Jongno Korean BBQ dinner with two beef cuts: Gwanghwamun Deungsim

While deciding what to have for dinner in Jonggak, I stopped by Gwanghwamun Deungsim Gwanghwamun Branch (광화문등심 광화문점) for beef. It has been operating for more than 10 years in the food-filled Gwanghwamun and Jonggak area, and is a Wagyu and Korean black beef specialist that gets value, quality, and atmosphere all right.

Gwanghwamun Deungsim Gwanghwamun Branch: location and visitor information

• Address: 2F, 34 Jongno 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Walking from Gwanghwamun Station: 300 m toward Cheongjin Park from Exit 2
• From Jonggak Station Exit 1, walk straight 30 m, turn right at the coffee shop, then continue straight
• A free 2-hour parking voucher is provided when using the nearby Jongno Doosan We've Pavilion parking lot
• Weekdays 11:00–22:00; break time 15:00–17:00
• Saturday 17:00–22:00; regularly closed every Sunday

There are lunch-special menus, including Korean beef tartare cold noodle soup, galbitang (beef short-rib soup), seaweed soup, and dumpling soup. If you reserve before visiting, you can avoid at least some of the lunchtime wait in Gwanghwamun, where there are lots of office workers.

For its 10th-anniversary event, beef lunch set menus were available too. They cost less than at dinner and came with webfoot octopus, seaweed soup, and rice, so coming at lunch felt like an even better deal!

A dinner atmosphere full of after-work group diners

When I visited after work, there were lots of group diners and the restaurant was full, so I only photographed one corner. Since there are many companies around Gwanghwamun, there are plenty of meat restaurants suited to office-worker gatherings in the evening, and that day too, I could feel the relaxed mood of people out for dinner. They also sell wines that pair well with beef, and corkage for wine and spirits is unlimited and free, making Gwanghwamun Deungsim a good Jonggak meat restaurant for company dinners and gatherings.

Ordering black beef sirloin and square galbi-sal

After sitting down and looking over the menu, I ordered black beef sirloin and Gwanghwamun square galbi-sal. The top-1% black beef sirloin, Gwanghwamun Deungsim's signature cut, was ₩39,000 for 150 g, while the square galbi-sal was ₩22,000 for 150 g, so I ordered it for the value. There were also salchi-sal (chuck flap) and intercostal cuts, plus a mixed black beef platter, so Gwanghwamun Deungsim Gwanghwamun Branch is a place to properly taste beef. Rather than ordering a little of every cut, I decided to really try these two cuts that day.

Grilling the sirloin just right

I started by grilling the sirloin. As always, beef gets you excited from the moment it hits the grill. The owner also provided some grilling service that day, although it is not normally included; I heard they do it here and there when they have time.

It was not a charcoal iron griddle, so I could cook the precious beef evenly without burning it.

The standard sides were cabbage salad, pickled onion, white kimchi, green-onion kimchi, myeonginamul (pickled garlic leaves), and seaweed. If you keep eating only beef, your mouth can start to feel a little heavy, so this was a good spread to pick at between bites of meat.

Sirloin really is best cooked to a moderate doneness rather than too far. Once the outside looked deliciously browned, I cut it into bites. I like trying the first few pieces of meat without too many accompaniments, because I can better taste the cut's own flavor and texture. The first bite was nutty, followed by a clean meaty aroma as I chewed.

A light dip in salt was great for tasting the beef itself, while wasabi and myeonginamul brought the savory depth right up.

Square galbi-sal with a firmer bite

After a few pieces of sirloin, I became curious about the other cut and grilled the square galbi-sal too. While the sirloin went down softly, this diced rib meat had a slightly firmer texture and gave a proper meaty chew.

Its distinctive beef flavor also came through quite intensely. Alternating between the two cuts made each one's character much clearer.

A generous free spicy webfoot octopus stir-fry

If you follow the Naver alerts and save the restaurant, the spicy webfoot octopus stir-fry comes free, but it was so plentiful that it felt like a main dish rather than a service item. It was spicy enough to melt the stress right away.

After enjoying piece after piece of delicious beef, the grill was empty before I knew it. Gwanghwamun Deungsim Gwanghwamun Branch is a Jonggak meat restaurant where you can enjoy premium Wagyu-style Korean black beef sirloin at a reasonable price in Gwanghwamun. If you are wondering where to go on a day when you crave beef in Gwanghwamun, it is a restaurant worth stopping by at least once.