Gwangju Korean restaurant for beef hot pot: Dugeori Usintang

I visited Dugeori Usintang Gwangju Imam Branch (두거리우신탕 광주 임암점) in Imam-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju. It was my first time trying usintang, so I was curious about the flavor. The two of us ordered the special hot pot and ate our way through the beef, udon noodles, and porridge in that order.

What are the parking and seating like?

There was a private parking lot. Shops were clustered around the restaurant, but this place had noticeably more customers than the surrounding businesses when I visited, so it caught my eye before we even went inside.

The dining room was larger than I expected. There were various types of tables, and it looked suitable for solo meals, family dining, weekday lunches, or group gatherings.

There were actually customers eating alone, as well as many tables with larger groups.

Since it was my first visit, I wanted to try the restaurant properly, so I chose the special hot pot.

There was also a self-service bar along one side of the restaurant, and it was kept clean when I visited.

What comes with the special hot pot?

A large pot arrived filled with hot pot ingredients. Separately, it came with beef, udon noodles and chives, and ingredients for porridge at the end, making it feel like a three-part course. The beef looked good quality even before we cooked it.

At first, I wondered whether the two of us could finish everything. Because the ingredients were added and eaten in sequence, the meal felt almost like a course-by-course experience.

The side dishes were baek-kimchi (white kimchi), kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi), pickled perilla leaves, and salted squid. They went well with the hot pot, and personally, I especially liked the combination of the pickled perilla leaves and salted squid.

How do you eat the special hot pot, and what does the broth taste like?

Once the hot pot began to boil, the owner came over, mixed in the dadaegi seasoning, and explained how to eat it.

We first added the beef to the broth and cooked it briefly, almost like blanching it, then ate it with the chives. The slices were thin and tender, and cooking them lightly kept them from becoming tough while bringing out a savory flavor.

Putting chives on the beef brought in the flavor of the broth, and the combination worked well. We also tried different combinations with the pickled perilla leaves and salted squid.

The broth was the most memorable part. As it continued to boil, the flavors of the beef and vegetables infused into it, making it deeper and richer than it had been at the start.

It also went well with rice, and as we ate, I thought it would pair nicely with a glass of soju.

Is the portion enough for two with the udon and porridge?

After eating the beef, we added the udon noodles. The broth had picked up the flavors of the beef and vegetables, and those rich flavors soaked into the noodles.

At the end, we made porridge with the ingredients served separately. The owner made the porridge for us that day as well. The amount was generous enough to feel like almost two servings even on its own.

After cooking and eating the beef and chives in the hot pot, then finishing with udon and porridge, the two of us were very full. The portion was generous, so personally, I was satisfied with the value as well.

Would I return for my first usintang experience?

I was slightly apprehensive because it was my first time eating usintang, but I enjoyed cooking the beef in the increasingly rich broth and continuing with udon and porridge. It made a hearty meal, and I also felt it would work well as food to accompany drinks. Even after lunch hours had passed, the restaurant was nearly full on the day I visited. I would like to return.