Gongdeok Seoul Korean BBQ lunch with a Jim Beam highball: Usu

Usu, right in front of Gongdeok Station — I used to walk past it every day after work! I'd always wanted to try this course restaurant with its private rooms, and this time I finally got to go with my mom. Bottom line: mom was super happy!

Where is Usu, and is parking free? Gongdeok Station exit 2, 3 hours free

It's at 109 Mapodae-ro, B2, Lotte Castle President Complex, Mapo-gu, Seoul — right in front of Gongdeok Station exit 2.

• 🕖 Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00 (open year-round)
• 🚗 Parking: 3 hours free parking in the building (no limit on cars, spacious and comfortable)

It's on B2 of the Lotte Castle President building, right in front of Gongdeok Station exit 2. Come out of exit 2 and the building is right there! Head inside, take the escalator down to B2, and you'll find Usu. Also, 3 hours of free parking in the underground lot!

All-private rooms at Usu, with the feel of an upscale hanjeongsik (Korean set-course) restaurant

Arrived at Usu~~ Walking inside, it had an even cleaner, more upscale hanjeongsik feel than I expected!

The soft lighting gave it a calm mood, great for a quiet meal, and since every seat at Usu is a private room, mom and I could talk comfortably while eating!

Since it's a private room where you can talk freely, it seems like a great spot for family meals, meeting the in-laws, or special occasions.

We were shown to room 2! Each room had a coat hanger and a baby chair haha.

'Usu' refers to the time when snow melts into rain and life begins to sprout in the thawing ground.

You can also order this anniversary hanwoo cake for special occasions, and there's a separate kids' menu too, so it seems like a good spot to visit with children.

Usu is a rare corkage-free restaurant in Gongdeok

Usu is a corkage-free restaurant! Corkage-free spots are rare in Gongdeok, haha. Any alcohol except what the restaurant sells can be brought in, and one glass is provided per person!

What comes with the Lunch C course 80g at 79,000 won?

Here's the Usu menu! It ranges from à la carte to lunch and dinner course meals. We ordered the Lunch C course 80g! It's 79,000 won per person.

• Ox bone-chicken porridge (u-gye jinjuk)
• Three bite-sized dishes
• Shiitake mushroom shrimp and zucchini
• Abalone five-color gardenia noodles
• 1++ hanwoo grilled on a personal charcoal grill
• Seasonal fish pot rice
• Banchan (side dishes) spread
• Dessert

They started us off with nutty barley tea!

Before the course begins, they show you a display box first! Wow.. I actually thought this was real food this whole time, haha. Only while reviewing photos for this post did I realize it was a model.. hahaha.

First course: ox-and-chicken porridge (u-gye jinjuk)

The bowl is so pretty.. haha. U-gye jinjuk is porridge made with a hanwoo bone and chicken stock base! Neat and pretty.. From the very first spoonful you could taste the deep flavor of the broth!

On top were scorched rice crust, green onion crust, shiitake mushroom, asparagus, and white jelly mushroom, giving it great texture! The seasoning wasn't too heavy either, so it was a comfortable first dish.

We also ordered a Jim Beam highball (9,000 won), and sipping it between bites as a palate cleanser was refreshing and nice haha.

Three bite-sized dishes: hanwoo bulgogi, scallop with clam, lobster

Next up, the three bite-sized dishes! Mom loved how pretty they looked haha. Each one was fun to try since they're all one-bite portions with different flavors and textures.

First was scallop and clam. Inside a crispy brick pastry was a grilled scallop with clam cream sauce. The nutty sauce paired so well with the tender scallop. Bits of apple and onion kept it from feeling heavy, which was nice.

Second was the hanwoo bulgogi sandwich. Between brioche buns were hanwoo bulgogi and mushrooms — small in size but packed with flavor. The truffle aroma was so~ good, and the umami of the hanwoo bulgogi was great too.

Third was sweet shrimp and gim bugak (crispy fried seaweed). This was my personal favorite of the three! On top of grilled seaweed brushed with pollack roe were fried abalone-innard rice and sweet shrimp. The crispy texture was so good, and the sauce was so~ delicious. Totally my style. I said it was too pretty to eat, then ate every last bit haha.

Shiitake mushroom with shrimp and zucchini

Next came shiitake mushroom shrimp and zucchini. Mom said this dish left the biggest impression! Especially that peanut-tofu sauce — the kicker! So nutty and delicious that I scooped up every bit with a spoon.

Inside the shiitake mushroom was plump shrimp meat. The shiitake was so delicious I asked, and they said they use A-grade shiitake mushrooms. The more you chew, the more meaty umami comes through — I don't normally like shiitake, but I ate it all!

Inside the zucchini was tofu and golden enoki mushroom, with bits of aged kimchi mixed in for great texture. Overall it was light while still letting the natural flavor of the ingredients shine through.

Abalone with five-color gardenia noodles

Next, abalone five-color gardenia noodles! Over yellow gardenia noodles, abalone and various namul (seasoned vegetables) were piled generously — colorful and pretty from the start. Black sesame radish, chamnamul, and perilla leaves added fragrance and a crunchy texture here and there. The abalone was also super tender and fresh.

You mix all the ingredients together~ the noodles were chewy yet soft, and the sauce with gamtae (seaweed) dressing and mustard-garlic was seasoned just right, not too salty. It was nice how it cleanly reset your palate midway through the course.

Main course: 1++ hanwoo on a personal charcoal grill with a sea bream pot rice spread

Before the banchan spread comes out, they first show you the sea bream pot rice, then portion it out per person.

The visuals though.. insane..

The main event! 1++ hanwoo grill and sea bream pot rice spread. The quality of the 1++ hanwoo is insane.. It comes lightly seared on the outside only, so you grill it to your preferred doneness on the charcoal grill yourself!

Every single side dish was delicious, and refills are available. Seaweed soup came alongside too, and the seaweed was so tender it slid right down.. The broth had a light yet deep flavor, and the hanwoo inside it was so tender too!

They put the hanwoo on the grill for you~ and add the garnishes — zucchini, bell pepper, and king oyster mushroom — on top too!

Ahh.. the first bite I tried with fresh wasabi on top. True to 1++ hanwoo, it was so tender, and the more you chewed, the more nutty juiciness came through..!

Next I tried it with the sea bream pot rice. Eating it together with the sea bream meat in the pot rice really brought out the umami. The rice itself was seriously delicious too.. nutty and chewy even on its own. And the portion was huge — I almost burst..!

Dessert at Usu: corn ice cream

Dessert was corn ice cream. The subtle corn aroma was so nice, and eating it with the crumble underneath added great texture and made it even more delicious.

The combo of the refreshing green tangerine cream sauce and the nutty corn ice cream was so good! The restroom was also inside the building — clean and pleasant!

Usu in Gongdeok: the one-line verdict

Usu in Gongdeok! The overall course was well-composed and every dish felt made with care — mom loved it a lot! Since every seat is a private room, it was quiet and comfortable, and being corkage-free means it's great to bring nice alcohol for anniversaries! Also, the staff explained each dish in detail as it came out, which I appreciated. Open year-round with group seating available too, so it seems like a great spot for family gatherings or bringing your parents.