Mapo Station Korean BBQ with owner's grilling tips: Usijang Hoegwan

What kind of restaurant is Usijang Hoegwan near Mapo Station?

Usijang Hoegwan (우시장회관) is a beef restaurant famous as a Mapo Station favorite, and many people know it as a Gongdeok group-dinner spot too. Raw-cut beef, yuksashimi (seasoned raw beef slices) and gukbap (rice soup) make it feel like a full course.

I went around 6 PM on a Monday and there were still some seats then, but by about 6:30 it was slowly filling up.

Getting to Usijang Hoegwan and parking

Usijang Hoegwan is easy to find, about a 4-minute walk from Exit 3 of Mapo Station (Line 5). From Exit 8 of Gongdeok Station it takes about 10 minutes.

The green neon sign stands out from far away. You can park 2 cars in front and 2 beside the restaurant, and if those are full, they say you can use the paid lot at Dohwa-dong Community Center.

Side dishes and the self-serve bar

The basic setting comes with pickled chilies, pickled onions and assorted sauces, and extra side dishes are self-service. Once I sat down, the whole spread was laid out in front of me!

When you finish your ssam greens, you can grab more from the self-bar. The lettuce and perilla leaves were fresh, haha. If you want more side dishes, you can refill those yourself too.

What's in Usijang Hoegwan's 3-person set, and how much is it?

The assorted 3-person set is ₩116,900 and comes with an assorted beef platter + yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) or yuksashimi + 1 meal dish. This is the one we ordered.

You order by kiosk, and there are sets for 2 up to 6 people. À la carte, it's fresh galbi-sal ₩18,900, marinated LA galbi ₩19,800 and jin-galbi-sal ₩25,000. There are a ton of meal dishes too, so please check the menu photos!

One drink caught my eye: a Chinese black tea called "Wang Lao Ji" (왕라오지). I was curious and about to order it, but the owner asked if I was okay with it since it comes out hot, so I just switched to Bonbon (a grape-juice drink) right away, lol. Haven't had Bonbon in a while, right? I'd walked there and was hot... I was curious about the Wang Lao Ji, so I'll definitely try it next time.

We picked yuksashimi, and for the meal dish, fresh clam beef gukbap (생바지락소고기국밥).

Charcoal grills and 50 seats, full by 6:30 PM

The assorted platter at Usijang Hoegwan has three cuts: jin-galbi-sal (premium rib meat), fresh galbi-sal and marinated LA galbi. Here comes the assorted platter~~~ Can you see the marbling?

The marinated galbi comes in a separate small dish.

The grill is a charcoal brazier, not gas. They bring over the glowing red charcoal whole, so I thought, this is going to have great smoky flavor, haha.

The place is surprisingly spacious, and with 50 seats in total it's roomy enough for a big company dinner. I could see why it's so well known as a Mapo Station group-dinner spot.

Which cut is Usijang Hoegwan's yuksashimi?

They say the yuksashimi at Usijang Hoegwan uses 1++ No. 9 kkuri-sal (a beef shoulder cut), not top round. It comes with a seasoning sauce, plus minced garlic and chili on the side, which is great for eating it together.

And here's the yuksashimi! Can you see the color, haha. The slices are generously big. I liked the chewy texture that clings to your mouth.

With the yuksashimi and the assorted beef platter spread across the table, it felt hearty. The bright red color was really vivid.

I ate it with the sauce plus garlic and chili, and it was delicious, haha. Oh, and the self-bar has sesame oil and salt, so you can make your own oil dip too!

A little wasabi on top is good too. If you're looking for yuksashimi near Mapo Station, I recommend getting it in the set together with the grilled beef.

How to grill jin-galbi-sal and fresh galbi-sal: the owner's tips

The owner of Usijang Hoegwan recommended eating the jin-galbi-sal first, and gave a tip: cook one side until crisp, and after flipping, eat it as soon as the color changes. For the fresh galbi-sal, he said to flip it often.

You grill the meat over charcoal, and I liked getting to taste all three kinds evenly. The owner also explained things really well! I found myself focusing hard when he gave the jin-galbi-sal tip, hehe.

The jin-galbi-sal was really good. The outside is crisp and nutty, while the inside is tender and stays juicy. Yum yum.

Next, I grilled the fresh galbi-sal, flipping it often just as the owner said.

It's unfrozen fresh galbi-sal, so it's bright red the moment it hits the grill. The more you chew, the more nutty flavor comes up, so it has a different charm from the jin-galbi-sal. Yum yum.

Keep in mind you can bring extra side dishes from the self-bar! Ssam greens, kimchi, pickles and sauces, as much as you need.

A bite of grilled meat with a little wasabi on top! It cuts the richness and tastes clean. I grilled mushrooms alongside and dipped them in the oil dip too, haha.

I put the rest of the meat on the charcoal and grilled it away.

Mushrooms and green onions come out too. You know how grilled green onions are surprisingly good, haha.

Because it's charcoal, flames shoot up whenever fat drips. Real smoky flavor!

A bite with grilled green onion on top, then another bite with chili and garlic on the sauce!

Saving marinated LA galbi for last

The marinated LA galbi (cross-cut short ribs) at Usijang Hoegwan comes long, bone-in, and I spread it out over the charcoal. Eating it last, after the raw-cut meat, made it a perfect finishing meat.

As the marinade gets lightly charred over the charcoal, a sweet and salty aroma rises up. The meat near the bone is fun to gnaw off and chewy. Yum yum.

What does the fresh clam beef gukbap taste like?

The fresh clam beef gukbap at Usijang Hoegwan is what I picked as the set's meal dish: a gukbap with both clams and beef. Clams and beef in one gukbap, isn't that new, lol?

The broth is surprisingly a bit spicy, with rice already in it and a whole lot of clams. It was just right to share among three of us as a finishing meal.

On the way out I read the owner's framed message one more time for no particular reason, haha.

Tips before visiting Usijang Hoegwan

• Hours are daily 10:00–21:50 with a break from 15:00 to 17:00, so for dinner go after 5 PM.
• Last order is at 21:20.
• You can park in front of and beside the restaurant, and if full, use the paid lot at Dohwa-dong Community Center.
• In the evening it fills up right after 6:30, so for a Mapo Station company dinner or group gathering, I recommend booking.
• Side dishes and ssam greens are unlimited at the self-bar, so keep that in mind if you want to eat your fill~

Final verdict

Among Mapo Station beef restaurants, Usijang Hoegwan is perfect if you want raw-cut beef, 1++ yuksashimi and gukbap all in one go. The owner looks after your grilling timing and the charcoal flavor is great, so I'll probably come back with friends, haha. If you're looking for a Gongdeok favorite or a Mapo Station BBQ place, give it a try!