Spicy beef hot pot restaurant in Gwangju, weekend pot rice: Dugeori

Have you ever heard of usintang? I hadn't tried it before, but it turns out there's a place selling usintang in Gwangju. Usintang means spicy beef soup, and the original Dugeori Usintang branch is in Jeonju. A really tasty Jeonju-style usintang in Gwangju too?! I was curious what it would taste like, so I paid a visit.

Where is Dugeori Usintang Gwangju Imam Branch, and what are the hours?

Dugeori Usintang Gwangju Imam Branch is located at 119 1F Hyocheon 3-ro, Imam-dong 849, Nam-gu, Gwangju. It's open daily from 10:30 to 22:00, with last order at 21:00.

Here's the exterior of Dugeori Usintang Gwangju Imam Branch. Dugeori Usintang is a nationwide chain with its main branch in Jeonju, and the Gwangju location is in the Hyocheon district! It's right across from the Jungheung S-Class apartments, which makes it a great location.

Where do you park at Dugeori Usintang?

Dugeori Usintang Gwangju Imam Branch has its own parking lot behind the building. It fits about 4 cars, so it's often full. But there's a very spacious dedicated parking lot just a 2-minute walk away. It's a Gwangju restaurant you can drive to without worrying about parking.

Inside Dugeori Usintang: a private room that seats 30

The interior of Dugeori Usintang Imam Branch was so clean I wondered if it was newly opened, but it turned out to be a long-running neighborhood favorite. Staying spotless after all that time in business made it even easier to trust the food.

Inside, there's a partitioned room space, and it's surprisingly spacious! The tables are set up in a row, seating 25 or more people. Including the adjoining tables, it can hold over 30 people. Dugeori Usintang Imam Branch is more than capable of hosting group gatherings or family dinners.

What is lunchtime like at Dugeori Usintang?

Around noon to 1pm, the whole dining hall at Dugeori Usintang Imam Branch was completely full. Many local elderly residents came by, and they all seemed to greet the owner personally. The female owner is really kind, which is why it's such a popular spot with locals in Gwangju.

The self-serve side dish bar

There's a self-serve bar on one side. The perilla leaves, kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi), and napa cabbage water kimchi are kept clean and fresh. You dip the perilla leaves in soy sauce before taking them!

Dugeori Usintang menu and prices

Here's the Dugeori Usintang menu board. Usintang is ₩14,000, galbitang is ₩14,000, usin jeongol (hot pot) is ₩11,000 for 2 or more. All three of the above menus can be packed to go within 3 minutes. Great for eating at home or bringing along on a camping trip. Beyond the basic menu, there's also usinjjim and teukjeon-gol.

Usinjjim vs teukjeon-gol: what is the difference?

• Usinjjim – a braised style with a thicker, less watery sauce
• Teukjeon-gol – a shabu-shabu style with lots of broth

Want spicy braised meat? Go for usinjjim. Want a clear, clean broth? Go for teukjeon-gol. I loved having so many options to pick from depending on my mood that day at Dugeori Usintang!

Teukjeon-gol and usinjjim are sold only after 1pm on weekdays

Teukjeon-gol and usinjjim are only available after 1pm on weekdays. On weekends they're available earlier too, and pot rice comes out instead of porridge! Personally I prefer pot rice over porridge, so that worked out great for me.

Receipt review event: free cup ice cream

Write a receipt review and you get a cup of ice cream for free! If you're interested, definitely take part, haha.

Why Dugeori Usintang works for a daytime drink

Usinjjim and teukjeon-gol are cooked in a way with concentrated, less watery sauce, which pairs perfectly with soju. There's even a sign that says something like 'ten bottles of soju wouldn't be a waste,' haha. It's a restaurant a lot of people visit for daytime drinks. The menu itself is so deliciously spicy that I'd recommend Dugeori Usintang to anyone who enjoys drinking.

Side dishes and barley tea

• Kkakdugi, perilla leaves, baek-kimchi (white kimchi), salted squid

The kkakdugi was crunchy and perfectly fermented—so tasty. Kimchi really matters at a rice restaurant, and this one totally passed the test..!! The perilla leaves weren't the usual kind either—they're soaked in soy sauce, which went perfectly with the meat. Normally you'd wrap the meat with your whole hand, but with these perilla leaves you can just pick them up like a side dish, which was even more convenient.

Even the water wasn't plain water—it was barley tea, which made it even more savory, haha.

Pot rice cooked to order the moment you sit down

The kitchen had a whole lineup of pot rice cookers. Since every menu comes with pot rice, I thought—no wonder they need so many pots to serve every table!

What comes in the 19,000-won teukjeon-gol per person

• Teukjeon-gol, ₩19,000 per person (ordered 2 servings)

Teukjeon-gol is cooked at the table on a gas burner. It comes generously loaded with beef, tofu, green onion, jujube, carrot, enoki mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and more.

Shabu-shabu beef, udon and porridge included (pot rice on weekends)

The teukjeon-gol even comes with shabu-shabu beef, udon noodles, chives, porridge, and a raw egg. Since I visited on a weekend morning, pot rice came out instead of porridge.

Can you adjust the spice level of the teukjeon-gol?

Once it starts bubbling, the owner stirs in the chili paste mix for you. I'm pretty weak with spice, and this level wasn't too much at all—it was just right!! It was about as spicy-tasty as Shin Ramyun. If you like it hotter, just ask the owner—they'll make it spicier for you, haha.

The amount of beef in the teukjeon-gol is startling

True to its 'special' name, the teukjeon-gol comes with SO much meat!! Meat still on the bone kept coming out endlessly. The generous portion was genuinely satisfying.

Can you tell? The beef is really tender. It's so soft it shreds along the grain. The pieces are nice and thick, with zero gamey smell—totally clean.

How does the teukjeon-gol broth taste?

For me, the broth was the real highlight of the teukjeon-gol!! It's not heavy or murky at all—it's really clean, yet deliciously spicy in an addictive way. The more I ate, the more I wanted—never got tiring. It's the real deal.

I'd recommend enjoying the clean, spicy broth first, then adding the shabu-shabu beef! Once the shabu beef goes in, the broth deepens and becomes even richer and more savory—a whole different flavor unfolds. The two broths each have their own charm, so I recommend enjoying both.

• Bone-in meat from the hot pot
• Shabu-shabu style meat

Being able to enjoy two different styles of meat meant there was nothing lacking in the meal.

Finishing the meal with pot rice, nurungji and udon

Freshly cooked rice on top of everything else..! Just-cooked, fluffy rice with amazing texture.

Pour in barley tea and it turns into an even more savory nurungji (scorched rice tea).

Finally, they added udon noodles. I thought the broth might be running low, but no need to worry—they give you extra broth!! Simmering the udon in the bubbling broth made for perfectly chewy noodles too.

Every single dish was so good, I finished everything without leaving a bite. Cleared the nurungji and the teukjeon-gol completely! You can tell when food is made with care—that's exactly what I felt here.

Dugeori Usintang Gwangju Imam Branch: final verdict

• Kind owner made for a pleasant meal
• Spotless, comfortable interior
• Teukjeon-gol's clean, spicy broth is the real deal
• Generous beef portions with no gamey smell
• Freshly cooked pot rice
• Every side dish was delicious
• A great menu for daytime drinking
• Spacious parking
• A local Gwangju favorite frequented by neighborhood regulars

A restaurant with plenty going for it—a Gwangju favorite and a haven for daytime drinking. That wraps up my satisfying visit to Dugeori Usintang.