Date-night Korean BBQ in Euljiro: 1++ hanwoo striploin at Neoaehanu

I was craving really good hanwoo (Korean beef) the other day, so I went to Neoaehanu, a hanwoo spot in Euljiro. The staff grilled the 1++ beef for us from start to finish, so the meal was wonderfully easy, and there are private rooms too, so it seemed perfect for a date or a team dinner in Euljiro. From 2-plus ("tuppeul") brisket to striploin and rib finger meat, here's my honest review of the whole meal.

Where is Neoaehanu, and what are the hours?

Neoaehanu is at 8 Euljiro 9-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd floor, and it's super convenient: about a 2-minute walk from Exit 1 of Euljiro 3-ga Station (Lines 2 and 3). Go straight from the exit and turn into the first alley, and you'll find Bongsan Building with a GS25 convenience store on the ground floor. It wasn't hard to find.

• Mon–Fri 11:00–21:50 (break time 15:00–17:00, last order 21:00)
• Saturday 12:00–21:00 (last order 20:10)
• Closed every Sunday
• Groups welcome, reservations possible, no parking, Wi-Fi, high chairs, mobile payment

Neoaehanu's atmosphere and seating: good for a date?

The interior is done in deep wood tones, clean yet upscale. There are private rooms too, so it would suit an office dinner in Euljiro or an important guest.

It was lunchtime when I visited and the room was in use, but it was empty when we left, so I quickly took a photo. You can tell at a glance how classy it is, right? 😊

What I especially liked: even outside the rooms, the seats are separated like booths, so the meal feels more private and the next table doesn't bother you much. The window seats even have a view of Euljiro, so the mood was great and perfect for a date.

There are regular tables as well as rooms, so it looked comfortable for a casual lunch too.

Neoaehanu menu and prices

Lunch

• Neoaehanu lunch set ₩39,000 — 240g (striploin + rib finger meat + brisket) plus a meal (doenjang rice or kkakdugi fried rice)
• Hanwoo doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) set ₩20,000
• Hanwoo yukgaejang (spicy beef soup) set ₩20,000
• Hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap (beef tartare rice bowl) set ₩22,000 (lunchbox orders possible, reserve 2 days ahead, 5 or more)
• Hanwoo braised short rib (galbijjim) set ₩28,000 (lunchbox orders possible, reserve 2 days ahead, 5 or more)

Beef

• Neoaehanu set (150g, from 2 people) ₩49,000 — 1++ striploin, 1++ rib finger meat, 1++ brisket
• 2+ hanwoo ribeye (150g) ₩55,000
• 2+ hanwoo striploin (150g) ₩55,000
• 2+ hanwoo rib finger meat (150g) ₩55,000
• 2+ hanwoo chuck flap tail (salchi-sal, 150g) ₩65,000
• 2+ hanwoo brisket (150g) ₩35,000
• 2+ hanwoo whole outside skirt (600g) ₩300,000

Sets, extras, à la carte and meals

• Neoaehanu Special A ₩148,000 — Neoaehanu set for 2 + hanwoo yukhoe + a meal + dessert
• Neoaehanu Special B ₩189,000 — Neoaehanu set for 2 + 1 bottle of house wine + hanwoo yukhoe + a meal + dessert
• Extra grilled vegetables ₩4,000 / pesticide-free salad ₩4,000
• Hanwoo yukhoe (180g) ₩35,000
• Finishing dishes: young radish cold noodles ₩13,000, hanwoo doenjang rice (1.5 servings) ₩15,000, hanwoo kkakdugi fried rice (1.5 servings) ₩15,000, hanwoo yukgaejang rice ₩15,000
• Meal sets: hanwoo doenjang jjigae set ₩22,000, hanwoo yukgaejang set ₩22,000, hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap set ₩25,000, hanwoo braised short rib set ₩32,000

They also have a good range of drinks, including wine and whisky, so it looked like a nice place to have a drink with your hanwoo.

Ordering the Neoaehanu set for two: which cuts come out?

I ordered the Neoaehanu set (150g, from 2 people) at ₩49,000 × 2. I wanted to try a bit of everything, and the set comes with 1++ striploin, 1++ rib finger meat and 1++ brisket.

Neoaehanu says it uses only top 1% 1++ grade beef and serves premium meat aged for 720 hours with the skill and know-how of its butchers (Neoaehanu Co., Ltd.), so I was even more excited before eating.

Before grilling, a variety of side dishes came out first, including salt, wasabi and pickled chili peppers that go well with hanwoo. Neoaehanu says the sauces and ingredients in the side dishes are all domestic and mostly made in-house rather than store-bought, which made me trust it even more.

Before the meat goes on, the staff oil the griddle using herbs, and the herb scent that spreads softly was so lovely that my expectations were already rising before any beef was grilled.

2+ brisket with salt and chive salad

The first thing grilled at Neoaehanu was the 2+ brisket. The staff grill the hanwoo for you from start to finish, quickly and cooked to just the right doneness. A pro's touch really is different, haha.

The thickly sliced brisket had a strong, nutty richness, and the juices burst out as I chewed. So good.

The staff recommended dipping it in salt first, so I did, and it brought out the brisket's nutty flavor and let me taste the true beef.

It also went really well with Neoaehanu's house-made chive salad, which adds a crisp texture. Personally, I hope you try this combo too!

The best of the three cuts: 2+ striploin

Next up was the 2+ striploin.

The marbling is a work of art, isn't it? 🤤

Personally, the striploin was the best of the three cuts I had that day!

You still get hanwoo's clean, mild beefy flavor, but the texture is really tender. The more I chewed, the more juices spread, and it honestly melted in my mouth. With the pickled chili peppers, the clean flavor stayed while the richness was cut just right, a great combination.

Chewy 2+ rib finger meat with wasabi

The last cut grilled was the 2+ rib finger meat.

After grilling the meat at its best moment, the staff put it on the warming area of the grill so we could eat at our own pace. Thanks to that, it stayed warm to the very end.

The chewy texture of the rib finger meat was really appealing.

With a little wasabi on top, the rich beefy flavor came through even more, with a clean finish. It paired really well.

You also get a variety of garnishes that go well with hanwoo, like mushrooms, potatoes, garlic and green onions, which made the meal even more generous and satisfying.

Finishing with hanwoo kkakdugi fried rice and young radish cold noodles

The hanwoo kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) fried rice (1.5 servings) is ₩15,000. Ending here would be such a pity! I think I have a condition where I must have fried rice after meat... ㅇㅅㅇ So of course I ordered the hanwoo kkakdugi fried rice, haha.

The fried rice isn't stir-fried at your table; it's cooked in the kitchen and brought out. It was packed with hanwoo, so it looked satisfying from the start. It's clean rather than overly seasoned, and the nutty hanwoo and crunchy kkakdugi worked well together, perfect as a closing meal.

The young radish cold noodles (mul naengmyeon) are ₩13,000. Meat's other best friend is of course cold noodles~! Hehe. They're mild and subtle, so easy to enjoy, and the crunchy young radish kept them refreshing to the end. They wrap up the lingering meat flavor nicely, so I recommend them.

Final review of Neoaehanu

It was a day of finally eating proper hanwoo after a long time 🤤 Every cut was delicious, and having the staff grill it for us made it so easy to enjoy. The atmosphere was great too, so I'd recommend it for a date, team dinner or family gathering in Euljiro. If you're craving good hanwoo, give Neoaehanu a visit.