Smell-free Sangwangsimni Korean BBQ: Beom Set & naengmyeon at Yukseong

Wangsimni BBQ restaurant Yukseong

I visited an absolutely amazing BBQ place near Wangsimni and Sangwangsimni. Yukseong is a one-of-a-kind brand with everything you need for a comfortable, generous and happy meal.

It uses eco-friendly corn fuel, so both the taste and the comfort were a cut above. The staff were kind and the service was top-notch, so I wanted to come back with my parents. Let me introduce Yukseong.

Where is Yukseong in Wangsimni, and what are the hours?

Yukseong is at 97 Muhakbong-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, between Wangsimni Station Exit 11 and Sangwangsimni Station Exit 4. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 4 PM to 11 PM, last order at 10 PM, and accepts groups and reservations.

• Location: Yukseong, 1st floor, 97 Muhakbong-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
• Hours: Tue–Sun 16:00–23:00
• Last order: 22:00
• Groups and reservations welcome

Even on a weekday evening there were lots of families, which shows how established Yukseong is as a pleasant, tasty BBQ place. I reserved ahead, and although I arrived a bit early, the staff kindly showed me to a comfortable seat.

Yukseong interior, seating and atmosphere

Inside Yukseong, seats are lined up in a row from the window tables toward the back.

In the middle there is also a round table that seats about two. The place isn't big, but the staff pay close attention to each table and work hard to give the tastiest, best-quality meal, which if anything created a private yet relaxed atmosphere.

Why a BBQ restaurant doesn't smell

Yukseong has a separate spot for your bags, and oddly for a BBQ place, it doesn't smell. It turns out they cook with corn fuel, which keeps the air clean while boosting the meat's flavor and smoky aroma. A nutty, toasty scent hangs in the air right until the end of the meal.

The restaurant's symbol is a tiger, which is a personal favorite animal of mine, so I liked it even more. It's an independent shop, and the owner personally picked out all the paintings and props around the place.

The tiger paintings look like they'd bring good luck just by looking at them, haha. It was too crowded for me to photograph them all, but spotting them was fun.

What we ordered at Yukseong

Yukseong has beef, pork and set menus, all well put together.

They say they stick to cross-aging, which got me excited. I agonized over what to eat and ended up with the Beom Set the owner recommended.

Yukseong side dishes and welcome drink

Yukseong serves ssam vegetables, ssamjang sauces, freshly made seasoned radish, mustard-leaf pickles from Yeosu and beef and radish soup, all complimentary. The side dishes come in great variety.

The sauce mixed with garlic, olive oil and shrimp wasn't salty and went wonderfully with the pork neck. The Cheongyang chili mixed with yuzu was fresh and cleansed my palate, so there was never a dull moment while eating meat. The radish soup was the best too!

They also give you a welcome drink, with a choice of wine or a soft drink. We went with cider (lemon-lime soda), haha.

What's in the Yukseong Beom Set, and how much food is it?

The Yukseong Beom Set has two cuts, pork jinmoksal (neck) and beef toshisal, at 480g, which is plenty for two people. The beautifully colored Beom (tiger) Set had a name I liked from the start.

It's two cuts, neck and toshisal, at 480 grams, which is enough for two people.

We got to enjoy Yukseong's signature pork jinmoksal and beef toshisal together with mushrooms,

and since the staff grill everything and cut it into bite-size pieces for you, it was very easy to eat. The beef and neck were clearly a different quality from other BBQ places.

Beef toshisal the owner confidently recommended

The owner confidently recommended the toshisal, so I ordered it, and I immediately understood why.

The texture melts slightly in your mouth and the juices are moist. With the various ssamjang sauces, it tasted like a fine-dining steak.

Wow.. it was seriously delicious, haha.

Pork jinmoksal that stays tender even when cold

Unlike ordinary pork neck, Yukseong's jinmoksal has a bit of fat marbled through it, so the texture was great and it wasn't dry at all even after cooling. It's said to be a cut from grade 1+ or higher pork. Of course.. I was glad I chose the set made up of Yukseong's signature cuts.

The Cheongyang chili and yuzu combo went really well with the neck.

The seasoned radish was superb too, and Yukseong is one I'd rank as the tastiest BBQ place I've been to this year.

Yukseong heaping rice bowl and mul naengmyeon

The heaping rice bowl at Yukseong is huge, so one is enough. I ordered one midway and seriously, hahaha, it's enormous.. Please don't order two, hahaha.

Like a nobleman's table: white rice with a slice of beef -

The mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth) was refreshing too, and I liked that it came with two egg halves, haha. Good!

From the basic table setting to the quality of the meat, everything at Yukseong was excellent and varied.

Would I return to Yukseong for a Wangsimni family dinner?

Yukseong is a BBQ place I'd absolutely revisit whenever I want a tasty family meal in Wangsimni. The excellent service, on par with the meat quality, is another reason I recommend coming back.