Gongdeok Seoul hanwoo dinner with walnut jeonggwa: Usu Dinner B

Hi, it's Donggeuri~! I was searching for good restaurants near Gongdeok Station for my mom's birthday-slash-date-night, and guess what I found? A hanwoo (Korean beef) course dining spot where you eat in your own private room!

I went to "Usu, Gongdeok branch," and let me tell you — friendly service AND great food, felt properly pampered!

Where is Usu Gongdeok, and is parking free?

Usu Gongdeok is literally right in front of Gongdeok Station exit 2 — super close to the subway. Highly recommend for accessibility! If you're parking underground, make sure to park in the commercial building's lot — you get 3 hours free!

If you're taking the subway, just go down the escalator and walk straight — Usu is right there. Easy to find haha.

• 📍 Location: 201, B2, Lotte Castle President commercial building, 109 Mapo-daero, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏰ Hours: Open year-round 11:00-22:00 (normal hours on weekends and holidays)
• 🚩 By transit/on foot: Right in front of Gongdeok Station exit 2
• 🚩 Parking: 3 hours free at the underground lot / no limit on cars / park in the commercial building's lot
• Free corkage / birthday perks / wine pairing / dedicated sommelier / group bookings available
• High chairs / separate restrooms / wheelchair-accessible seating

Inside Usu Gongdeok: all private rooms, up to 66 guests

Usu Gongdeok is made up entirely of private rooms. Group seating starts at a minimum of 4 and goes up to 30, and the rooms can hold an incredible 66 people max. Even if you go as just two, you get to enjoy it privately.

Highly recommend for dates, meeting the in-laws, family gatherings, work dinners, anniversaries, business meetings — any situation where you want privacy! Sometimes quiet and atmospheric dining is exactly what you need 👍🏻 That's probably why it's also famous as a spot for meeting the in-laws and family gatherings.

The tone-down interior feels luxurious and weighty, but not dark — just classy.

The restroom is right to the left as you exit. Very clean.

Usu Gongdeok menu: lunch-only courses and dinner courses

It's organized into lunch-only courses (Signature, A, B, C) plus separate Premium, A, B, and C courses.

From pairing wines to à la carte dishes — no need to worry about options!

The lunch course is amazing value! I'm definitely coming back for lunch next time haha.

Donggeuri's pick👍 Dinner B course for 2

What comes with the Usu Gongdeok Dinner B course

• Ugyejinjuk (beef and chicken porridge)
• Three bite-sized dishes
• Shiitake shrimp with zucchini
• Hanwoo yukhoe (beef tartare) with gamtae (seaweed)
• Jeju tilefish
• 1++ hanwoo tteokgalbi (beef patty)
• Abalone five-color gardenia noodles
• Individually grilled 1++ hanwoo omakase course
• Rice and side dishes (bansang)
• Dessert

1. Ugyejinjuk, beef and chicken porridge

Ugyejinjuk (牛, 鷄) means porridge deeply simmered with beef and chicken. The broth is hanwoo bone stock plus chicken stock. Garnished with nurungji (scorched rice), scallion crust, shiitake mushroom, asparagus, and white jelly mushroom.

From the very first spoonful it warmed and soothed my stomach, starting the meal off savory and warm. Not salty, but full of umami, with fun textures from the various mushrooms.

Ingredient showcase: bright red 1++ hanwoo

Before the three bite-sized dishes came out, they showed us the ingredients for today's course, including the 1++ hanwoo!

That vivid red color is insane, right? Zero filter, the real deal! They explained in detail which ingredients would be used, laid it all out neatly, and answered every question I threw at them smoothly 👍

2. Three bite-sized dishes: bulgogi sandwich, scallop in clam cream, sweet shrimp with gimbugak

Eek! Isn't this so pretty!! I'd actually never had course dining before... and I finally get what people mean by "eating with your eyes"! Made me happy just looking at it hehe. Let me show you each one up close.

[Bulgogi sandwich] Brioche + hanwoo bulgogi + mushroom duxelles + truffle cream cheese. The moment you bite in, the moist bread and truffle cream flavor hit right away. Then the cream soup and bulgogi flavors kick in, with the truffle's savory aroma being the best part👍🏻

[Sweet shrimp gimbugak] Grilled seaweed with pollack roe + fried abalone innard rice + sweet shrimp + yuzu sauce. The crispy seaweed and savory abalone rice hit first, then the sweet shrimp's clean umami comes crashing in with the yuzu sauce. The freshness of the sweet shrimp — that distinctive fresh sweetness!

[Scallop clam cream] Brick pastry + grilled scallop + abourga + clam cream sauce + apple + onion + gamtae powder. The crunchy pastry and the soft scallop gave a lovely contrast. The clam cream sauce was rich in flavor — first time I learned what clam sauce tastes like! A dish with really appealing texture.

3. Shiitake mushroom with shrimp and young zucchini

Shrimp + top-grade shiitake mushroom + zucchini + tofu + aged kimchi + golden enoki mushroom + peanut tofu sauce + wild chive oil

Comes with a peanut tofu sauce — creamy but with the soft tofu flavor still coming through. Layered shrimp then shiitake mushroom, like a shrimp burger patty! Seriously, the shiitake mushroom's meaty texture was spot on. The mushroom aroma is fragrant and savory, the real deal. The zucchini isn't fully cooked through, so the texture stays alive. Definitely eat it with the sauce! Shiitake + shrimp + cream sauce together is genuinely fancy👍🏻

4. Hanwoo yukhoe (beef tartare) with gamtae seaweed

Homemade aioli sauce + fried nurungji + pickled chosuk-jam (Chinese artichoke) + cured egg

The gamtae aroma hits and lingers, then the sauce-mixed 1++ hanwoo yukhoe plays freshly and lively! The pickled chosuk-jam comes in right on time to cut through any richness. Nothing overpowers, all three elements come together beautifully!

5. Jeju tilefish, served at dinner only

Tilefish + barley and wild chive rice + mullet roe + neungi mushroom broth

The chef poured the neungi mushroom broth and told us to eat it like ochazuke — this combo is a serious recommendation!👏 The tilefish had a strong smoky aroma, absolutely no fishy smell, just savory and delicious. Even though the neungi mushroom aroma was strong, it wasn't overwhelming at all, king combo👍🏻 The barley rice gave it texture, toasted like nurungji, and the toasty flavor paired perfectly with the broth.

6. Hanwoo tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty), dinner only

(Whoops, I got so excited I ate some before taking pictures...) Crushed pistachio + celeriac purée + shiitake duxelles + white balsamic sauce + basil oil

The tteokgalbi had a strong charred aroma, competing texture-wise with the shiitake mushroom. Eaten alone, the basil sauce is like BASIL!! — such a strong flavor, right? But eaten together it balances out perfectly, which was surprising. The white balsamic sauce and basil sauce seem like they'd clash, but they actually boost the umami and end up in harmony — surprising.

7. Abalone with five-color gardenia noodles

Garnish (black sesame julienned radish + bracken fern + shiitake mushroom + seasoned wild chive + perilla leaf + abalone), sauce (gamtae dressing, mustard-garlic sauce), gardenia noodles

A dish using five vegetables and abalone from Wando. The sauce is sweet-tangy with umami and a hint of mustard, aiming for that refreshing summer feel! The perilla leaf aroma comes through subtly, bringing out the abalone's soft, chewy texture nicely. Looks like a lot of gamtae, but it doesn't overpower anything — perfectly balanced!

8. Grilled 1++ hanwoo sirloin with beef seaweed soup set

The hanwoo seaweed soup set came with seasoned greens like myeongi namul (wild garlic leaves) and gungchae — tangy, sweet, salty all at once, with that distinct namul aroma really coming through!

1++ sirloin coming through~! The marbling is insane!! No need to say more about the taste!! They gave us a personal tabletop grill so we could each grill privately!

So delicious... barely chewed and it just melted away~!! Definitely don't overcook it, just a little! You know the drill right?

9. Dessert: sweet corn to finish

Corn ice cream + corn cream cheese + apricot + corn crumble + sponge cake + green tangerine cream sauce. Even the dessert was full of care and detail, right? It really tastes like corn~~ and it's perfectly balanced! The corn cream and green tangerine cream sauce is a fresh combination, and it worked so well together, loved it haha.

They offer sparkling wine or grape juice. We're lightweights, so grape juice for us!

Birthday perk: walnut jeonggwa and cream cheese persimmon

I let them know in advance that it was my mom's birthday. If you're celebrating an occasion, make sure to mention it! Nutty, sweet, and delicious — walnut jeonggwa and cream cheese persimmon showed up~! Hope everyone gets to enjoy a warm, happy meal at Usu Gongdeok.

Who should book Usu Gongdeok

• ✔️ Anyone looking for good restaurants near Gongdeok Station with a nice atmosphere
• ✔️ Anyone wanting hanwoo dining for a family gathering
• ✔️ Anyone wanting course dining for a special occasion or date
• ✔️ Anyone wanting a private restaurant near Gongdeok for meeting the in-laws
• ✔️ Anyone who wants free corkage and easy parking sorted at once
• ✔️ Anyone who wants to properly enjoy 1++ hanwoo

"Usu" is right here, right here! Planning to come back soon❤

🚩 By transit/on foot: Right in front of Gongdeok Station exit 2 / 🚩 Parking: 3 hours free at the underground lot, no limit on cars, park in the commercial building's lot.