Olympic Park Korean BBQ with celebrity chairs and LA galbi: Hantiok

What kind of restaurant is Hantiok, across from Olympic Park?

Hantiok is a Korean restaurant at 114 Wiryeseong-daero, Songpa-gu, Seoul, right on the main road across from Olympic Park. It's open daily from 11 AM to 10 PM, offers corkage (for a fee), and has parking available.

Every time I drove past Olympic Park, this place always caught my eye. I finally visited Hantiok, the place I'd always been curious about. Read on!

Let's start with some LA galbi (LA-style marinated short rib) first!! Stay healthy and don't catch a cold, everyone!!

A place whose name alone made me feel warm and fuzzy — I'd always wondered why everyone loved it so much.

Being right across from Olympic Park makes the whole outing flow perfectly. I loved the clean, pleasant atmosphere the moment I walked in.

But what I remember most from this visit, and what raised my opinion of the place 100%, was the staff member — short hair, neat white dress shirt. He greeted us with such a kind smile and warm service that I felt truly taken care of the whole meal, genuinely touched!!! I really want to give that staff member a shoutout!!

Celebrity names on the chairs: Ahn Jung-hwan and Jo In-sung's seats

Hantiok has a delightfully quirky feature you'll never see at any other BBQ place — pure fun for the eyes and the palate.

Every single chair in the restaurant has the name of a famous celebrity who has visited attached to it!!!

One chair bears the name of sports star Ahn Jung-hwan, another the name of heartthrob actor Jo In-sung. Picking a chair is half the fun!! It felt like I was peacefully dining alongside my favorite stars.

Is Hantiok good with kids? The glass-walled indoor playroom

One side of Hantiok has an indoor kids' playroom. Parents of young children always worry their kid will get bored while eating out. But this place completely erases that worry with a perfect setup for kids.

The inside is spotlessly kept, and there's even an arcade machine kids love!!!

My favorite part was that the playroom is enclosed in glass walls. While sitting at the table eating, you can see straight through the clear glass to check that your child is playing safely — so you can eat with total peace of mind. The kids have a blast playing, and the parents get to enjoy their food in peace — a win-win.

Hantiok also has a quiet private room

For those wanting a cozy family gathering or a private meal, there's a separate quiet room. It's a great spot for all kinds of gatherings.

The 70,000-won LA galbi set with brisket soup and cold naengmyeon

We ordered the LA galbi set with brisket soup for ₩70,000, naengmyeon (cold noodles) dessert for ₩8,000, and two bowls of rice for ₩2,000 — ₩80,000 total. LA galbi is a dish everyone, young and old, loves.

The meat was so tender, and the marinade wasn't overly sweet but soaked all the way through — I ate it without stopping. The meat quality was great too, and the more you chewed, the more savory juices spread through your mouth. Truly artful.

Ordering the LA galbi also gets you a warm, deeply flavored gomtang-style (bone broth) soup.

The hearty soup made the meal feel even more substantial. After finishing the meat, we ordered water naengmyeon (cold noodles) as a clean finish. The refreshing broth with floating ice slush and chewy noodles was the perfect period at the end of the sentence!!

The tea G-Dragon is said to have drunk at Hantiok

As we were nearly done eating, I discovered another secret, curious fact on one side of the restaurant. A story about a tea that BIGBANG's G-Dragon himself drank when he visited Hantiok!!

Once I heard superstar G-Dragon had drunk it, I had to try it myself. I drank the exact same tea as G-Dragon!!! A cup of tea after the meal gave a clean finish and left my mouth feeling refreshed. Getting to enjoy delicious meat plus a taste of superstar sensibility made it an even more memorable experience.

Parking at Hantiok: where to leave the car for less

A very useful parking tip for those driving. If you use the restaurant's own parking lot, valet service is provided, but it comes with a fee.

• Use the restaurant's valet service
• Use the large public parking lot along the main road right in front
• Multi-child family card holders, compact car owners, and other eligible groups get 50% off parking fees

I got a cheap parking deal myself with the two-child family discount.

Is Hantiok worth it after a day at Olympic Park?

This visit made it clear why Olympic Park favorite Hantiok has been loved by so many people for so long. From the gracious service of the white-shirted staff member whose kindness felt second nature, to the fun celebrity-named chairs, the clean kids' playroom, the tea that even G-Dragon loved, and the perfect LA galbi — nothing was lacking.

If you're having a fun day at Olympic Park and want a hearty, delicious Korean meal afterward, definitely pay Hantiok a visit.