# Mapo Korean restaurant with a seasonal ingredient presentation: Usu

- By Sora M. (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-lunch-tray/)
- Written Sep 11, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul
- Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-lunch-tray/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-lunch-tray/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/index.md)

## In short

Usu is a Korean restaurant in Mapo, Seoul, serving Hanwoo and seasonal-ingredient courses in fully private rooms. We had the Dinner B Course, from its ingredient presentation through 1++ sirloin, pot rice, and dessert. Verdict: a lovely pick for a quiet, special Korean meal.

## Good to know

- **Address**: Unit 201, B2, Lotte Castle President Shopping Arcade, 109 Mapo-daero, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울 마포구 마포대로 109 롯데캐슬프레지던트 상가 지하 2층 201호)
- **Hours**: 11:00–22:00; break time 15:00–17:00
- **Parking**: Lotte Castle President Shopping Arcade parking; 3 hours free, no vehicle limit
- **Seating**: All private rooms; group room for up to 30 people
- **Ordered**: Dinner B Course, 90 g, ₩129,000 × 2; Santorini Highball ₩11,000
- **Conditions**: No corkage fee

*as written by the visitor on Sep 11, 2026*

The place we visited this time was Usu (우수), a Hanwoo dining restaurant in Gongdeok. It is a great fit when you want a special dinner, with premium Hanwoo and seasonal ingredients served as a course in private rooms. We had the Dinner B Course.

## Usu Gongdeok information and private rooms

It is 142 m from Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station, and you can use the Lotte Castle President Shopping Arcade parking lot. Parking is free for 3 hours, with no limit on the number of cars.

The glowing WOOSOO logo at the entrance made the restaurant easy to find even from a distance. The wood-toned ceiling and gold frames feel luxurious.

The notice at the entrance says every seat is in a private room, and there is also a group room for up to 30 people. It looked suitable for small gatherings as well as larger Gongdeok company dinners, family gatherings, or business meals. Best of all, corkage is free, so you can bring your own wine to enjoy with the Hanwoo course.

![Usu Gongdeok private-room guide](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-01-1dt2l-900.webp)

![Usu Gongdeok lunch course guide](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-02-1vmgd-900.webp)

There are also more affordable lunch courses and a yukhoe bibimbap (seasoned raw beef mixed rice) set, so weekday value is especially good.

Inside, the calm gray-toned interior catches your eye first. The walls have textures reminiscent of stone or natural rock faces, creating a weighty yet refined atmosphere.

There are little spaces decorated with plants and landscaping here and there, and that natural feeling is so pretty~

What I liked most was the private layout. Individual rooms line a long corridor, making it easy to dine quietly and comfortably.

Each room has a table for four and comfortable chairs, with paintings and marble patterns styled a little differently from room to room. The wide table makes course dining wonderfully comfortable.

![Private room with a wide table](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-03-131fn-900.webp)

Each room even had hangers, which was a nice service detail. We were shown to our room, and it felt even nicer in person because it was quite spacious.

## Dinner B Course and ingredient presentation

![Usu Gongdeok course menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-04-1vach-900.webp)

![Usu Gongdeok course menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-05-10iq0-900.webp)

![Usu Gongdeok course menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-06-1pcly-900.webp)

![Usu Gongdeok course menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-07-b2xrq-900.webp)

![Usu Gongdeok course menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-08-164r5-900.webp)

We ordered the Dinner B Course, 90 g at ₩129,000 × 2, and a Santorini Highball for ₩11,000. Nutty barley tea was served as water.

Before the course began, we ordered a Santorini Highball too. It came neatly with lemon; the bubbly fizz was refreshing, and the bright lemon aroma made it easy to sip.

And then, the very impressive ingredient presentation! Before the course began, they brought a jewel-box-like wooden case to show us the ingredients for the day's dishes. Rather than simply starting with a menu explanation, we could see what we would be eating first, which made me so excited for the course❣️

![Course ingredients in a wooden case](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-09-i7rz0-1200.webp)

![Hanwoo and seafood course ingredients](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-10-pwkza-900.webp)

The wooden box gave us a view at once of the ingredients for the course: Hanwoo, lobster, shrimp, abalone, assorted vegetables, and even caviar.

![Course ingredients introduced in a wooden box](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-11-hye1q-900.webp)

![Wooden case holding marbled Hanwoo sirloin](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-12-8x5jz-900.webp)

In the lower drawer, richly marbled Hanwoo sirloin was prepared separately, and it was fun to look at. Isn't that marbling color beautiful?!

## From porridge and bites to seafood dishes

The first course dish was Woo Gye Jin Juk, a porridge made by deeply simmering Hanwoo bone and chicken broths. True to its name, it had the deep flavors of beef and chicken. When we opened the lid, the soft porridge was topped with scorched-rice crisps, a scallion crust, shiitake, asparagus, white wood-ear mushroom, and more. It was full of savory broth flavor but still clean and soft, so it was an easy, gentle start to the course.

Next came four beautifully arranged bite-sized dishes on one plate.

![Plate of four bite-sized dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-13-1ae3j-900.webp)

They were all so pretty, and each had a different combination of ingredients and flavors, so they were fun to admire before tasting.

- The first, a bulgogi sandwich, paired Hanwoo bulgogi with mushroom duxelles, truffle cream cheese, and apple pickles on brioche. The tender bulgogi gained truffle richness, while the apple pickles kept it fresh, giving one bite quite a range of flavors.
- The second used scallop and clams: grilled scallop with aburaga oil, clam cream sauce, apple, onion, and more. The tender scallop and creamy sauce made it soft and nutty.
- The third was sweet shrimp and gim bugak (crispy fried seaweed). Crispy gim held fried abalone-innards rice and plump sweet shrimp, finished with yuzu sauce. The shrimp's gentle sweetness, crisp seaweed, and fresh yuzu aroma worked beautifully together.
- Last was a lobster taco. A tortilla with squid ink and black sesame held sous-vide lobster, tomato, onion, and a gochujang mayo with a smoky note. It was one of the most distinctive and delicious of the four, interpreting Korean gochujang in taco form with lobster.

Next was shiitake shrimp and zucchini. It used shrimp and grade-A shiitake, with zucchini, tofu, wood-ear mushroom, and more, served with peanut-tofu sauce and chamnamul herb oil. The fragrant herb oil that came through here and there made it nutty yet clean on the finish.

![Shiitake shrimp and zucchini dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-14-5st5x-900.webp)

The thick grilled shiitake was pleasantly chewy, while the zucchini was softly cooked and juicy. Together with the rich, smooth peanut-tofu sauce, it was wonderfully nutty and delicious.

Next came yukhoe gamtae. This dish wraps Hanwoo yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) with house aioli, fried scorched rice, pickled chorogi, cured egg, and gamtae (seaweed).

![Hanwoo yukhoe wrapped in gamtae seaweed](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-15-jk1ln-900.webp)

The soft, clean-tasting yukhoe, rich aioli, and crisp scorched rice gave it a lovely textural point. Gamtae's gentle sea aroma also went so well with the beef. Eating the gamtae and yukhoe together in one bite was nutty, lightly salty, and full of umami.

Next was okdom, or tilefish. Under the golden-grilled fish was rice with barley and chamnamul, served with trout roe and a broth made with neungi mushrooms. The exterior was crisp and nutty while the flesh remained moist and tender. They especially poured over the fragrant mushroom broth, which soaked into the fish and rice and deepened the delicate fish flavor. Every ingredient blended gently together.

Next was tteokgalbi, the grilled beef patty on the dinner course. The round patty was nicely browned outside and served with purée, sauce, and vegetables—rather like a work of art, right? Inside, finely minced Hanwoo was moist and tender. The meat juices and savory richness came through, while the vegetables and purée balanced the patty's deeper flavor. So harmonious and delicious!

The abalone five-color gardenia noodles looked appetizing from their colors alone. The gardenia noodles were generously topped with abalone, chamnamul, perilla leaf, shiitake, bracken fern, shredded radish with black sesame, and more. The chewy noodles and abalone gave it great texture, and the greens made it overall clean and nutty. Rolling the abalone into the noodles with the greens made the flavors especially full and harmonious.

## Individual charcoal grills, Hanwoo sirloin, and seasonal fish pot rice

![1++ Hanwoo sirloin and Korean set meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-16-zgh2y-900.webp)
*1++ Hanwoo sirloin & Korean set meal*

Now the course main, 1++ Hanwoo sirloin and a Korean set meal, arrived. The 1++-grade Hanwoo sirloin had striking marbling, and grilled king oyster mushrooms, zucchini, paprika, and other vegetables came alongside. I also loved that each table has an individual charcoal grill, so you can cook it right away to your preferred doneness.

![Hanwoo sirloin grilled on an individual charcoal grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-17-1kgp6-900.webp)

Cooked just right, the sirloin was tender and full of juices, and the more we chewed, the more intensely we could taste Hanwoo's signature nutty richness. Delicious, of course.

![Grilled Hanwoo sirloin](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-18-ok5ml-900.webp)

![Juicy Hanwoo sirloin](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-19-o3xpo-900.webp)

The Hanwoo sirloin was so tender and juicy—Usu's 1++ sirloin really is different👍

![Seasonal fish pot rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-20-438ay-900.webp)
*Seasonal fish pot rice*

For the final meal, we had seasonal fish pot rice. It looked appetizing from the start, topped with plenty of finely chopped scallion and a piece of golden-grilled fish. The accompanying Hanwoo miyeokguk (seaweed soup) set was neatly composed of the seasonal fish pot rice, Hanwoo seaweed soup, kimchi, pickles, and salt.

![Seasonal fish pot rice with a Hanwoo seaweed soup set](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-21-kxns9-900.webp)

The seaweed soup was rich and nutty—so delicious—and it paired perfectly with the pot rice. The pot rice with seasonal fish and greens was delicate and savory, and with that rich soup, it felt like a truly satisfying full Korean table.

## Corn dessert and jasmine tea

Lastly, dessert was made up of corn ice cream, corn crumble, mugwort cookies, green tangerine cream sauce, honey, and coconut chips.

![Corn ice cream dessert](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-22-yro6r-900.webp)

Jasmine tea also came in a small teacup with neat, pretty plating. The corn ice cream was soft, sweet, and nutty, with a lovely texture alongside the corn crumble. Fragrant mugwort cookies and fresh green tangerine cream sauce kept the finish clean rather than simply sweet.

![Corn dessert and jasmine tea](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-23-2154p-900.webp)

The jasmine tea cleared the food flavors lingering in the mouth, while its gentle floral fragrance spread softly, making it a great match for the end of the course. It was served chilled with ice in a small teacup, and even its presentation on a garden-like tray was pretty—it felt like being treated right through the final dessert.

![Iced jasmine tea on a garden tray](https://img.superchart.com/images/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo/gongdeok-hanwoo-dinner-woosoo-24-lm0uz-900.webp)

From the first bite-sized dishes through seafood, fish, tteokgalbi, 1++ Hanwoo sirloin, pot rice, and dessert, I really loved how everything flowed as one course. The seasonal Korean ingredients were prepared with little unexpected touches, making it fun to experience flavors that felt familiar yet new. The delicate plating also made it such a pleasure to look at.

The atmosphere was calm, and every dish arrived with such care, so I think it would be lovely for a special-day meal, a date, or a meal with parents. If you are looking for a special Korean course or Hanwoo dining in Gongdeok, I recommend Usu Gongdeok!

## Where it is

- Usu (우수) (우수)
- Unit 201, B2, Lotte Castle President Shopping Arcade, 109 Mapo-daero, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 마포구 마포대로 109 롯데캐슬프레지던트 상가 지하2층 201호)
- 서울특별시 마포구 마포대로 109 롯데캐슬프레지던트 상가 지하2층 201호
- 37.5446186, 126.9503453
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%9A%B0%EC%88%98/@37.5446186,126.9503453,17z

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