Solo Korean BBQ in Seocho, Seoul: beef by 100g at Ugojip

Even though it's Chuseok holiday, I haven't had a moment to rest — writing drafts, making content, and prepping for next week's evening lecture in Songpa have kept my schedule packed. Starting out as an engineering major, I have no idea how I ended up living a life of constantly producing content, haha. Still, it's a path I chose to run toward myself, and being busy doing what I want to do is something I'm grateful for, so I try to embrace it happily.

On the first day of Chuseok holiday, I went to Banpo. I had plans to meet foreign friends to see the rainbow fountain at Banpo Han River Park. Personally I'm not that into fountains — I enjoy the moments chatting with foreign friends and Banpo's uniquely relaxed vibe more. As always, the friend I met that day asked me, "Koreans can't speak English well, so why can you?" Every time I get that reaction, it gives me a small sense of pride. (That's actually why I wrote an English book.)

Where is Ugojip? The basement of Banpo Shopping Town Building 5

Ugojip is a Korean BBQ restaurant located in the basement of Banpo Shopping Town Building 5, right next to Express Bus Terminal Station. Before meeting my friends properly, I stopped by solo to fill my rumbling stomach at Ugojip, known as a must-visit BBQ spot near the Express Bus Terminal. It's tucked in the basement of the Banpo commercial building, which has a retro yet cozy feel, so there was fun in finding it. Even during the holiday, the restaurant was packed with people out to enjoy meat. With its layout and atmosphere, I could see it being a great spot for nearby office workers or group dinners. Given the location in Gangnam's Banpo area, the value for money and price range were surprisingly reasonable.

Can you eat alone at Ugojip? Beef ordered by 100g

One of Ugojip's big advantages is that you can order meat comfortably in 100g portions. Looking at the menu, the couple set — made up of wooosamgyeop, galbisal, tosisal, and beef brisket doenjang jjigae — caught my eye. Even going solo, I could have ordered the couple set and eaten plenty, but I hesitated for no reason and ended up ordering each item à la carte instead. Next time, even if I'm alone, I'll go ahead and try the set menu without holding back.

Two servings of galbisal plus an extra woosamgyeop

First I ordered two servings of galbisal and started grilling it golden brown on the grill plate. As the fresh meat juices and savory flavor spread through my mouth, my appetite only grew. Naturally, galbisal alone wasn't enough to fill me up, so I added a serving of wooosamgyeop. The thin, tender brisket slices cooked quickly on the grill, and the savory smell they gave off was superb.

Finishing with icy mul naengmyeon at Ugojip

After eating my fill of meat, I finished, of course, with cool mul naengmyeon. The broth with floating ice shards paired with thin, chewy noodles gave a clean finish to the meal. It's the kind of thin-noodle naengmyeon that's hard to make at home, so it felt all the more satisfying.

Ugojip side dishes to order next time

Looking around the menu, there were all kinds of interesting side dishes — rich-flavored beef brisket doenjang jjigae, the rare-for-a-BBQ-place perilla leaf tteokbokki, and spicy Hong Kong ramyeon. There were also fun combinations like brisket samhap and grilled cheese, which made choosing a lot of fun. I didn't have a foreign friend close enough yet to bring along this time, so I enjoyed the meat solo, but next time I'd love to bring my foreign friends and let them experience Korean BBQ culture firsthand, grilling the meat themselves.

Honestly, I was pretty exhausted before coming here, but eating meat and meeting a foreign friend definitely lifted my mood. Thank you, Ugojip owner!!! haha

If you're near Banpo or Express Bus Terminal Station looking for a good-value Korean BBQ spot with a solid menu lineup, Ugojip is worth a visit — you can order meat comfortably by the 100g.