Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant lunch, fire-grilled short ribs: Wongiok

Today I visited Wongiok Gwanghwamun (원기옥 광화문점), located in D-Palace. It has a wide range of Korean dishes and even private rooms, so it seemed like a great spot for family meals, gatherings, or work dinners — I went for lunch.

Where is Wongiok Gwanghwamun, and what is the space like?

Wongiok Gwanghwamun is on the basement level (B1) of D-Palace. You just head down to B1.

Once I actually arrived, I saw they had both private rooms and group seating ready, so it looked great for dining with several people. Wongiok Gwanghwamun is also conveniently located between Gwanghwamun and Seodaemun stations.

Walking in, the first thing that caught my eye was the overall modern, clean atmosphere. The calm interior made it easy to focus on the meal, and the place itself was quiet, so it was nice for relaxed conversation over food.

The spacing between tables felt comfortable too, so it seemed well suited to family meals, dates, or important gatherings. It has a clean yet upscale feel — a good atmosphere to visit when you want a quiet Korean meal in Gwanghwamun.

What we ordered for lunch at Wongiok Gwanghwamun

That day I ordered octopus stir-fry, fire-grilled short ribs, hongtang, and mul-makguksu. Ordering several dishes to share was nice because we got to try a variety of flavors instead of just one thing.

Octopus stir-fry: served with beef sinew

Wongiok Gwanghwamun's octopus stir-fry was spicy yet full of savory depth, the kind of flavor that gets your appetite going. The spicy sauce paired well with the octopus and went great with rice, and the chewy texture was satisfying. Surprisingly, it also came with beef sinew (seuji), which made for an unusual but nice pairing. Enjoying the spicy octopus alongside the chewy sinew made the flavors feel even more varied.

Mul-makguksu: bright, tangy dongchimi broth

From the first sip, the mul-makguksu's dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth had that distinctive refreshing tang that immediately woke up my appetite. The cool, clean broth and chewy noodles made it easy to slurp down without feeling heavy, and it went even better alongside the spicy octopus stir-fry or the meat dishes. It was mildly seasoned without being too sharp, while still keeping that lively sour note — just right.

Fire-grilled beef short ribs: looks just like LA galbi

The fire-grilled short ribs looked just like LA galbi, so I was already excited before even tasting them. The meat was tender with a subtle smoky char, and the sweetish, savory glaze had soaked in nicely — it was really delicious.

Best of all, the meat wasn't tough at all — it was very tender, and the more you chewed, the more the flavor of the sauce came through. It went well with rice, and was plenty tasty eaten on its own too. The seasoning wasn't overpowering but kept you reaching for more, making it a great dish to share with family.

Hongtang: how it tastes ordered without tripe

For the hongtang, I ordered it with the tripe left out as an option. Flavor-wise, think of yukgaejang (spicy beef and vegetable soup) and you'll be close. The broth was spicy-savory without being too hot, with a sharp kick that made it easy to eat without feeling overwhelmed. Rather than an aggressive heat, it had a gentle, lingering spiciness that was appealing, and with meat and other ingredients in the hot broth, it made for a filling meal. Eating it with rice brought out the broth's savory depth even more, and it paired well with the meat dishes too. I don't like tripe, so I left it out, and I was happy to enjoy it cleanly that way.

Corkage-free evenings at Wongiok Gwanghwamun

Is Wongiok Gwanghwamun a good spot for group dinners?

Wongiok Gwanghwamun runs corkage-free during evening hours, so it could be worth keeping in mind for anyone planning a get-together with wine or whisky. I also liked that the menu selection is varied enough that you can adjust your order depending on who you're dining with.

If you're looking for a place to eat with family in Gwanghwamun, or a gathering spot with clean, satisfying Korean dishes, this is worth checking out. Next time, I'd like to try the hot pot menu I didn't get to this time.