Booked Korean BBQ in Mapo, Seoul: 3-person set with rib soup: Usijang

It's that season when the appetite hormones just won't stop firing! What can you do haha. I want to eat... it's not the horses that fatten in autumn, it's my body that gets heavier😌 Time to accept it!ㅎㅎ

Today I visited a place my friend recommended after a work dinner there, raving about both the value and the satisfaction — a spot known as a go-to for Gongdeok Station work dinners where you can properly enjoy different cuts from a single cow: Usijang Hoegwan (우시장회관). I didn't just stop by because I happened to be nearby — I made a special trip because I was craving beef. I ordered the assorted set and thoroughly demolished jin-galbisal, seasoned LA galbi, fresh so-galbisal and even kkalbitang (rib soup). Let me show you my honest review of this quality Mapo Station restaurant, Usijang Hoegwan.

Where is Usijang Hoegwan? Hours and parking near Mapo Station

• Location: 15-10 Samgae-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 1st floor
• Hours: 10:00–22:00 / break 15:00–17:00
• Last order 21:30
• Parking: available in front and beside the restaurant (3–4 spots)

Here's the exterior of Usijang Hoegwan, a Mapo Station restaurant with great access — just a 3-minute walk from Exit 3. It's got that unmistakable good-restaurant look, right? There's parking for 3–4 cars in front and beside the store. If it's full, you'll need to use the paid parking at the Dohwa-dong Community Center.

Inside Usijang Hoegwan: old-school dining room and menu lineup

The interior has a cozy, old-school vibe, packed with people who came for drinks with coworkers or friends after work. Luckily I'd made a reservation, so there was one table left...! Lucky me.

Usijang Hoegwan's grilled menu includes fresh so-galbisal, special seasoned LA galbi, premium jin-galbisal, an assorted beef platter, and fresh so-galbisal (1kg), while the meal menu includes clear gukbap, naejangtang (beef innards soup), clam beef gukbap, kkalbitang, spicy gukbap, hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap, and a 1-person hanwoo two-plus set — hearty for lunch, generous for dinner. Also worth noting: there's a clam beef gukbap coupon for orders over ₩50,000.

What comes in the 128,400-won 3-person assorted set

3-person assorted set ₩128,400 (assorted platter + yuk-hoe or yuksashimi + 1 meal) + table charge for 3, kkalbitang included.

The side dishes were set first: dressed lettuce salad, napa cabbage kimchi, pickled perilla leaves, pickled chili strips, and pickled onions.

That dressed lettuce salad had a proper nutty aroma from the moment it arrived~

Out came the Usijang assorted platter, where you can grill jin-galbisal, seasoned LA galbi, and fresh so-galbisal together over charcoal.

Isn't the visual alone amazing?ㅎㅎ Feast your eyes first.

I started grilling the beautifully marbled jin-galbisal first. Getting that charcoal aroma all over it~

The kkalbitang also arrived — the bowl was so full it had to come out on a tray, and I couldn't help but clap in surprise haha. 'When am I ever going to finish all this~' I thought. But that worry turned out to be unfounded — I realized within minutes...

Yuksashimi: kkurisal trimmed the same day

Also making an appearance: the yuksashimi (raw beef) at this Mapo Station beef restaurant, made only with the finest kkuri-sal from Gangwon-do pristine hanwoo, graded No.9 two-plus. The set lets you choose between yuk-hoe or yuksashimi, and after some deliberation I went with yuksashimi. They follow a same-day-slaughter, same-day-trimming principle and won't serve it if it's not fresh, so I could eat it with full confidence.

That gorgeous crimson sheen — the true measure of freshness — was glistening. Freshness was seriously off the charts.

Dipped in the special seasoned sauce, it had a nutty yet clean flavor and a wonderfully chewy, sticky texture — unreal. If you're not into eating it raw, try grilling it lightly over charcoal — it just melts away, so give it a try!

Jin-galbisal: the first bite with just salt

For the first bite of the perfectly grilled jin-galbisal, I dipped it in just salt to taste it in its purest form. Tender, with that proper smoky char coming through, and the flavor spreading through my whole mouth — thumbs up.

Kkotgalbitang, with the owner deboning the rib at the table

The assorted set includes one meal, so I chose the kkalbitang. This clear Naju-style gomtang, simmered for 12 hours, came with two hefty golf-club-sized rib bones. The broth was deep and rich yet clean, not greasy at all, so I kept spooning it up. The rib was so massive that I was struggling to cut it myself, and the friendly owner passed by and cleanly deboned it for me so I could eat with ease.ㅎㅎ

Not a hint of gaminess, just tender and soft~ Plenty of rice and glass noodles too, so it was a satisfying, hearty meal.

That dressed lettuce salad had such a nutty sesame oil aroma that I even asked for a refill. Turns out they use 100% sesame oil pressed at a local mill. No wonder~~~

Finishing with fresh beef short rib and seasoned LA galbi

Grilling up the fresh so-galbisal too — look at that gorgeous color, right?

The golden-brown, perfectly grilled fresh so-galbisal went straight into big lettuce wraps. Great meaty flavor and juicy of course — chewy yet tender, my chopsticks just wouldn't stop moving for this fresh so-galbisal!

The tender LA galbi, with a seasoning that wasn't too strong, made for an excellent finish too.

Looking around at the other tables, I noticed a lot of people especially enjoying the fresh so-galbisal. From easygoing get-togethers with friends to work dinners with colleagues, it was nice seeing people unwind after a long day with the assorted set or so-galbisal and a drink at Usijang Hoegwan, a place that delivers on both value and satisfaction. If you're looking to fully enjoy the different cuts of a whole cow from start to finish, why not treat yourself to a generous spread at this Dohwa-dong, Mapo beef specialist, Usijang Hoegwan?