Seongsu yakiniku without alcohol: Course C at Usiya Seongsu Branch

Looking for proper beef in Seongsu

Seongsu has plenty of cafés and pop-ups, but finding a place to sit down and slowly enjoy meat is surprisingly hard. Grilling it yourself takes attention, and walking into just any spot risks disappointing meat quality. Searching for Seongsu yakiniku led me to Usiya Seongsu Branch, where a staff member grills each cut for you in front of the charcoal, so I could eat comfortably — and the meat quality exceeded expectations, making it a memorable dinner.

What is Usiya Seongsu Branch like?

Usiya bills itself as a charcoal yakiniku specialist with the phrase "牛室 charcoal specialty." It's on Ttukseom-ro 9-gil in Seongsu, an easy walk between Seoul Forest and Ttukseom stations. Inside, a wooden counter holds black tabletop braziers, and staff grill the meat themselves over glowing white charcoal from behind the counter. Seating is limited, so it's quiet, and the tableware and props are neatly arranged in a Japanese style, making it fit well as a Seongsu date spot. It's open from 17:00 Tuesday to Friday and from 12:00 on weekends, closed Mondays.

Usiya Seongsu Branch menu and course prices

There are three courses. Course A is ₩99,000 per person and includes beef tartare, beef tongue, 5 cuts of meat, grilled tail, beef stomach lining, large intestine, tail stew with a rice pot, and stewed aged kimchi. Course B is ₩79,000 with beef tartare, beef tongue, 4 cuts of meat, grilled tail, beef stomach lining, large intestine, and a meal. Course C is ₩59,000 with beef tongue, 3 cuts of meat, grilled tail, beef stomach lining, and a meal. À la carte items come in 100g portions for orders of 2 or more: tenderloin ₩39,000, skirt ₩39,000, chuck flap tail ₩39,000, striploin ₩35,000, chuck flap ₩30,000, short rib ₩33,000, brisket point ₩30,000, chain ₩37,000, hanging tender ₩39,000. We chose Course C.

Course C: every cut, one at a time

Once ordered, the day's cuts arrive all at once on a wooden tray. Beef tongue, a thick heavily marbled chunk, a thinly sliced cut, and tail meat with the bone cross-section showing are each laid out on square plates. The condiments were a soy-based sauce, salt, wasabi, and chives — chives with a rather special name, actually.

First up was the beef tongue. Thinly sliced tongue was briefly seared on the charcoal, just cooking the surface, then dipped in salt — chewy yet clean-tasting, a good opener. I can't recall exactly which cut came next, but it was seared crisp on all sides, then the staff placed it on a wire rack over a black wooden stand and sliced it thick.

The cross-section was a vivid pink with juices still intact, and the marbling melted smoothly in the mouth. The eggplant grilled alongside soaked up the meat's fat and turned moist, making a great side.

The third cut was a thinly sliced red-meat portion.

Because the grain of this cut was pronounced, it wasn't grilled long — quickly seared front and back — and the staff dipped it once in the soy sauce bowl before putting it back on the charcoal. The more I chewed, the more savory it got, and the sauce, lightly charred by the coals, added a sweet-salty note that would have gone great with rice too. Grilled kkwarigochu (mild green peppers) were served alongside, adding a spicy note that cleansed the palate.

Grilled oxtail and beef tripe

Grilled tail is a must-order here. Pieces of tail with the bone cross-section visible are slowly grilled over charcoal, then eaten by hand with plastic gloves — the meat clinging to the bone was chewy, and the melted collagen gave it a sticky, satisfying texture. The beef stomach lining is grilled with a soy-based glaze, crisp outside and chewy inside, far cleaner than what I'd had at gopchang restaurants before. There was no gamey smell at all, so even a companion who usually can't eat beef stomach lining ate it happily.

The meal: braised aged kimchi and rice

At the end of the course, a stone pot of bubbling stewed aged kimchi (mukeunji jjolim) arrives with seaweed flakes and rice. The stew was generously packed with radish and aged kimchi, and spooning it over rice felt like it reset a stomach full of meat. After such a rich meat run, this combination was especially welcome. To finish, pickled tomatoes served in a frozen glass came out — cool and sweet, perfect for cleansing the palate.

Is the non-alcoholic highball worth ordering?

Since it was a non-drinking day, I ordered the ₩9,000 non-alcoholic highball. It came with a lemon floating in it, with strong carbonation and lively aroma — it went so well with the meat I nearly forgot it wasn't alcoholic. The drink menu also includes Suntory Premium Malt's draft at ₩9,000, Glenfiddich 12 highball at ₩12,000, Monkey Shoulder highball at ₩10,000, soju like Hwayo and Ilpum Jinro, house wine at ₩9,000, and a local sake list running from ₩50,000 to ₩85,000 for 720ml — plenty of fun options to pair with the meat.

Who Usiya Seongsu Branch suits best

I'd recommend this to couples wanting a quiet beef dinner in Seongsu, anyone who wants to compare cuts without the pressure of grilling themselves, anyone curious about trying specialty cuts like beef tongue or beef stomach lining without the gamey smell, and anyone who wants an atmospheric meal without alcohol. Course C at ₩59,000 is the lowest-commitment option, so it's a good starting point for a first visit.

Final thoughts on Course C

Seongsu yakiniku spot Usiya Seongsu Branch had a well-put-together flow, from meat quality and grilling skill down to the final stewed kimchi. Next time I'd like to come back for Course B, which includes the tail stew and large intestine.

Usiya Seongsu Branch address and hours

• Usiya Seongsu Branch
• Address: 3 Ttukseom-ro 9-gil, 1F, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Tue–Fri 17:00–23:00, Sat–Sun 12:00–23:00, closed Mondays (subject to change, check before visiting)
• Course A ₩99,000 / B ₩79,000 / C ₩59,000, à la carte in 100g portions for 2+ people