheese come with the meal, and at first, grilling cheese at a BBQ restaurant felt a bit unfamiliar. I wondered if it would actually go with the meat, but once I tried it, it worked surprisingly well.

I grilled the rice cake until golden first, then put cheese on top, and also tried grilling king oyster mushroom with cheese alongside it. As the cheese warmed up and melted slightly, it added a nutty richness that was even tastier than I expected.

The combination of grilled rice cake and cheese was especially fun. The chewy rice cake with the nutty cheese felt like a whole new kind of side dish. The king oyster mushroom and zucchini, lightly charred on the grill, brought out their natural sweetness and paired nicely between bites of meat.

Why Yuk Lab Yeouido works for a dinner for two

I also liked being able to grill a little of each type of meat. It's not easy to eat beef and lamb together in one sitting, but with the set menu I could try both. The lamb ribs were clean and nutty, while the beef short ribs had rich juiciness and a strong meaty flavor.

Overall, the meat's color and texture were both satisfying. It felt like properly grilling fresh meat, and with such a variety on offer, there was little to agonize over when choosing what to order for two people.

Above all, I think the biggest strength here is that every seat is a private room. If you want a quiet, comfortable atmosphere while eating meat in Yeouido, this should suit you well. Along with the meat, you also get doenjang jjigae, a variety of grilling vegetables, and cheese, making for a satisfying full meal.

If you're looking for a date or dinner spot in Yeouido, or want to enjoy meat in a private room, Yuk Lab is worth a visit. The galbi set for two, which lets you try both beef and lamb ribs at once, is especially recommended for anyone who wants to enjoy a variety of meat.