Gongdeok Korean restaurant 2nd anniversary dinner with yakgwa: Usu

When you're looking for an in-law meeting restaurant in Seoul, or a hanjeongsik (Korean course meal) place to bring your parents to, it's actually harder to choose than you'd think.

• The atmosphere has to be good,
• the food has to be satisfying,
• and since it's such an important occasion, you have to check the service too — there's a lot to consider.

This time, we visited Usu near Gongdeok Station for a special meal to celebrate our 2nd anniversary.

This would be perfect for an in-law meeting!

was the thought that immediately came to mind. After actually going, I understood why it's so booked up for important meals like in-law meetings or anniversaries!

Where is Usu near Gongdeok Station, and where to park? B3 level D3 is closest to the mall entrance

Usu near Gongdeok Station is at B2, unit 201, Lotte Castle President mall, 109 Mapo-daero. Parking gets 3 hours free at the mall's parking lot. Hours are daily 11:00–22:00, with a break time from 15:00–17:00, no regular closed days, and both Naver Reservation and Catch Table bookings are available.

Usu near Gongdeok Station is inside the Lotte Castle President mall, so when you enter the parking lot, make sure to head for the underground mall's dedicated parking area marked with signage like this.

A Gongdeok parking tip: park around zone D3 on basement level 3 — it's closest to the mall entrance!!

One reason Usu is often ranked among the best in-law meeting restaurants in Seoul is that it gives a full 3 hours of free parking. Free parking for 3 hours in such a clean underground lot in Seoul... that's amazing 👍

Coming in through the mall entrance and taking the escalator up to B2, you immediately see the restaurant entrance like this.

Right at the entrance, they confirmed our reservation and led us inside.

Every seat at Usu is a private room, an easy setting for an in-law meeting

As befits a hot spot for in-law meeting dinners around Gongdeok, every seat at Usu was set up as a fully private room.

Thanks to that, we could talk without worrying about other tables at all, which made it perfect for a family gathering or any important meal.

Looking around inside, it really did feel like an easygoing atmosphere for an in-law meeting — a cozy yet comfortable private-room restaurant, and I liked that a lot!

As you'd expect from a top hanjeongsik spot in Seoul, Usu's menu is organized into separate lunch and dinner course menus.

The menu we chose this time was the Dinner B course!!!

Usu Dinner B course in Gongdeok: full course review

0. Ingredient showcase

Usu's hanjeongsik course near Gongdeok is a sequence of dishes made using seasonal ingredients.

Eye-catching from the very start...✨

They actually show you the ingredients used in today's course like this — the visual alone was overwhelming, so I couldn't help but take a photo. This is exactly the kind of moment both sets of parents would enjoy at an in-law meeting!! haha

1. Beef and chicken porridge + welcome drink

Since this visit was for our 2nd anniversary, I'd left an anniversary note when booking, and the first anniversary treat was the welcome drink! You can choose either sparkling wine or grape juice.

I liked that people who can't drink alcohol can choose grape juice instead — felt very considerate haha.

And the savory, appetizing starter porridge came with garnishes of scorched rice, scallion crust, shiitake mushroom, asparagus, and white jelly mushroom, giving it varied textures and flavors 💛 Perfect for getting your appetite going!

2. Three one-bite dishes

The main course at Usu's private-room restaurant near Gongdeok officially begins!

Three neat, elegant-looking bite-sized dishes arrived.

They consisted of a bulgogi sandwich, scallop and clam, and sweet shrimp gim bugak (crispy seaweed snack) — all bite-sized so easy to enjoy, and each had a totally different texture and flavor, which built up excitement for the rest of the course right from the start 👍

3. Shiitake mushroom + young zucchini

Next came the shiitake mushroom and zucchini dish, which had a clean style that let the natural flavor of the ingredients shine.

Maybe because they used good ingredients like A-grade shiitake mushroom and golden enoki mushroom, instead of a flashy, strong flavor it felt like the natural umami of the ingredients themselves was highlighted, which actually made it feel more upscale! Little touches like this really bring out what makes Usu, a hanjeongsik spot near Gongdeok, special haha.

4. Yukhoe gamtae (beef tartare with seaweed)

Fresh yukhoe (beef tartare) sushi wrapped in rolled gamtae (seaweed) — that's the yukhoe gamtae!

Inside were homemade aioli sauce, fried scorched rice, and pickled chorogi (Chinese artichoke), among other things.

A dish where the gamtae's subtle ocean scent pairs really well with the savoriness of the yukhoe!

5. Tilefish & chamnamul barley rice

This course was grilled tilefish with minari (water dropwort) barley rice, plus a dish with mullet roe and neungi mushroom broth!

Every single menu item shows exactly why this place gets recommended as an in-law meeting restaurant in Seoul, right down to the plating? So pretty..🧡

The crisply grilled tilefish and fried minari, paired with the neungi mushroom broth, had bold texture and a really deep, delicious aroma.

True to a hanjeongsik course, it wasn't overpowering, but let each ingredient's own flavor shine!

6. Tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty)

Next came the tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty)! It came with a variety of sauces and garnishes, so every bite offered a different flavor.

The texture was tender and pleasant to bite into — a dish that people of any age would enjoy.

7. Abalone with five-color gardenia noodles

The abalone five-color gardenia noodles looked gorgeous from the plating alone!!

With gamtae dressing and mustard-garlic sauce mixed in, it finished light and clean without feeling greasy.

It felt exactly like a palate reset before the main dish!

8. Main course: 1++ hanwoo sirloin table setting

Finally, the main dish — 1++ hanwoo sirloin table setting — arrived!!

At Usu, you get your own personal grill, so everyone can cook their hanwoo (Korean beef) to their preferred doneness 👍

If you grill the accompanying vegetables to just the right degree along with the beef, you can properly pull off a full grade-1++ hanwoo feast!

It's not just meat — it comes as a full table setting, so you can enjoy a filling meal all the way through to the end.

It's a spread that would fully satisfy parents or elders coming to an important occasion, so I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a private-room restaurant near Gongdeok!!

The hanwoo seaweed soup served alongside was also packed with meat, and its rich, deep broth paired really well with the grilled beef!

9. Dessert + anniversary service: cream cheese persimmon, walnut jeonggwa and yakgwa

The finale — dessert and the anniversary service!!!

Since this was an anniversary visit, they specially served us yakgwa (honey cookie) topped with cream cheese dried persimmon and walnut jeonggwa (candied walnut) as well,

and they prepared pretty plating along with a candle haha.

On top of that, they even took a polaroid photo for us,

so it turned into a time when we could take home not just a delicious meal, but memories too.

The corn ice cream came in sherbet form, with a subtle sweetness, nutty corn flavor, and tangy cheonggyul (green tangerine) cream sauce blended together — not too heavy, and a clean way to finish off the meal.

The anniversary service dessert was also an elegant K-dessert that I enjoyed with a happy heart — for my taste, the walnut jeonggwa yakgwa was especially delicious!

Who should book Usu in Gongdeok?

• Anyone looking for an atmospheric in-law meeting restaurant in Seoul
• Anyone looking for a great hanjeongsik course restaurant near Gongdeok Station
• Anyone deciding on a restaurant to visit with their parents
• Anyone who wants to make an anniversary date extra special
• Anyone looking for a private-room restaurant with a discreet atmosphere

We visited for our anniversary, but the food, service, and space were all so satisfying that we decided to come back next time with our parents!

If you're looking for a hanjeongsik restaurant in Seoul with convenient parking, a great atmosphere, satisfying food, and good service, I'd recommend Usu near Gongdeok Station 👍