Charcoal dakgalbi and buckwheat pheasant mandu near Lakewood CC

Today's review is of Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yangju Branch, which I visited in Manson-dong, Yangju. There are surprisingly a lot of good restaurants around Lakewood CC, and this time I tried the charcoal dakgalbi (grilled marinated chicken) ෆ

Parking and the vibe at Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yangju Branch

On the way there, some of the surrounding area was under construction when I visited, but once I got to the restaurant there was a large dedicated parking lot with plenty of open spots, so it's fine to come by car.

The moment I walked in, I really liked the interior. Plant-based decor with silver grass and pampas-grass touches placed here and there divides up the space and gives it a clean, casual feel 🌾 The tables were spaced generously too, so eating never felt cramped.

To the right of the entrance there was also a room-style space with a partition wall you can open and close, which looked great for family meals as well as group gatherings or a work dinner near Lakewood CC in Yangju.

What we ordered and the total

The menu board was posted somewhere easy to see, and each table had an ordering tablet, so I could check menu photos directly while choosing.

• Charcoal dakgalbi (2 servings) ₩32,000
• Buckwheat pheasant mandu ₩9,000
• Doenjang jjigae ₩3,000
• Rice, 2 bowls ₩2,000

With this order the total came to ₩46,000.

Mustard, salt, vinegar and sauce were already set up at the table, and they brought out the basic spread. Many of the staff were foreign nationals, and they were quiet and pretty friendly.

Wrap vegetables, yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi), garlic, chili peppers, cabbage, mu kimchi and dongchimi (radish water kimchi) — you can take as much as you need from the self-bar. Overall the side dishes were in great condition and very clean.

Trying the spicy charcoal dakgalbi

After a short wait, they brought out a tray of pre-marinated, pre-grilled dakgalbi and poured it onto the pan set over charcoal. It's pre-grilled over real charcoal in the kitchen, so at the table you're mostly just finishing it quickly while it picks up a subtle charcoal aroma.

They arranged the dakgalbi neatly in three straight rows. After it had cooked a bit, they suddenly brought over another pan — I thought, oh, are they already swapping it out?

But instead they slid the new pan underneath the existing one and propped it up at an angle. I'd never seen it served this way before — genuinely such a clever idea. It keeps the dakgalbi from sitting directly on the charcoal while staying hot all the way through.

Because it's pre-grilled, the outside was nicely browned and the inside stayed as tender chicken thigh meat, never dry. The sauce wasn't overly harsh either — it worked well with the charcoal aroma.

I laid shredded cabbage on my small plate and piled dakgalbi on top — the crunchy cabbage paired great with it. Wrapped some in lettuce too, and got a little extra fiber in while I was at it, haha.

The buckwheat pheasant mandu is a must-try

The surprise dish of the day was the buckwheat pheasant mandu (dumplings)❕ ₩9,000 gets you 8 pieces, and the buckwheat wrapper had a strong buckwheat aroma and a chewier texture than I expected — delicious.

The filling had pheasant meat, pork, vegetables and tofu, and it wasn't greasy and had no gamey smell — clean and light. If you're deciding between a soy-based or charcoal dakgalbi side dish, I'd really recommend ordering this 🥟

Catching the buckwheat aroma from the mandu made me think their makguksu (buckwheat noodles) must be great too 🍜 Next time I'll have to try the pine nut water makguksu or the spicy mixed makguksu.

Adding a mini doenjang jjigae

The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) was ₩3,000, served in a mini-size earthenware pot. Eating it alongside the dakgalbi and rice, it'd work well to order one per person. Since there's a separate kids' doenjang jjigae, this one had a spicier, more adult flavor.

Overall verdict: a Yangju restaurant near Lakewood CC

If you're looking for somewhere to eat near Lakewood CC, or want charcoal dakgalbi at a good Yangju restaurant, this is worth a stop.

Chain restaurants often guarantee quality, so personally I tend to trust them, and this visit to Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yangju Branch felt well managed too. A clean space, an easy ordering system, and the fact that the dakgalbi comes pre-grilled so tabletop cooking time stays short — all pluses! One small downside: there was a stretch of road under construction on the way there when I visited, so that's worth keeping in mind.

On the way out, while paying, I noticed they also sell pine nut yeot (traditional candy) and sweet pumpkin yakgwa (fried honey cookie) — feels like it's aimed right at older folks' tastes 🍬 This visit to Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yangju Branch left me in a great mood, and since I mostly focused on the dakgalbi and buckwheat pheasant mandu this time, next time I'll have to try the makguksu too.