Sukiyaki restaurant in Magok, Seoul: movie-date dinner at Okso Ban

Why we picked sukiyaki after a movie date in Magok

Okso Ban Magok Main Branch (옥소반 마곡본점) is a sukiyaki restaurant that everyone in Magok seems to be talking about. Last weekend my husband and I finally had a movie date after a long time, and we headed there for dinner. With the kids getting older, a day when the two of us can see a movie together actually does come around, haha.

After the movie, we were wondering what to have for dinner, and I remembered that my husband had never tried sukiyaki and had always been curious what it tastes like.

So I looked for a nice sukiyaki place with good food near Magok and found the much-talked-about Okso Ban Magok Main Branch.

Is Okso Ban Magok a good place for a date?

Even though it is a big restaurant, Okso Ban Magok Main Branch feels cozy and private. A glittering chandelier greets you the moment you walk in, and the spacious interior felt pleasant and pretty.

Maybe because the layout and table placement are so well done, it felt really private and snug despite the size. It is a perfect spot in Magok for a quiet conversation, whether with a group or on a date!

Sukiyaki dinner set: how to choose your beef cut

At Okso Ban Magok Main Branch, you can choose the beef cut for the sukiyaki dinner set to suit your taste. I came to show my husband what sukiyaki is like, so I ordered the dinner set without hesitation.

One of the things I liked was that you can pick the beef cut to match your taste!!

I like a clean, mild flavor, so I chose jeongak (a lean cut), while my husband likes a tender texture, so he chose chuck flap (salchi-sal). We ordered them mixed.

Side dishes and cherry tomato marinade

After we ordered, the staff neatly set out the side dishes, and the cherry tomato marinade that comes as standard was a sweet and tangy treat.

The cherry tomato marinade did a great job of waking up our appetites before the meal!

How does the sukiyaki at Okso Ban taste?

The sukiyaki at Okso Ban Magok Main Branch is charming for its rich, savory, slightly salty flavor that fills your mouth. Butter is melted in a heated pan, vegetables and ingredients go on top, and everything is cooked in the house soy sauce and broth.

They melted a little butter in the heated pan, then piled on fresh vegetables and all sorts of ingredients. Then they poured in Okso Ban's special soy sauce and broth until it was just barely covered and started cooking.

The smell of it bubbling away was a work of art already!! When we tried the well-cooked beef and vegetables, the sukiyaki had turned out salty and full of umami.

We beat a raw egg and dipped the beef and vegetables in it, which added a smooth, nutty richness, and my husband fell for sukiyaki on his very first try.

Unlimited vegetables with the dinner set

On top of that, the dinner set at Okso Ban Magok Main Branch comes with unlimited fresh vegetables, so we refilled several times and really feasted along with the beef~!!

Finishing meal: udon or kimchi fried rice?

After the sukiyaki, Okso Ban Magok Main Branch lets you choose either udon or kimchi fried rice as a finishing meal. We went with the Korean golden rule: kimchi fried rice!!

The noodles were tempting, but kimchi fried rice is the golden rule for Koreans, right, haha. We ordered it without hesitation!!

A staff member fried it for us right at the table, so we could just watch comfortably and eat the finished fried rice.

Even when you're already full, you end up finishing the spicy kimchi fried rice.

For a last treat they thoughtfully brought cool, refreshing hongcho (a sweet-sour vinegar drink), which left my mouth feeling clean and fresh. From start to finish, it was a really satisfying course~

Parking and opening hours at Okso Ban Magok

Okso Ban Magok Main Branch helps with parking registration if you come by car. We drove, and the staff kindly helped us register, so it was convenient.

• Hours: daily 11:00–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Address: 45 Magokjungang 6-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (1st floor, Units 123 and 124)

If you're looking for a place in Magok with a clean, private atmosphere and perfect food, how about a sukiyaki date at Okso Ban Magok Main Branch this weekend? Great flavor and atmosphere, and I highly recommend it as a Magok date course!!