Dangsan Station Chinese pub: black pepper beef & highballs, Yongyong

A visit to Yongyong Seonsaeng Dangsan Station branch, a Hong Kong-style retro Chinese pub, plus my menu recommendations.

I haven't been able to travel abroad lately, so to soothe the travel itch I've been hunting down exotic restaurants. This time I went to Yongyong Seonsaeng (용용선생), a Chinese pub full of Hong Kong vibes. The Dangsan Station branch is near my girlfriend's place, so it's one of our regular spots. The signature dishes are famous for being good and every branch is tasty, but the Dangsan one suits my taste best, so it's where I go whenever I'm craving a Chinese-style pub.

Yongyong Seonsaeng Dangsan Station branch is a pub-style Chinese restaurant with a trendy interior, a wide range of baijiu (Chinese liquor) and Hong Kong-style snacks.

How to get to Yongyong Seonsaeng Dangsan Station branch, and parking

The restaurant is 100m from Dangsan Station on Lines 2 and 9, so it's a 2-minute walk. It's really close to the station.

For parking, use the paid lot at the Samheung Building right in front of the shop, paying through Kakao T. Parking is a pain around Dangsan Station, so this location is a real advantage. I went on a weekday evening and getting a seat wasn't a fight.

Atmosphere and interior

From the entrance the Chinese atmosphere is so strong I wondered if I needed to bring my passport, haha. But it's not overwhelming at all. The soft lighting and cute dragon characters made it look really hip.

There's a menu board and signage for the signature dishes outside, so if you have to wait, you can pick your order while you stand there.

The inside is spacious with lots of tables, so it looked good for groups too.

Various Chinese-style props add depth to the interior. You can really feel the skill of whoever planned the lighting: it's unmistakably Chinese in style, with soft mood lighting placed here and there, so every corner photographs beautifully.

The cute dragon characters are apparently based on the three owners who founded the original branch. There are even Chinese-character name plates, which adds to the local feel!

Menu and how to order

I took photos of the menu to help you decide what to order!

This time we had the peach and mandarin gaoliang highballs, mala king dumplings, and the set for two (volcano mala hot pot + black pepper beef + soy egg rice)!

Good to know: if you order a set menu, you get the dishes at a discounted price.

You order with the QR code on the table.

Mandarin highball vs. peach highball: which is sweeter?

The gaoliang highballs (made with Chinese sorghum liquor) at Yongyong Seonsaeng Dangsan Station branch, both mandarin and peach, aren't very sweet and keep a nice fruit-pulp feel. If you want something slightly sweeter, go for the peach. They came out before the food. I ordered the mandarin highball and my girlfriend got the peach.

The peach highball has yellow peach inside, so it has a sweet touch too. Chinese food tends to have a lot of strong aromas and flavors, and the fresh taste of the fruit went really well with the dishes.

Volcano mala hot pot: fine even if you can't handle mala?

Yongyong Seonsaeng's signature volcano mala hot pot (mala is the numbing-spicy Sichuan flavor) is so well known by now that hardly anyone hasn't heard of it. The mala aroma isn't strong and the broth is deep, so even mala beginners can eat it without pressure. It's packed with plenty of meat.

I don't eat mala tang that often either, but this is one of the dishes I always order here. It's more of a hot pot (jeongol) feel, so one drink leads to another, and my stomach doesn't feel uncomfortable afterward.

Black pepper beef and soy egg rice together

The black pepper beef brisket and soy sauce egg rice (ganjang gyeran bap, shortened to "ganggyebap") in the set for two are a perfect match. The saltiness of the beef covered in black pepper pairs really well with the egg rice.

The egg rice is plain and mild with no fuss, so it goes well with the mala hot pot and also with the beef. It's good enough that people sometimes order extra.

Mala king dumplings, my first time

The mala king dumplings, which I tried for the first time this visit, have a deep, crispy fried shell that goes well with the filling. The filling is hearty and the mala aroma isn't strong, so they vanished in no time.

Who I'd recommend Yongyong Seonsaeng Dangsan Station branch to

• The place is big and parking is easy, so picking it for a company dinner will earn you points
• Great for a stylish drink after work, thanks to the hip interior and menu!
• A good fit for Chinese food lovers, with a wide range of Chinese dishes
• People who dislike mala tang can get cured here! It's mild and has a Korean hot pot feel
• Couples planning a date, since there are plenty of cafés and things to do nearby

Overall verdict

A proven Chinese food franchise, tasty every time you go 😚

Yongyong Seonsaeng Dangsan Station branch · Address: 55 Yangpyeong-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea · Hours: 15:00–04:00