# 1000-day anniversary Korean beef dinner in Gongdeok, Seoul: Usu - By Sohyun Baik-yoon (https://superchart.com/en/@nakwon-brass-fork/) - Written Sep 18, 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/@nakwon-brass-fork/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@nakwon-brass-fork/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/index.md) ## In short Usu is a hanwoo (Korean beef) dining restaurant with private rooms at every table, on level B2 of Lotte Castle President right in front of Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul. For a 1000-day anniversary, the writer reserved the Dinner B course for two and ate through beef-and-chicken broth, four bite-sized dishes, yukhoe (beef tartare) with gamtae seaweed, 1++ sirloin hanwoo grilled at the table, and a seasonal fish pot rice set with hanwoo seaweed soup, with welcome champagne, a sweet persimmon dessert and a Polaroid photo on the house. For a quiet, private anniversary dinner in Seoul, Usu was exactly right. ## Good to know - **Location**: Unit 201, B2, Lotte Castle President shopping arcade, 109 Mapo-daero, Mapo-gu, Seoul (right in front of Gongdeok Station Exit 2) - **Parking**: Large in-building lot, free for 3 hours (no limit on number of cars) - **Seating**: Private rooms at every table, group room available - **Corkage**: Corkage free - **Order**: Dinner B course for two, reserved in advance - **Refills**: Soup, side dishes and rice can be refilled - **Closed**: Open year-round - **Price reference**: ₩50,000 ≈ $36 (2026-09-20) *as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026* ![Anniversary Dinner B course table setting at Usu, a private-room restaurant in Gongdeok](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-01-l1kio-900.webp) ![Anniversary course dishes enjoyed in a private room at Usu](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-02-122uv-900.webp) Yesterday marked 1000 days since my fiancé and I got together. I spent a while agonizing over where to take him on such a meaningful date, and ended up booking Usu — a Gongdeok favorite known for its great atmosphere, excellent food, and fully private rooms. To cut to the chase: from the service to the Dinner B course itself, everything was so satisfying that I really want to recommend it to anyone looking for a special anniversary date spot. So here's my honest review of Usu, the private-room restaurant in Gongdeok! ## Where is Usu and is there parking? Gongdeok Station Exit 2, 3 hours free Usu is located right in front of Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station, so it's extremely accessible by public transit. There's also a large in-building parking lot with 3 hours free parking (no limit on the number of cars), making it very convenient if you're driving in for an anniversary date. The address is B2, 201-ho, Lotte Castle President, 467 Gongdeok-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Head down to the basement level and you'll find Usu with its upscale, sophisticated exterior. The luxurious mood starts right at the entrance, which already put me in the mood for a successful anniversary date. ## Inside Usu: private rooms at every table and free corkage The biggest strength of this private-room restaurant is that every single seat is a private room! And here's the best part — Usu is corkage-free, so I'd definitely recommend bringing your own wine or champagne. ![Interior of a private room and table at Usu Gongdeok branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-03-2ncyl-900.webp) These days especially, it's such a relief to have a private-room restaurant where you don't have to worry about other people's eyes or noise — perfect for an intimate anniversary date. The interior of the private room was clean and cozy, great for conversation. Note that it's open year-round and also has group seating, making it a good pick for family gatherings or work dinners too. There was a painting on one wall, and the overall lighting gave a cozy warmth without being too dark, which made it easy to chat comfortably throughout the meal. Since it's a private-room restaurant, you call staff by pressing a bell. The buzzer wasn't attached to the wall but placed somewhere convenient, which made it easy to use. ![Buzzer and table setting inside Usu's private room](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-04-18g40-900.webp) ![Sign describing add-on orders like hanwoo cake](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-05-6f092-900.webp) They also had a hanwoo cake, a great item for special occasions. Hanwoo cakes usually run ₩50,000–80,000, but Usu's price was reasonable. There were also four bite-sized dishes and whiskey highballs available, nice extras to add alongside your main order. ## Usu menu: booking the Dinner B course for two ![Usu's dinner course menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-06-a3da6-900.webp) ![Menu board listing Usu's à la carte items](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-07-qkzxz-900.webp) We had pre-booked the Dinner B course for two before our visit. Since we mentioned it was our 1000-day anniversary when reserving, they prepared a bunch of special touches for us! There are also à la carte items, so it's worth pairing a few extra dishes alongside the course. ## What comes in Usu's Dinner B course, and how it tasted Before the meat came out, Usu put on an impressive showing performance — the smoke that billowed out when the lid was lifted, paired with the visual of the beef, was the highlight of our anniversary date! From there, those ingredients would be turned into today's dinner course. ![Ingredients plated for the meat showing performance](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-08-1ow1g-900.webp) ![The moment the show lid is lifted, revealing hanwoo and rising smoke](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-09-1t4v1-900.webp) ### Beef and chicken broth (u-gye jinguk) to start The first course was 'Woo-gye Jinguk,' a porridge made from richly simmered hanwoo bone broth and chicken. Garnished with scorched rice, scallion crust, shiitake mushroom, asparagus and white wood ear mushroom, it had wonderfully varied textures. Warm and soothing, it was a perfect opener for our anniversary course. ![A bowl of the first course, Woo-gye Jinguk porridge](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-10-1djad-900.webp) ### Four bite-sized dishes Four bite-sized dishes came out next, and they were eye-catching from the first look. - Scallop & clam: crisp brick pastry with grilled scallop, abeurgé clam cream sauce, apple, onion and gamtae (seaweed) powder came together for a bright, savory bite. - Bulgogi sandwich: fluffy brioche with hanwoo bulgogi, mushroom duxelles, truffle cream cheese, apple purée, hanwoo jerky powder and porcini powder — deeply flavorful. - Sweet shrimp & gim bugak (fried seaweed): grilled gim spread with pollack roe, topped with fried abalone-innards rice, sweet shrimp and yuzu sauce — the ocean flavor filled my mouth. - Lobster taco: a squid-ink tortilla with sous-vide lobster, tomato and a smoky gochujang mayo sauce — a spicy-sweet, special taco. ![Four bite-sized dishes including scallop-clam and bulgogi sandwich](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-11-stpg9-900.webp) ### Shiitake with shrimp and young zucchini This dish featured A-grade shiitake mushroom stuffed with shrimp, alongside a zucchini roll wrapped around tofu-and-aged-kimchi and golden enoki mushroom. Served with peanut-tofu sauce and wild chervil oil, we were told to eat the shiitake first, then mix in the sauce — the umami exploded. I understood then why this place has such a reputation in Gongdeok. ![Shiitake-stuffed shrimp and zucchini with peanut-tofu sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-12-vw914-900.webp) ### Yukhoe (beef tartare) with gamtae seaweed This dish came with house-made aioli sauce, fried scorched rice, pickled Chinese artichoke and cured egg. It was fun to roll the gamtae (seaweed) on the left edge over to the right, wrapping it like gimbap. The combination of savory yukhoe (beef tartare) and gamtae was fantastic, boosting the satisfaction of the anniversary meal even further. ### Tilefish in neungi mushroom broth This dish balanced crisply grilled tilefish, barley-and-chervil rice, mullet roe and neungi mushroom broth. The broth was clean yet had deep aroma — a wonderful touch. It really felt like being pampered in this private-room restaurant. ### Tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) This tteokgalbi came with crushed pistachio, celeriac purée, shiitake duxelles, white balsamic sauce and basil oil. Mixed well with the walnut powder garnish on top, the juiciness of the meat blended smoothly with the nutty flavor — really delicious. ![Tteokgalbi plated with crushed pistachio](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-13-akveq-900.webp) ### Abalone with gardenia noodles This gardenia-colored noodle dish was topped with Wando abalone, black sesame julienned radish, bracken fern, wild chervil and perilla leaf. Mixed evenly with gamtae dressing and mustard-garlic sauce, it was sharp yet savory — a perfect palate cleanser before the main. Every dish in the anniversary course was thoughtfully built and cohesive. ![Side-dish spread with seasonal fish hot pot rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-14-o9uw8-1200.webp) *Side-dish spread — seasonal fish hot pot rice* Take a look at the seasonal fish hot pot rice — this pot is later portioned out alongside the main hanwoo grill and the side dish spread. ### 1++ sirloin hanwoo grilled at the table Finally, the main dish arrived — 1++ sirloin hanwoo! ![Raw 1++ sirloin hanwoo plated before grilling](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-15-uzost-900.webp) ![Hanwoo sirloin and vegetables on the charcoal grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-16-4bato-900.webp) Grilled to a golden brown on the charcoal grill along with the vegetables, the meat melted the moment it hit my mouth. The side dishes — mustard leaf kimchi, wild garlic chive salad and seasoned fish roe — paired wonderfully with the beef too. ![Golden-grilled hanwoo sirloin with side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-17-kp98v-900.webp) ![A piece of hanwoo with mustard leaf kimchi and wild garlic chive salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-18-1f015-900.webp) The hanwoo was truly tender and rich in flavor. By the time the main dish arrived, we were already getting full, and after finishing the beef and the side-dish spread, I nearly burst. ![A bowl of seasonal fish hot pot rice portioned out](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-19-fbdik-900.webp) ![A bowl of warm hanwoo seaweed soup](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-20-5i7vm-900.webp) ![Side-dish spread with hot pot rice, seaweed soup and banchan](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-21-3rcan-900.webp) ### Seasonal fish pot rice and hanwoo seaweed soup set Thanks to the seasonal fish hot pot rice and warm hanwoo seaweed soup served together, it felt like we got to have seaweed soup on our 1000-day anniversary too, which made it even more meaningful. By the way, the soup, side dishes and rice are all refillable, so you can eat your fill without holding back! ![Final dessert plate topped with corn ice cream](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-22-1omt0-900.webp) ![Persimmon dessert served as an anniversary service](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-23-1jdkt-900.webp) ### Corn dessert and the anniversary sweet persimmon dessert For the final dessert, we got a sweet plate with corn ice cream, corn cream cheese, apricot, corn crumble, sponge cake and green tangerine cream sauce. And on top of that, they prepared a sweet persimmon dessert as an anniversary reservation service — the perfect finishing touch! Thanks to the sweet, thoughtfully made desserts, our 1000-day anniversary date ended on such a happy note. ## Was Usu worth it for a 1000-day anniversary date in Gongdeok? Our 1000-day anniversary date at Usu, the Gongdeok favorite with all-private-room dining, exceeded expectations! Being in a fully separate room meant we could chat comfortably and quietly through the whole meal, and the touching anniversary services — welcome champagne, persimmon dessert, and a Polaroid photo session — made it a memory I won't forget. Every dish in the course was made with care and tasted excellent, so I definitely want to come back for our first wedding anniversary too. ![Wrapping up the anniversary meal in a private room at Usu Gongdeok branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo-24-1rlcp-m-900.webp) If you're near Mapo, Seoul looking for a lovely anniversary spot or a private-room dinner date, I highly recommend Usu, the Gongdeok favorite right by the station! ## Where it is - Usu (우수) - 201-ho, B2, Lotte Castle President Complex, 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/@nakwon-brass-fork/gongdeok-room-dining-1000days-dinner-b-woosoo/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt