Jamsil Korean BBQ reunion, snowflake beef platter: Sutbul Seonghwa

Last weekend I visited Sutbul Seonghwa (숯불성화), a Jamsil-area beef place. The atmosphere is lovely, so I'd recommend it for a blind date in Songnidan-gil or a date in Jamsil, and the interior is classy enough to work for a meeting with a partner's parents too. For anyone who hasn't been yet or is hunting for reviews, here's my honest review :)

Where is Sutbul Seonghwa, and is there parking?

Sutbul Seonghwa is at 17 Songpa-daero 48-gil, 1st floor, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Parking is available, and valet (₩3,000) runs from 17:00 to 22:00. It's close to Seokchon Lake, so it fits a Songnidan-gil date or blind date course nicely.

This is the exterior, with red lighting as the main decor, which suits the name. Empty wine bottles and liquor bottles displayed out front catch your eye.

Sutbul Seonghwa interior, atmosphere and private rooms

The inside feels upscale, like a proper Jamsil restaurant that happens to serve beef. There are also rooms at the back of the hall, so it suits a Jamsil meeting with a partner's family or a company dinner. It's quiet and private.

Sutbul Seonghwa menu and prices

The main menu is three 400g platters. We had the Seonghwa platter.

• Seonghwa platter 400g, ₩88,900: snowflake beef + cubed flower rib + wine-marinated rib fingers
• Happy Day platter 400g, ₩128,900: premium sirloin + striploin + wine-marinated rib fingers
• Special Day platter 400g, ₩158,900: shrimp-cut beef + premium sirloin + striploin

Fitting for a neat Jamsil beef restaurant, they also sell wine, whisky and champagne, so you can order to suit the occasion and treat yourself to a change of pace after a long time, haha.

Will the Korean BBQ smell stick to your clothes?

There's an extraction vent right above the charcoal, so the meat smell doesn't cling to your clothes and the meal stays comfortable. It's a barbecue place that doesn't smell like one.

Side dishes: icy radish salad

The side dishes are fairly simple, but one stood out: an icy radish salad (살얼음 무생채). The savory seasoned radish was as refreshing as a slushy water kimchi, which made it even tastier. There were also myeongina (wild chive) pickles and pickled onions, crowd-pleasers nobody will dislike.

Does Sutbul Seonghwa grill the meat for you?

A staff member comes and grills the first meat, and after that you can choose whether they keep grilling for you. They started with the snowflake beef, and the fire is so strong that it cooked quickly.

The nicely grilled marbled chuck flap went onto our plate. The charcoal is so powerful that it burns easily, but they grilled it well. I dipped my first bite lightly in salt, and it tasted clean.

After that careful first round, they asked whether they should keep grilling the rest. We hadn't seen each other in a while and wanted to chat over the meal, so we politely declined. You can get the service when you need it, so it's a comfortable place to eat.

Beef doenjang stew and buttered button mushrooms

We also ordered the doenjang (fermented soybean paste) stew. It has beef in it, so the broth was even richer. With tofu and vegetables and a slight spiciness, it paired well with beef that can get a little greasy.

These are the button mushrooms that came with the meat. There's butter inside, so when they cook well the butter melts and makes the mushrooms even nuttier, haha.

Seonghwa platter cut by cut: cubed flower rib and wine-marinated rib fingers

Next was the cubed beef. Personally I liked the snowflake beef better. The fire is so strong that it sticks to the grill, and grilling it was a little tough, haha.

Then the wine-marinated rib fingers. Mmm, it tasted like marinated beef short rib! Slightly sweet meat, and because it's marinated it burns the grill a lot, so I recommend eating it last.

My personal favorite was the snowflake beef, and next time I'd like to order it on its own. The shrimp-cut beef looked tasty too.

Sutbul Seonghwa verdict: a Jamsil Korean BBQ for dates

As expected, the beef was delicious. It was a nice touch that you get Excellent brand ice cream as dessert after eating, and the staff member who grilled the meat was kind. The atmosphere is great and being able to have beef with wine and whisky made it even better. If you're looking for a beef place after a Seokchon Lake date, or a Jamsil restaurant for an anniversary, consider Sutbul Seonghwa.