Gasan dinner spot in Seoul for yukhoe, suyuk and gomtang: Yukhwang

While looking for a good place to eat in Gasan Digital Complex, I visited Yukhwang, which recently opened. This area is full of office workers, so there are all kinds of restaurants here — from hearty lunch spots to places good for a company dinner or drinks after work. Yukhwang is a place centered on hanwoo (Korean beef) yukhoe bibimbap and gomtang, where you can also enjoy suyuk and yukhoe together.

What Yukhwang looks like by Gasan Digital Complex Station

Yukhwang is a newly opened Korean restaurant on the 1st floor of Hanla One&One Tower A-dong, on Gasan Digital 2-ro. Even before stepping inside, it had that brand-new feel, and the interior was neatly arranged overall. Unlike the generally hectic vibe of Gasan Digital Complex, the inside of the restaurant was calm, which made for a comfortable meal.

When I visited, there were groups on company dinners, as well as families and couples. With a menu ranging from hanwoo yukhoe to suyuk and gomtang, it seemed like a good place for a proper meal as well as an evening drink.

What we ordered for dinner at Yukhwang, and what it cost

Since I visited in the evening, I ordered mostly drinking snacks rather than a full meal from the start. What we ordered was

• Yukhoe (beef tartare) — ₩27,000
• Suyuk (boiled beef), half plate — ₩15,000
• Gomtang (beef bone soup) — ₩13,000

At first we had yukhoe and suyuk with beer and soju, and as we ate we started craving warm soup and rice, so we added gomtang too.

Yukhwang's side dishes: salted octopus, seasoned lettuce and seokbakji

The basic side dishes were nakji jeotgal (seasoned octopus), a lettuce salad, and seokbakji (radish kimchi), each plated neatly, which made a good first impression. The house-made seokbakji in particular was delicious.

It had a mildly tangy flavor with a nice crunchy texture, tasty even on its own, and it went really well with the gomtang I ordered later. The nakji jeotgal had plump pieces of octopus, good both as a rice side and as a drinking snack. The lettuce and perilla leaves came tossed with a special sauce, and eating them with the meat kept my hand reaching back for more.

Half plate of suyuk for 15,000 won, sliced thin

First to arrive was the suyuk (boiled beef). Yukhwang's suyuk apparently uses Korean hanwoo brisket and shank, and it came sliced thin, a little different from the thick-cut suyuk I was expecting.

Being sliced thin actually made it easy to eat without feeling too heavy, and the meat was tender rather than chewy. The accompanying sauce wasn't too strongly seasoned, letting the clean flavor of the suyuk itself shine. It felt like a good dish to slowly enjoy alongside a beer or soju.

Mungtigi at Yukhwang: Tuesday to Thursday after 4pm

I'd actually been looking forward to mungtigi (fresh raw beef) that day, but it wasn't available when I visited. Mungtigi is served Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday after 4pm, but it can vary depending on meat availability, so it's worth checking before you visit. I couldn't have it this time, but I'd like to try it on my next visit.

Hanwoo yukhoe for 27,000 won, with egg yolk, pear and minari

Next was the dish I'd been looking forward to the most that day: the yukhoe. Even though we visited late, the yukhoe looked fresh, which was reassuring. You break the egg yolk that comes with it and mix it evenly through the beef.

As the yolk mixed smoothly into the yukhoe, it added a nutty richness, and the beef itself tasted clean.

The yukhoe came with pear, minari (water dropwort), and gim (seaweed) on the side. The crisp, sweet pear went well with the beef, and the fragrant minari made everything taste even fresher.

Eating the yukhoe wrapped in gim was also a treat. The hanwoo they use apparently is domestic, and there was no gamey smell at all — the seasoning wasn't strong enough to mask the meat's flavor, so I could really taste the hanwoo itself.

Gomtang for 13,000 won, served with the rice already in the bowl

After eating the yukhoe and suyuk, I started craving warm soup and rice, so we added gomtang.

The gomtang broth was quite clean-tasting. Instead of rice served on the side, the rice was already in the soup, making it a hearty, one-bowl meal.

Salt, pepper, and dadaegi (spicy chili paste) were set out on the table, so you can season it to your own taste.

I tried the plain broth first, then added a bit of dadaegi, which gave it a whole different feel. And gomtang with seokbakji was, as expected, a great pairing. Personally, I always care about the side dishes when eating gomtang, whether it's kimchi or seokbakji, and the house-made seokbakji was crisp and clean, so a spoonful of gomtang followed by a bite of seokbakji worked really well.

From a quick lunch to evening drinks: how Yukhwang's menu works

Eating at Yukhwang this time, I found the menu lineup quite practical. Office workers looking for lunch near Gasan Digital Complex Station can get a satisfying meal with gomtang or yukhoe bibimbap, and in the evening, ordering yukhoe or suyuk with a drink also works well. Sure enough, when I visited, there were company dinners, family meals, and couples all around. It's nice that the menu isn't overly complicated, and that someone who isn't a fan of raw beef can still choose a meal like gomtang or bibimbap when visiting with others.

The restaurant was clean overall and the staff were kind, making for a comfortable meal. Naver Reservation is available too, so if you're visiting for a company dinner or gathering, it might be worth booking ahead. They're also running a review event — writing a review gets you a suyuk worth ₩15,000, so anyone visiting should check the details.

I was disappointed not to get to try mungtigi this time, but that just gives me one more reason to come back. From fresh hanwoo yukhoe to tender suyuk and warm, clean gomtang, Yukhwang let me enjoy it all in one place. If you're looking for somewhere in Gasan Digital Complex to get a hearty meal and a light drink at the same time, it's worth a visit.

Yukhwang hours, address and reservations

• Address: 101 Gasan Digital 2-ro, Hanla One&One Tower A-dong 1F Unit 121, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:20)
• Closed: Sundays
• Reservations available via Naver Reservation