Seoul Korean BBQ with private rooms in Isu: pork neck at Hwaseol

I visited Hwaseol, a well-known restaurant near Isu Station that carries 1% hanwoo (Korean beef) and has a standalone two-story building with private rooms for a proper private meal. To celebrate the weekend holiday I took my parents out to eat, and even though we arrived early at 5:30pm, the first floor was already packed. The taste, atmosphere, and service were all satisfying :)

How to get to Hwaseol Isu Branch, and what parking costs

Hwaseol Isu Branch is within a 3-minute walk of Isu (Chongshin University entrance) Station. If you're driving, you can use the Hollys mechanical parking lot across the street.

It's not free parking — but if you dine there and get a stamp, you get ₩2,000 off per hour, up to ₩10,000 max. Just note that large, full-width SUVs aren't allowed, so check before you go!

Does Hwaseol Isu Branch have private rooms for family dinners?

Hwaseol Isu Branch occupies the whole building from the first to second floor, and the second floor has a separated private room. It's a place with calm wood-tone interiors that catch your eye.

Since it's a standalone building, you can visit comfortably — but even though we came early on a Sunday around 5:30pm, the first floor was already full!

You can eat while looking out at the outside through the glass windows, so it never feels stuffy, and the subtle upscale feel makes it a solid choice for a work dinner near Isu Station without being too much.

The second floor was more spacious and comfortable than the first. It's arranged mostly with 4-person tables, so you can eat at ease, and the tables are spaced generously enough that it wouldn't feel awkward even for a blind date~

There's a separate private room where 4 or more people can dine privately, complete with baby chairs and related items — great for family gatherings or small get-togethers. And since it's corkage-free, bring along your favorite wine if you have one!

Hwaseol Isu Branch menu and the 96,000 won bill for three

You order through the kiosk on each table. The reasonably priced set combos are Hwaseol's signature offering, but this time we tried ordering pork items à la carte.

If it's your first visit, I'd recommend the Hanwoo Pork Assorted Set to try a variety of cuts, but if you're a repeat visitor like me, feel free to order to your taste!

Signature sets and prices

• Hanwoo Pork Assorted Set ₩69,000
• 1% Black Beef Assorted ₩109,000
• Hanwoo 1++ ₩49,000
• Croissant Shrimp Roll ₩25,000
• Galbi Pork Belly ₩17,000
• Galmaegisal (skirt meat) ₩19,000
• Truffle Fried Jjajangmyeon ₩10,000

What three people ordered and paid

• Snowflake pork neck ₩17,000 x2 = ₩34,000
• Galbi pork belly ₩17,000
• Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) ₩9,000
• Hanwoo boiled beef salad ₩25,000
• Brown rice ₩1,000 x3 = ₩3,000
• Mul naengmyeon (cold noodle soup) ₩8,000
• Total ₩96,000

Pork belly, pork neck and boiled beef salad, grilled by the staff

At Hwaseol Isu Branch, staff grill the meat for you, so you can just sit back like a baby bird and eat what's handed over. Around the round grill plate, a range of basic side dishes are set out — mostly ones that pair well with the meat, so there was nothing missing, and we ate a good variety.

The raw kimchi is delicious lightly grilled on the plate and wrapped like a ssam (wrap) too—

Bright rosy pork neck for two and pork belly for one! Mushrooms and gochu peppers that pair well for grilling are served alongside.

A doenjang jjigae that goes well with rice. There was so much stuff in it that the broth felt thick. It's included in the Hanwoo Pork Assorted Set, but has to be ordered separately when ordering à la carte. Savory — a rice thief of a dish!

Since we picked pork for the grilled items, we ordered the hanwoo boiled beef salad as a side! Instead of melting in your mouth, it had a chewy texture you could really bite into, tossed with a sweet-and-tangy sauce and fresh vegetables for a well-balanced flavor — this is the kind of dish that makes you want a drink, so it's great to order if you're drinking!

This is the pork neck for two. Staff grill it for you, but since the meat is thick, it takes longer to cook than you'd expect. We passed the waiting time with the jjigae and the hanwoo boiled beef salad.

As we ate, it turned golden brown and fully cooked. Pork neck can usually feel dry, but the texture here was so tender and soft I had to double check it was pork neck. Paired with the 4 sauces and various side dishes, it was incredibly good!

This is my favorite item, the pork belly. True to a well-loved restaurant near Isu Station, the ratio of fat to lean meat was great and chewy. Paired with the chive salad and pesto, the flavor came through even more — so make sure to try them all together!

Nothing wraps up a meat meal quite like naengmyeon, right? With cool icy slush floating on top and a chewy noodle combo, we finished our meal at Hwaseol full and satisfied :)

Is Hwaseol Isu Branch worth it? Final verdict

It's a standalone two-story building that's easy to visit, and since there's a private room on the second floor, groups of 4 or more can enjoy a private family gathering or company dinner — and the atmosphere is nice enough that it also worked well as a couple's date course.

We tried the pork neck and pork belly, but I'm a little sorry we didn't get to try the beef made from the 1% black beef that accounts for only 1% of Korea's national hanwoo distribution — so I'm planning to go back again soon!