Seokchon beef BBQ & peated Ardbeg 10 whisky pairing: Sutbul Seonghwa

What is Sutbul Seonghwa like?

Sutbul Seonghwa (숯불성화) is a charcoal beef BBQ restaurant in Songnidan-gil near Seokchon Station, a classy date spot where you can enjoy beef with whisky. The name is said to mean a sacred fire that never stops burning!

More and more places carry a wide range of whiskies these days, which makes this whisky nerd very happy. It's even better when it's a regular restaurant and not a whisky bar. And then I found a restaurant where you can enjoy whisky in a classy atmosphere.

Lounge-bar vibes and aged beef

The interior of Sutbul Seonghwa feels like a classy lounge bar. There were so many foreign guests, haha.

Delicious beef, aging away.

The whisky selection at Sutbul Seonghwa was really varied. >.< Practically a whisky bar...!!!

What does the basic table setting at Sutbul Seonghwa include?

The basic setting at Sutbul Seonghwa is mostly sides that go well with meat: grapefruit-and-minari salad, scallion salad, pickled celery, myeongi namul (pickled wild garlic-chive leaves) and Maldon salt. Such a neat, tidy spread, right?

Does Ardbeg 10 go well with beef?

The peated Ardbeg 10 Year Old I ordered at Sutbul Seonghwa was a huge success with the beef, just as I'd hoped!!! The smoky peat and sweet dark-chocolate notes went sooo well with the juicy, flavorful beef. ㅠㅠㅠ

What I loved most was that they had this whisky at all. Even places that serve whisky often only carry some blended or single malts... but they had a peated one! I'm a single malt person, and lately I've been falling for the charm of peat.

I wondered what would go best with rich, savory beef and thought, why not peated whisky? So I ordered Ardbeg 10! Ardbeg is a classic, delicious Islay whisky, even among peated ones. >.<

Like a perfect couple that brings out the best in each other? hehe It's really good! Recommended. haha

What cuts come in the Seonghwa Platter?

I ordered the Seonghwa Platter because I wanted to try all the signature items, and this day it came with snowflake beef, cubed flower rib and butter button mushrooms. haha They also put lit charcoal on the grill.

The staff grill the snowflake beef for you, and after that you grill at your own pace.

Staff-grilled 1% snowflake beef

Beautiful snowflake beef with amazing marbling! They carefully grill it for you on the grill. haha Roughly medium rare. Crisp outside, juicy inside.

It has a bit of chew yet is really rich and delicious. With that much marbling comes a lot of fat, too. >.<

Butter button mushrooms

Button mushrooms topped with butter. The mushroom juices and butter blend together and it's so good. ㅠㅠㅠ Salty and savory...

Cubed flower rib with Ardbeg

The flower rib is cut into cubes so you can enjoy it a bit like steak, and it's so good. Cook it slightly rare and have it with Ardbeg... honestly the best. >.<

It's lightly marinated, so you need to keep flipping it so it doesn't burn. Maybe because it's a wine-aged marinade, it was sweet and savory with deepening flavor, and sooo good! It even reminded me a little of marinated beef short ribs.

What is dessert at Sutbul Seonghwa?

For dessert, Sutbul Seonghwa serves Excellent ice cream. >.< I've loved Excellent since I was little. hehe So thoughtful, right?!

After tasty beef with whisky, finishing with Excellent ice cream was such a clean ending!

Is Sutbul Seonghwa good for a whisky-loving couple's date?

The atmosphere is great, the food is delicious, and I could enjoy grilled beef with whisky, so I was really satisfied with Sutbul Seonghwa. The mood was perfect for a date, and I had a happy date with my boyfriend!