Sinnonhyeon Korean BBQ: Gangwon hanwoo, roe and BYO wine at Matbaegogi

Why choose Matbaegogi, a Korean BBQ restaurant in Sinnonhyeon?

My throat was scratchy from what felt like air-conditioning sickness, so I went to Matbaegogi (맛배고기), a Korean BBQ place in Sinnonhyeon, to "grease my throat" with beef. I think I caught a summer AC cold lately, and my throat started to hurt.. and at times like this you have to oil the throat a little, right? haha Since I was doing it anyway, I did it properly with delicious beef. No joke, it was so good I nearly fainted, and the atmosphere was great too! The place I visited is Matbaegogi, a Sinnonhyeon go-to meat restaurant!

Where is Matbaegogi, and is it easy to find?

Matbaegogi is in the Nonhyeon-dong food alley, and the building is so unique and pretty that it's easy to find. Even just walking past, you think "What is this place?" and it catches your eye right away!

What hanwoo does Matbaegogi serve, and how much does it cost?

Matbaegogi says it uses premium Gangwon hanwoo (Korean native beef) that won the Presidential Award three times in a row. Above all, the chef is a master of Korean cuisine, so the taste is pretty much guaranteed~

From the kimchi to the other banchan (side dishes) and the stew, everything was so good that I'm curious about the lunch menu too. A master of Korean cuisine cooking in a nice place like this in Gangnam, with lunch dishes at around ten-thousand-won prices, feels very kind on the wallet. It's not much different from the prices at my neighborhood restaurant in a corner of Seoul, haha

On top of that, Matbaegogi has free corkage and free room charge~ If you're looking for free corkage in Gangnam, Nonhyeon or Sinnonhyeon, come on over to Matbaegogi~~

Matbaegogi interior and seating: 1st-floor hall and 2nd-floor private rooms

Matbaegogi is split into two floors: the 1st floor is hall seating and the 2nd floor is all private rooms. Isn't the building so pretty?! But it's even more atmospheric once you go inside!

Doesn't the entrance area on the 1st floor feel like a museum? We sat at a table further inside:) We arrived right when the break time ended, so I think we were the first customers of the afternoon~ Even the fridge was so pretty. The restroom is inside the restaurant, so it's convenient to use.

The 2nd floor at Matbaegogi is all private rooms, and there are various sizes, from rooms for 4 up to rooms for 12.

What we ordered at Matbaegogi

We ordered the Matbae Special Set for two (300g) for ₩99,000.

Oh, and a receipt review event is running too, so keep that in mind~

Can you bring your own wine to Matbaegogi? Free corkage

Matbaegogi has free corkage, so you can bring wine, and if you ask they'll even give you an ice bucket. My boyfriend, a big drinker, searched "Matbaegogi corkage free" first and was thrilled when he saw it was allowed, haha We brought one bottle of wine from home, and when we asked, they brought us an ice bucket:)

What comes with the Matbae Special Set for two: side dishes and banchan

If you order the Matbae Special Set for two, a generous basic spread arrives with a stew, banchan, and even yukhoe bibim myeon (spicy noodles topped with raw seasoned beef). It's a lot, right?? At first I wondered whether 300g of beef would fill us up, but eating it this way we were really full, haha

Just like you'd expect from a master chef's place, every single banchan was delicious><

It seemed like a doenjang (soybean paste) plus cheonggukjang (strong fermented soybean) stew, and it was sooo good. I'm quite strict about stews, but it was delicious from the first spoonful. Seriously, I'm so curious about the recipe...!!!

Why is even the tofu this good? I don't think it was ordinary tofu either (seriously). When we finished it in a flash, they refilled it right away, haha Every single banchan is a work of art.

I'd only ever seen yukhoe bibim myeon in mukbang videos and was always curious, and now I finally got to try it, haha As expected, amazing!

How do Matbaegogi's Gangwon hanwoo sirloin, top blade and rib meat taste?

The Gangwon hanwoo in the Matbae Special Set for two comes as sirloin, top blade and rib meat, and the staff grill it for you from start to finish. This is the premium Gangwon hanwoo..!! It looks super fresh even just at a glance.

Since the staff grill everything, you can just sit back and eat, haha There's no need to say anything about their grilling skills, and honestly, sometimes having someone grill for you can feel awkward, but they were so bright and kind that the meal felt good too.

Beef, beef, beef>< Sirloin first~~ I think the moment I took a bite I said "Wow, this is beef" haha Wine, cheers!

Try myeongran-jeot (salted pollock roe) instead of salt

The myeongran-jeot (salted pollock roe) served at Matbaegogi is good on its own, and it goes really well with the beef too, as a replacement for salt!

The top blade was yummy too, every bite was moving, haha (crying). Last, the rib meat! The fat content goes sirloin, top blade, rib meat, and since I prefer fatty meat, it was tasty in exactly that order. But all of it was amazing.

Is Matbaegogi in Sinnonhyeon good value for money?

Considering the atmosphere and taste in Gangnam, plus free corkage, free room charge, the grilling service, the banchan and more, I think Matbaegogi has nothing to fault on either value for money or satisfaction. Seriously recommended!!!!