Magok Korean BBQ after Seoul Botanic Park: yukhoe ssam, Chadol Grill

I heard there's a brisket yukhoe ssam that even Kang Min-kyung fell for, so I went to Chadol Grill Magok, a Korean BBQ spot near Seoul Botanic Park in Magok.

What is the brisket yukhoe ssam at Chadol Grill Magok?

Chadol Grill Magok is a brisket (chadolbaegi) restaurant whose signature is the brisket yukhoe ssam. It's been a while since I found a Korean BBQ place that was truly delicious.

Brisket wrapped around yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) was a new one to me, and it turns out it got popular after appearing on Kang Min-kyung's YouTube. Honestly I didn't expect much, but what? It was the best Korean BBQ I've had lately!!

Getting to Chadol Grill Magok from Seoul Botanic Park, and parking

Chadol Grill Magok is 5 minutes by car from Seoul Botanic Park, and parking is available. My husband and I had visited the park that day and were looking for a lunch spot nearby when we came here. Easy to get to, with parking, so it was a comfortable visit.

Inside Chadol Grill Magok

The moment we walked in, we could see meat aging in the aging cabinet, which got my hopes up! The owner greeted us so brightly too, so I was in a good mood even before the meal.

Maybe because it's near Seoul Botanic Park in Magok, the big windows looked out on fresh greenery, and the floor was kept clean without a hint of stickiness, which I personally loved.

Chadol Grill Magok menu and what we ordered

The signature menu at Chadol Grill Magok was plain brisket and seasoned brisket on their own, plus brisket yukhoe ssam and brisket samhap, which are slightly more special ways to enjoy brisket. They also had beef short ribs and marinated short ribs, and a good variety of sides like stews, rice pots and makguksu (buckwheat noodles) that go well with the meat.

The one that caught my eye most was, of course, the brisket yukhoe ssam! The very idea of eating yukhoe wrapped in brisket was new, and Kang Min-kyung raved about it on YouTube, so I was curious. So we ordered one each of the 1++ hanwoo brisket yukhoe ssam, the 1++ hanwoo brisket samhap, the perilla oil makguksu and the brisket doenjang rice pot.

The brisket yukhoe ssam Kang Min-kyung loved, tried for myself

The side dishes at Chadol Grill Magok, including myeongi namul (pickled wild greens), mustard leaf kimchi and white kimchi, were set out before our food arrived. I loved that there was variety and only the tasty ones were picked. Every bite of meat could be a different combination, so even though brisket is a fatty cut, we never got tired of it until the end!

And finally the 1++ hanwoo brisket yukhoe ssam I'd been waiting for arrived. As 1++ hanwoo (top-grade Korean beef), the meat quality is of course great, and the charcoal fire was strong too, so the meat cooked up nicely in no time.

Trying it, the soft yukhoe goes on top of the brisket, so cold yukhoe meets hot brisket and the temperature contrast is fun, and the soft yukhoe plus the rich, nutty brisket really go well together. I was so glad I tried it.

How is the 1++ hanwoo brisket samhap?

The 1++ hanwoo brisket samhap at Chadol Grill Magok is brisket topped with scallop and side dishes. If you're at a brisket place, you can't skip the samhap (a three-way combo), right? Since we were at it, we ordered the 1++ hanwoo version!

I put scallop and a side dish on the brisket and took a bite, and it was so harmonious I could see why this is its own menu item! Personally the combo with myeongi namul was the best, so I recommend it haha

Side menus: perilla oil makguksu and brisket doenjang rice pot

Another reason Chadol Grill Magok stuck in my memory as a Seoul Botanic Park-area find is the side menu. The perilla oil makguksu had really chewy noodles and a strong perilla oil aroma, and I enjoyed it a lot

The brisket doenjang rice pot (soybean paste rice pot), which came out bubbling hot, was good too. It was packed with brisket, potato, zucchini, mushroom, radish and tofu, so it felt like a great deal. The broth was rich and deep, just right.

Verdict: lunch at Chadol Grill Magok after Seoul Botanic Park

I'd heard about a brisket yukhoe ssam that even Kang Min-kyung loved, so we went to Chadol Grill Magok near Seoul Botanic Park in Magok. On the way out, my husband said it was the best Korean BBQ place we've been to lately!

I liked the special brisket yukhoe ssam, and the side dishes, side menu and friendly service all left a good memory. If you're looking for a good place to stop after Seoul Botanic Park, or want to try something different, I recommend considering Chadol Grill Magok :)