Seoul bar with private booths and a ₩25,000 Hwayo set: Yukhoe

A Sejong University area favorite serious about ingredients — Australian clean beef round and rump cuts, slaughtered at dawn and sourced same-day!! Yukhoe Gongjakso Sejong University branch, a Konkuk-vibe bar with Sejong University-style yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef mixed rice) and plenty of good-value side dishes!!

Why we chose Yukhoe Gongjakso in Hwayang-dong after my daughter's competition

These days Konkuk University area, Seongsu, and Children's Grand Park are popular not just with locals but with foreign visitors too — you can easily spot streets packed with tourists even on weekends.

My daughter had a Kukkiwon competition over the weekend, so to help her recover, I'd booked Yukhoe Gongjakso Sejong University branch — a Konkuk-vibe date bar and Sejong University favorite — a week ahead. We took public transit instead of driving to old Hwayang-dong.

These days it's known as a bar near Sejong University or a restaurant near Children's Grand Park, but as a campus alum from way back, I still think of it as a Hwayang-dong favorite haha.

Getting there: 3 minutes from Exit 4, Children's Grand Park Station, and where to park

Come out Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station, turn into the Ongnumong alley, and it's exactly a 3-minute walk to this Sejong University area favorite, Yukhoe Gongjakso Sejong University branch!!

This Konkuk-vibe date bar is also very accessible from Konkuk University Station Exit 1 — about a 7-minute walk past the charming Hwayang Market.

If you're driving, the park lot near Hwayang police box or the free parking spaces in front of nearby closed shops are convenient; if those are full, there's the paid Dongdo Centreville lot nearby, for reference.

I'd done plenty of research beforehand, so expectations were high going into Yukhoe Gongjakso Sejong University branch — already famous around Sejong University and Konkuk as a great-value spot.

Maybe because it's school break, the streets were quiet, and this Konkuk-vibe date bar was quiet too at first — but as the evening went on, empty seats filled up one by one.

Proof that its reputation for great value isn't accidental: this Konkuk area favorite, Yukhoe Gongjakso Sejong University branch, confidently displays its full menu board outside for you to check before even stepping in!!

Private partitioned booths that work with an underage daughter

The moment I walked in, what struck me most was the seating layout — every table is set up as a private partitioned booth, perfect for a family meal with relaxed conversation.

Since I was there with my daughter, still a minor as a high school senior, I sometimes worry about other people's glances — but here, the sense of separate space let us enjoy ourselves comfortably right to the end.

Like most bars, this place is understandably sensitive about minors, so even with both parents present, having bottles on the table can feel a bit tense.

Above the partitions were cute little character miniatures, fun to look at — definitely my kind of thing too.

Free unlimited refills of beef and egg soup

This is the flavor that keeps you reaching for your spoon!! The complimentary soup service alone was impressive!!

Made with a deep, rich beef bone broth base, the beef egg soup is free with unlimited refills — the mild broth was great for my daughter to eat with rice, and also perfect for sipping between bites as a drinking companion.

What comes in the ₩59,900 beef sashimi and salmon yakiniku plate

All this for ₩59,900 — is that real?? The beef sashimi salmon yakiniku plate comes with 200g of gravlax-style salmon, 180g of mungtigi (chunky raw beef) sashimi, 200g of chadol skirt steak yakiniku, 5 kinds of skewers, self-serve rice balls, and 2 orange and pineapple highballs!!

It could be plenty for two women dining together, or enough for a couple, but it seemed a bit light for our family, so we added salmon sashimi.

Like so ^^ This Konkuk area favorite, Yukhoe Gongjakso Sejong University branch, isn't limited to yukhoe (raw beef) alone — the menu lineup is really varied.

Alongside fresh yukhoe and chewy mungtigi, there's yakiniku grilled at your own tabletop brazier, prettily colored beet-cured salmon, and tender jokbal (pig's trotters) and bossam (boiled pork) — plenty to choose from by taste, plus hearty side dishes at a ridiculous ₩3,900, so ordering around was half the fun.

My daughter's favorite item: salmon sashimi.. She loves the rich flavor of salmon sashimi paired with baby greens, vegetables, and onion, and honestly, she may have picked this place just to have this again haha.

Skewers and flat-iron steak yakiniku on the tabletop mini grill

Whether at home, at a restaurant, or camping, dad's always busy... Grilling skewers and chadol skirt yakiniku on the small brazier at the same time nearly needed a third hand.

But the taste was seriously impressive!! Nothing like the great-value bars I remember from my 20s in college.

Back then our campus bars had shabby interiors and mostly pajeon (scallion pancake) or dubu kimchi (tofu with stir-fried kimchi) — the fact that you can now get quality dishes at a fair price like this feels amazing.

The ₩25,000 Hwayo set and the half-price sake event

A great deal for drinkers too — there's an ongoing promotion selling 900ml large-format sake at half price, perfect for pairing with the delicious grilled meats.

High-quality fresh dishes, reasonable prices, and private seating — this place had all three elements of a truly great-value favorite.

Since I usually start with soju, I went with the Hwayo set — other bars typically charge around ₩35,000, but at this Konkuk area favorite, Yukhoe Gongjakso Sejong University branch, it's ₩25,000 including Hwayo, ice, tonic water, and lemon, making for a clean, upscale drinking session.

Finishing with beef bulgogi yaki udon

One of the most popular items at Yukhoe Gongjakso Sejong University branch: beef bulgogi yaki-udon (stir-fried udon noodles)!!

Paired with gyoza dumplings, this beef bulgogi yaki-udon leans a bit sweet and salty, which makes it just right as a drinking snack.

Whether for a warm family dinner with a high school senior daughter or a private date course with a partner, Yukhoe Gongjakso Sejong University branch delivers — if you want to taste truly fresh yukhoe, I strongly recommend a visit.

Finding a great-value restaurant or bar near a university on the weekend and feeling young again is its own kind of joy.

It wasn't quite the '90s vibe, but it was a chance to recall drinking sessions with friends from over 30 years ago now.

Known for its Sejong University-style dishes and now established as a great-value favorite, this Konkuk area spot, Yukhoe Gongjakso Sejong University branch, made for a genuinely enjoyable weekend dinner ^^