Korean BBQ date night with makgeolli near Mapo Station: Mapo Mokjang

Hi, I'm Jarim! Today I'm bringing you a review of Mapo Mokjang, a great spot near Mapo Station when you're craving beef!!

This place has been running in Mapo for a long time and has a lot of true regulars! Grilled over charcoal for great aroma, the meat is soft and delicious, and the portions are generous, so it's great for dates, gatherings, or work dinners.

Where is Mapo Mokjang, and what are its hours?

Mapo Mokjang is a 3-minute walk from Exit 3 of Mapo Station, open 17:00 - 22:00, closed every Sunday. The accessibility was great, so it was easy for us as a car-free couple to get there.

Located in a food alley, Mapo Mokjang near Mapo Station is perfect for group dinners and gatherings.

The interior has a cozy vibe that makes the drinks go down smoothly!! There were a lot of customers — whenever I see a place this busy, I get so excited about how good it'll be, hehe.

What two people ordered at Mapo Mokjang, and what it cost

On the Mapo Mokjang menu, hwangje galbisal comes raw or marinated, sold by the gram, and there's also a Korean beef yukhoe (raw beef) set. As two people, we ordered hwangje galbisal 450g (marinated) for ₩50,000, two bowls of rice at ₩1,000 each, and Jangsu makgeolli (rice wine) for ₩5,000!

The side dishes come out clean and neat, no fuss — cabbage salad, onion soy sauce, scallion salad, garlic, ssamjang, and salt! The scallion salad especially has bean sprouts in it, which tastes even better eaten together!

Above all, the portion was really generous!! We were so full eating it as two people, so happy, hehe. The marinade wasn't too strong either, so we could really taste the beef's natural flavor — so good!

How the charcoal-grilled marinated hwangje galbisal tastes

Mapo Mokjang's hwangje galbisal is grilled to pick up that charcoal aroma. The garlic even comes out on its own little plate, which you just place straight on the grill. Mapo Mokjang near Mapo Station is a great spot to visit whenever you're craving beef.

Eating a well-grilled piece of beef rib with white rice, hehe — the meat is really tender and juicy, ㅠㅠ. It melts in your mouth. And with that savory marinade on top~!! It had been a while since I had such delicious beef. And a glass of Jangsu makgeolli washed away a whole week's worth of fatigue — pure happiness, haha.

The free kimchi stew that comes with every table

At Mapo Mokjang, kimchi stew comes out for free — can you believe it. It's really generous and spicy, and pairs perfectly with the beef! Add a spoonful of rice into it too, and it's spicy-hot goodness — great!! There's quite a lot of tofu and kimchi in it too.

Looking at these photos makes me want to go eat there again, haha. They really use good, tasty meat! You'll understand once you try it. In fact, when we visited, there were a lot of tables having gatherings and work dinners! We went for a dinner date.

Is 450g enough for two, and how to eat it

Mapo Mokjang's beef is delicious just on its own, so eating it plain is the best!! But adding scallion shreds, onion soy sauce, and other sides gives it a fresh, refreshing twist, and wrapping it in lettuce works great too~! Enjoy it in different ways, hehe.

And here's the reason I said the portion was generous — usually by this point you'd be done, but there was still meat left!! I was really so happy at that moment, hahaha. I was pretty hungry that day, and I left really full and satisfied, haha.

Mapo Mokjang, a place I recommend near Mapo Station whenever you're craving beef. I get why it has so many regulars. Visit once and you'll be booking again right away. My boyfriend and I both ate so well >.< If you're looking for a spot for work dinners, gatherings, dates, or group meals, definitely check it out!