Banpo beef restaurant with specialty cuts and doenjang jjigae: Ugojip

What kind of restaurant is Ugojip?

Ugojip is a specialty-cut Korean BBQ restaurant where you can eat beef in Banpo without breaking the bank. It's open daily 15:00–23:00, and parking is available.

My husband and I went to Ugojip for a much-needed grease-up session, haha. Beef is delicious but the price often makes you hesitate, right? But Ugojip turned out to be a place where you can enjoy beef at a pretty reasonable price.

How to reach Ugojip from Express Bus Terminal Station, and where to park

Ugojip is located in the basement of Banpo Shopping Town Building 5. Come out of Express Bus Terminal Station Exit 8-2 and you'll see KFC (Banpo Shopping Town Building 4) — it's the next building over. If you need parking, there's 30 minutes free parking behind the building!

True to a beef restaurant, the exterior already looks upscale. Who knew a place with this kind of atmosphere existed in the basement of Banpo Shopping Town? We wanted to eat at a relaxed pace so we went a little after 5pm, and there were already two tables of guests eating. There can be a wait during dinner hours, so I'd recommend booking ahead on Naver!

Isn't the price pretty great for a specialty-cut beef restaurant? Especially the set composition — so tempting...

Ugojip seating, group bookings and wine corkage

Ugojip's seating is about 10 tables of 4, roomier than I expected, so with a reservation it could work fine as a gathering spot too. Reservation and walk-in seats are kept separate, so if you're visiting with a group of 12 or more it's a good idea to call and check ahead.

And as you can see on the menu, Ugojip also sells wine that pairs well with beef. Red is ₩29,000, white is ₩35,000 — not too pricey, and you can also order by the glass. Corkage is free for up to one bottle of wine, so if you have a favorite bottle, bring it along and enjoy it with your beef.

Ugojip side dishes and aged beef cuts

After ordering, they set out the basic side dishes — salad, scallion salad, myeongi namul (wild garlic leaf), mul kimchi (water kimchi), wasabi, salt, all combinations that go great with beef. The tomatoes in the salad were even stevia tomatoes.

Looks like all the meat comes aged. (Getting excited)

Aprons are set out by the door. As you eat, the oil splatters more than you'd expect, so I'd recommend wearing an apron even if you're not in white clothes. The owner even stocked dental floss — so thoughtful!

The 400g couple set at 49,000 won: enough beef for two

Ugojip's couple set 400g (recommended for 2) is ₩49,000, rice is ₩1,500, and Zero Coke is ₩2,500. The couple set comes with usamgyeop (thin-sliced beef belly), galbisal (rib finger meat), tosisal (skirt steak), and beef brisket doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) — just the right amount for two people. Vegetables for grilling (mushrooms, zucchini, onion) came alongside too.

Once the grill heats up, they oil it first,

then grill the usamgyeop first. My husband praised it while grilling, saying you can tell right away when the meat is good.

Being beef, it cooked quickly, so they added the vegetables fast too — gotta eat them together for the best flavor.

We made proper onion wraps with usamgyeop and scallion on top. Mmm... it melted in my mouth. The usamgyeop was savory yet slightly fatty, and personally the wasabi + salt combo suited it best.

Why the brisket doenjang jjigae at Ugojip is a must-order

While we were eating, the beef brisket doenjang jjigae arrived. The moment I saw it, I ordered rice.

The stew was packed with ingredients, no holding back. Maybe that's why it was so delicious... this stew... If you're not getting the set, order this stew regardless — you won't regret it 🤤

Galbisal and tosisal with Ugojip's house sauce

They finished grilling the galbisal and tosisal too. The galbisal was chewy with great texture, and the tosisal was clean-tasting and savory. Especially the tosisal — be sure to dip it in the house sauce. It adds a slightly spicy kick that goes great with the meat.

There's an odor eliminator spray outside the store, so spray yourself before you leave! The meat was delicious and the owner was kind, so it was a really pleasant meal. If you're trying to figure out dinner near Goturi (Express Bus Terminal) or looking for an affordable Korean BBQ spot, give Ugojip a try 🤍