Mild charcoal dakgalbi in cabbage pickle wraps in Yangju: Seorak

A new dakgalbi restaurant near Lake CC in Yangju, on a rainy-season lunch

Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yangju Branch (설악막국수춘천닭갈비 양주점) is a fairly new dakgalbi restaurant on Mansong-ro, near Lake CC in Yangju. They said this week would be rainy season... and it turned into a forced day off, so I wondered what to eat today and dropped in. It turned out to be a happy meal.

My husband and I had driven out near Lake CC. Lots of people there seem to play golf, because the restaurants nearby were busy too. I already knew the Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi name, but this was a newly opened branch, so I wanted to try it. I was excited to see whether it could become a true Yangju dakgalbi favorite.

Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yangju Branch: hours and parking

The restaurant is at 211 Mansong-ro, 1st floor, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do. It is open 11 AM to 9 PM and closed on Tuesdays. Parking in the big front yard was easy, and guests who follow the restaurant on Naver get a coupon for one jeonbyeong or a drink.

There were already quite a few cars in the lot. Families and lots of people, probably thanks to Lake CC being close, were coming in, which was impressive. I arrived right at lunchtime, and for a place that hasn't been open long it was already crowded. Oh?

The building stood out even from far away. It has a clean exterior and a well-kept front yard for parking, so it felt good for family or friends. It's near Lake CC, so you can see the golf course nicely.

What three of us ordered and how much it cost

Three of us, including a friend, ordered 2 servings of charcoal dakgalbi (₩16,000 each), 1 serving of soy dakgalbi (₩16,000) and 1 dessert bibim makguksu (₩6,000). For a dakgalbi place the prices were neither expensive nor cheap, just fair.

• Charcoal dakgalbi 2 × ₩16,000
• Soy dakgalbi 1 × ₩16,000
• Dessert bibim makguksu 1 × ₩6,000

Seating and the lunchtime crowd

The seating was roomy with wide aisles, so it was comfortable to eat. The space on the other side was big, but we like quiet, so we sat deep inside. Hehe.

I expected mostly young couples, but there were many families with their parents and older guests. In that case the food is usually decent. A place that older people are brought to is usually better than average, so my expectations went up.

There's a receipt review event: write a review and choose 2 drinks or a jeonbyeong. The sauce on the table is for makguksu or cold noodles.

Side dishes, with refills at the self-serve bar

The basic side dishes were cabbage pickle, seasoned radish, young radish kimchi and dongchimi (radish water kimchi). All tasted clean and fresh. For refills, just help yourself at the self-serve bar~ It was lunchtime, so people kept streaming in even while our food was coming out.

Is the pre-grilled dakgalbi mild enough if you can't handle spice?

The dakgalbi arrives pre-grilled and you cook it a bit more at the table, so there was no waiting, which I loved. The amount was right for the three of us, one woman and two men. It comes nicely grilled already, so I just rolled the rice cakes around and grilled them well.

The pre-grilled charcoal dakgalbi had great smoky flavor, with the fire taste alive. It wasn't harshly spicy, just moderately hot, so even a spice-wimp could eat it comfortably. It seems like a good family spot to stop at after golf.

We weren't starving and still finished the 3 servings comfortably. I was curious about the makguksu, so I had the bibim makguksu too: cold, slightly sweet and spicy. Maybe because so many guests are families, the flavor overall was gentle and healthy rather than aggressive.

Clean, and moderately spicy

An extra grill mesh so the dakgalbi sauce doesn't burn

The staff put up a double mesh so the dakgalbi wouldn't burn, since the marinade burns easily. Good good~~

How to eat dakgalbi: wrapped in pickled cabbage

The dakgalbi is seasoned just right even on its own, but I like things a little less salty, so wrapping it in vegetables was the real kick.

The cabbage pickle has just the right sauce for wrapping, and it went perfectly with the dakgalbi.

Is Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yangju Branch worth a return visit?

The dessert bibim makguksu was a good size to finish the meal. The weather was gorgeous too, and we left pleasantly full after a happy meal.

If you're looking for good dakgalbi in Yangju or heading near Lake CC, I'd recommend stopping by for a clean, satisfying dakgalbi meal. Honestly, I like visiting a new place before the reviews pile up, and this time again it was a happy meal.