Gongdeok Seoul Korean restaurant with Polaroid photo service: Usu

Today I visited a fantastic fine dining spot that nailed everything — mood, taste, and even the thoughtful service! 🏢 It was the perfect place to celebrate my 600-day anniversary with my partner! 🥂 Every seat is a luxurious private room, so it was great for having quiet, intimate time together, and the place is already well known as a perfect Seoul restaurant for in-law meetings too. ✨ This time I'll give you my honest review of the Lunch C course for two that I enjoyed with someone dear to me!

On this visit I got to enjoy a hugely generous Korean beef course made with fresh, excellent ingredients. 😋 Let me review in detail why this place is getting so much buzz right now as the number-one Gongdeok restaurant on everyone's radar! 🌟

Usu Gongdeok: private rooms, parking and corkage

Usu is a Korean beef course restaurant with all-private-room seating located on B2 of the Lotte Castle President commercial building near Gongdeok Station. There's free 3-hour parking with no limit on the number of cars at the wide lot by the Lotte Castle President building, corkage is free, and it's open year-round.

Walking inside, a completely different mood from ordinary restaurants unfolds — refined and calm. ✨ Every table is a private room, so we got to spend our own time without anyone else's interference, which I loved! 🪟🌿

I didn't drive, but there's free 3-hour parking with no limit on the number of cars at the wide lot by the Lotte Castle President building, so there's zero parking stress here.

On top of that, it's corkage-free, open year-round, and has group seating fully set up — I think it's these little thoughtful touches that make people pick this as their number-one choice when looking for a great Seoul restaurant for in-law meetings or family gatherings! 👍

What arrives in Usu's 600-day anniversary Lunch C course

What we ordered at Usu was the Lunch C course for two. It started with ugyejinjuk (porridge), followed by three bite-sized dishes, a zucchini side with shiitake and shrimp, five-color gardenia noodles with abalone, charcoal-grilled hanwoo and sea bream pot rice, then finished with corn ice cream.

The moment the Lunch C course dishes hit the table, the mouthwatering look and smell drew gasps. You could really feel the quality of a genuine hanjeongsik (Korean set-course meal) restaurant.

There are several events if you visit on an anniversary, and the first one!! As soon as you order, they offer a choice of 2 glasses from sparkling wine or non-alcoholic grape wine — we each got one of each!!!

Ugyejinjuk (beef and chicken broth porridge)

The porridge served first was perfect for soothing the stomach! 🍲 It's built on a deep base of hanwoo bone broth and chicken stock, with garnishes of nurungji (crispy rice), scallion crust, shiitake mushroom, asparagus, and white wood ear mushroom — the texture and flavor were incredibly luxurious.

Before the course properly began, the staff showed us the premium ingredients that would go into today's dishes one by one, explaining everything with such warmth — it really made us feel taken care of. 🥂

Three one-bite dishes

Three dishes that grabbed my eye from the visuals alone! 🐚

• Scallops grilled in clam cream sauce paired with brick pastry was the textbook definition of crispy outside, tender inside
• The brioche sandwich with truffle cream cheese and hanwoo bulgogi burst with flavor in every bite
• The sous vide lobster taco brushed with smoky gochujang mayo sauce had such crazy-good balance! 🌮✨

Young zucchini side and shiitake with shrimp

The dish of zucchini, tofu, golden enoki mushroom, and shiitake shrimp with peanut tofu sauce and oak oil was the peak of nutty, savory flavor!

Abalone with five-color gardenia noodles

Next came the gardenia noodles — tossed with perilla leaf, abalone, and chamnamul (aster) seasoned salad, plus gamtae (seaweed) dressing and mustard-garlic sauce — a perfect palate cleanser before the main course. 🌿

The mains: charcoal-grilled hanwoo and sea bream pot rice

Today's highlight! The hanwoo, grilled ourselves on a mini charcoal brazier, burst with juice and melted in the mouth. 🥩✨ Paired with a rich hanwoo seaweed soup and neatly arranged side dishes, plus the nutty sea bream pot rice, it was perfect balance all around. I really felt the essence of a great Gongdeok restaurant!

Lettering dessert and Polaroid: Usu's anniversary service

If you visit Usu on an anniversary, they give you a lettering service and take a Polaroid photo, printing it on the spot. Since it was our 600-day anniversary, we got this service too, on top of the two welcome drinks.

Dessert & anniversary event: the meal wrapped up perfectly with a refreshing, sweet corn ice cream to cleanse the palate. 🌽 And now for the big emotional moment!

Anniversary event number two!! If you visit on an anniversary, they give you a lovely lettering service and take a Polaroid photo, printing it right away! 📸 I was so touched by this service that makes a special day even brighter — I highly recommend visiting here with your partner for an anniversary!

This is why everyone recognizes this place as a true Gongdeok food destination, a great-atmosphere Seoul restaurant for in-law meetings, and a perfect hanjeongsik restaurant. 💯

Honest verdict on Usu's Lunch C

Juicy hanwoo grilled right at the table in an elegant private room, plus insanely high-quality ingredients and a moving course meal! This was the best culinary destination where it was hard to find even one flaw.

• Taste (★★★★★+★): the melt-in-your-mouth grilled hanwoo, the rich jinjuk, and the varied bite-sized dishes — every single menu item was 200 out of 100! A truly legit Gongdeok restaurant. 🍲
• Atmosphere (★★★★★): the calm, luxurious mood that all-private-room seating gives! A fantastic Seoul restaurant for in-law meetings, dates, family gatherings, or group events of any kind. ✨
• Service (★★★★★): the ingredient-showing performance, the incredibly kind and thoughtful staff, and the anniversary Polaroid event made for a happy hanjeongsik dining experience.
• Value (★★★★☆): considering the excellent hanwoo quality, the generous course, and the perfect private space, it's a top-tier value that doesn't feel like a waste of money.

A moving hanwoo course enjoyed in a private room, plus a sweet anniversary event! The ultimate Mapo dining spot that conquers everything from in-law meetings to date nights 🥩✨

If you're looking for a gathering spot in the Mapo area that nails atmosphere, taste, and a comfortable space all at once, don't hesitate — visit Usu. It'll make your gathering a success.