Mapo beef soup and raw beef platter: Usijang Hoegwan

I went to Usijang Hoegwan (우시장회관) near Mapo Station for a meal with an acquaintance. We had clam beef gukbap (soup with rice) with yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) and yuk sashimi, and combining the different ingredients eventually made us order an unplanned glass of soju.

How close is it to Mapo Station, and is parking available?

Usijang Hoegwan is at 15-10 Samgae-ro, 1F, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It is about a three-minute walk from Exit 3 of Mapo Station on Subway Line 5 and about 10 minutes from Gongdeok Station. Dedicated parking spaces are available in front of and beside the restaurant. If they are full, guests are directed to the paid parking lot at Dohwa-dong Community Service Center.

The original article lists the hours as 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The break is from 3 to 5 p.m., and last order is at 9:30 p.m.

What was the dinner atmosphere and ordering process like?

We arrived at 5 p.m., when the break ended. Within 30 minutes of entering, about two-thirds of the tables were occupied. There were older guests dining alone as well as international guests.

The owner treated each guest kindly and also gave explanations in English. The food explanations and instructions on how to eat it made us feel comfortable even as first-time visitors.

We ordered on the tablet at our table. I also saw the owner patiently walk an older guest through the process when they found it difficult to use.

What did we choose from the menu?

Set menus were also available. We ordered clam beef gukbap and a menu that came with yukhoe and yuk sashimi.

What did the clam beef gukbap taste like?

Clam beef gukbap was an unfamiliar menu item for me. I normally do not eat shellfish, so I did not taste the clams themselves, but my companion ate them without a problem.

The broth tasted clearer and cleaner than the usual beef gukbap I have tried. Rather than being intensely spicy, it was warm and refreshing. I liked that the gukbap, prepared by adding hot broth to the rice, arrived piping hot, and it made me think this would be a good place to come alone for a meal in winter.

What comes with the yukhoe and yuk sashimi?

The menu with yukhoe and yuk sashimi came with several side dishes arranged on a tray and ssam vegetables for wraps. We could add ingredients such as dried radish strips, oyster jeotgal (salted oysters), and flying fish roe one at a time to make different combinations.

The owner explained how to enjoy it and personally made one wrap for us. Eating yuk sashimi topped with several side dishes made me think of soju.

I was not used to eating oyster jeotgal with yukhoe or yuk sashimi, but I liked the combination. Even my companion, who does not usually enjoy fishy flavors, said this pairing was tasty without being fishy. The yukhoe and yuk sashimi we had that day were clean-tasting without any off smell, and I kept reaching for more when eating them with the side dishes.

Can you make something like yukhoe sushi?

The rice that came with the meal was seasoned like sushi rice rather than plain white rice. We placed yukhoe on top and ate it like sushi, adding flying fish roe, dried radish strips, or oyster jeotgal according to our preferences. I preferred combining several ingredients this way to eating the yukhoe on its own.

How spicy was the silbi kimchi we tried during the meal?

During the meal, the owner offered us a taste of silbi kimchi, a particularly spicy style of kimchi. It was my first time trying it, and it was not as extremely spicy as I expected; the heat built to a sharp, tingling level. The regular kimchi was also good, and the silbi kimchi paired well with the gukbap.