# Gongdeok, Seoul Korean restaurant with Lotte Mart corkage: Usu - By Yerin Doh-sung (https://superchart.com/en/@mangwon-side-counter/) - Written Sep 21, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after receiving a complimentary meal as part of an in-store sponsorship. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@mangwon-side-counter/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@mangwon-side-counter/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/index.md) ## In short Usu is a private-room hanwoo (Korean beef) course restaurant on basement level 2 of the Lotte Castle President arcade, near Gongdeok Station Exit 2 in Mapo, Seoul. The writer brought her mom for the Dinner B set with 90g of 1++ hanwoo, eating through beef-and-egg rice porridge, four bite-sized dishes, yukhoe with gamtae seaweed, tilefish in neungi mushroom broth, a grill per person and corn ice cream, and since corkage at Usu is free they picked up drinks first. With private rooms and a course that suits older palates, Usu also works as an in-law meeting venue. ## Good to know - **Location**: Basement level 2, Lotte Castle President arcade, near Gongdeok Station Exit 2 - **Course ordered**: Dinner B set, 90g (1++ hanwoo) - **Corkage**: Free (drinks best bought at the Lotte Mart on B1) - **Parking**: 3 hours free in the building parking lot - **Seating**: Private room, one tabletop grill per person *as written by the visitor on Sep 21, 2026* Today I went on a little date with my mom to Usu (우수) near Gongdeok Station. I love taking her out for good food, and this time I wanted something a bit special, so here's the story of our visit to this Gongdeok favorite. ![Main photo from the visit to Usu in Gongdeok](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-01-ql55c-1200.webp) ## Where is Usu in Gongdeok, and is there parking? Usu is located on basement level 2 of the Lotte Castle building, close to Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station. ![Entrance to Usu on basement level 2 of the Lotte Castle building](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-02-ttk30-900.webp) Parking is free for 3 hours, so it's easy to visit by car too. ## Usu's private room and the hanwoo showing box Once we gave our reservation name, a staff member led us to our table! ![Interior hallway after being seated](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-03-1cqgc-900.webp) One of the things I liked most about Usu was being able to eat in a private room. ![Usu's private room seating](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-04-1oj7b-900.webp) Before going in, there was the hanwoo (Korean beef) showcase box that's basically Usu's signature moment! The detailed presentation made the whole place feel refined and polished. ![Hanwoo showcase box displayed in front of the room](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-05-ygoto-900.webp) Since you can eat quietly in a private room, I could see this place being popular not just for family gatherings and anniversaries but also for people in Seoul looking for a room-style restaurant for in-law meetings. ## What comes with the Dinner B set, 90g Today mom and I chose the Dinner B set, 90g. The menu is quite substantial — let me walk you through the course dish by dish! ### Beef and egg rice porridge The appetizer to arrive first was jindeuk (a thick rice porridge). ![Appetizer: beef and egg jindeuk porridge](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-06-17cvs-900.webp) ![Jindeuk porridge with nurungji and shiitake mushrooms](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-07-1xh13-900.webp) ![A spoonful of jindeuk porridge](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-08-16sa2-900.webp) It's porridge made with nurungji (scorched rice), scallions, and shiitake mushrooms — soft, but with enough texture from the ingredients to really wake up your appetite! ### Seasonal ingredients and the 1++ hanwoo showing And here's the main event at Usu in Gongdeok! When the showcase box opens, dry ice swirls out along with the seasonal ingredients and the 1++ hanwoo, 90g, that would be used for tonight's dinner — ta-da! ![Dry ice presentation with the 1++ hanwoo showcase box, 90g](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-09-b97bc-900.webp) Just gorgeous...! The showcase box felt luxurious and sleek. And good food can't go without a drink! ![Corkage bottle and rocks glasses brought from outside](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-10-iinf2-900.webp) Since corkage is free, we brought our own bottle! They even gave us rocks glasses :) ### Four bite-sized starters Honestly, from the moment this course arrived, I started thinking this place would work well for an in-law meeting. The four bite-sized dishes were each beautifully arranged, and the plating alone felt upscale. ![Plating of the four bite-sized dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-11-1dj5v-900.webp) It was fun just looking at each dish. Anyway, let me introduce them one by one. ![Pastry bite topped with scallop and clam](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-12-197or-900.webp) ![Close-up of the bite-sized dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-13-ip9p3-900.webp) - 1. Scallop and clam — that pastry texture... was really my thing. Crispy, and it paired well with the ingredients - 2. Bulgogi sandwich — Korean beef bulgogi on brioche. Somehow familiar yet special ![Gim bugak and sweet shrimp bite](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-14-87242-900.webp) ![Lobster taco with gochujang mayo sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-15-1ssi8-900.webp) - 3. Gim bugak (fried seaweed chip) and sweet shrimp — I really love sweet shrimp, and this had no fishy taste at all, just sticky and delicious. I could've cried - 4. Lobster taco — the gochujang mayo sauce was the kicker!! ### Shiitake with shrimp, and young zucchini Shrimp and mushroom stuffed inside a grade-A shiitake mushroom had a chewy texture almost like eating octopus, and the zucchini was filled with tofu, aged kimchi, and golden enoki mushrooms — dip it in the peanut tofu sauce with chamnamul (aster) oil. ### Yukhoe (beef tartare) with gamtae seaweed I love gamtae (roasted seaweed) too... and combined with yukhoe? I ended up stealing bites from my mom's plate too, ㅠㅠ. ![Yukhoe wrapped in gamtae](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-16-ghbqi-900.webp) Visually stunning too. Just roll it up and pop it in your mouth in one bite! ### Tilefish in neungi mushroom broth And this neungi mushroom broth!! My mom said it was the best dish of the meal. ![Tilefish over barley and chamnamul rice with neungi mushroom broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-17-1ezp8-900.webp) Tilefish over rice with barley and chamnamul, topped with something like fried lettuce — crispy, not greasy at all, and paired beautifully with the neungi broth. ### Tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) Bite-sized tteokgalbi that made me want to order a bowl of rice right then... the hanwoo aroma came through clearly, and it paired well with the basil oil and white balsamic sauce. ### Abalone with five-color gardenia noodles The mustard-garlic sauce had a sharp kick that cleansed the palate nicely after everything we'd eaten so far. The abalone was chewy with no fishy taste at all. ![Abalone five-color gardenia noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-18-k8x0e-900.webp) Having a dish like this in the middle of the course kept the whole meal from feeling monotonous!! ### The main hanwoo grill and the full table Finally, the main hanwoo grill and full spread arrive! First, the seasonal fish hot-pot rice that comes with the spread is prepared, and staff portion it out for you nicely. ![Seasonal fish hot-pot rice, portioned out by staff](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-19-1du9z-900.webp) And the 1++ hanwoo that was sitting in the showcase box earlier gets divided into easy-to-eat portions for each of you. ![1++ hanwoo divided into portions](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-20-wpikr-900.webp) Since there's a personal tabletop grill for each person, you can each grill it to your own preferred doneness. ![Hanwoo grilling on a personal tabletop grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-21-1ahtf-900.webp) Grilling it yourself made it even more fun, so this main course really stuck with me! ![Full spread served alongside the grilled hanwoo](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-22-rh5jo-900.webp) The seaweed soup was great too...! Everything was delicious (I mean it). ### Corn ice cream and jasmine tea The final dessert of the meal. ![Corn ice cream and sponge cake dessert](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-23-13hm3-900.webp) Dessert was corn ice cream, corn cream cheese, and a sponge cake with green tangerine cream sauce. Kind of looks like an art piece, right? That fluffy cake is still lingering in my mouth! ![Jasmine tea served at the end of the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room-24-ajz99-900.webp) We finished the whole meal slowly sipping jasmine tea. ## Questions to settle before visiting Usu Q. Is corkage allowed? Yes, Usu in Gongdeok offers free corkage. I'd recommend buying a bottle at the Lotte Mart on B1 haha. Q. Is parking available? You can use the building's parking lot, with 3 hours free. Q. Who would you recommend Usu in Gongdeok to? Anyone who wants to eat in a private space, families gathering or dining with parents, and anyone looking for a restaurant for in-law meetings. ## Jenny's spoon score: would she return to Usu? Overall the food was clean and well-suited to older palates, so I thought it would work really well as a venue for an upcoming in-law meeting. Chatting comfortably in a private room, with each dish arriving so carefully prepared, made it feel like a fitting spot for an important occasion. Satisfaction ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / Would return 200% ## Where it is - Usu (우수) - 201-ho, B2, Lotte Castle President commercial building, 109 Mapo-daero, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 마포구 마포대로 109 롯데캐슬프레지던트 상가 지하2층 201호 - 37.5446186, 126.9503453 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%9A%B0%EC%88%98/@37.5446186,126.9503453,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@mangwon-side-counter/gongdeok-woosoo-dinner-b-private-room/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt