Gangneung beef restaurant, charcoal woo-dae galbi for two: Chodang Uga

A spontaneous trip to Gangneung 🩵 We stopped by Gangneung Hanwoo Chodang Uga and had a happy dinner thanks to some seriously delicious woo-dae galbi (premium short ribs). Let's go!

Where is Chodang Uga in Gangneung, and what are the hours and parking?

Chodang Uga is a large restaurant seating 150 people, located right behind St. John's Hotel in Gangneung, a 5-minute walk from Gangmun Beach. The signboard alone screams good food~ We'd been playing at Gangmun Beach and stopped by for dinner.

• Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 11:00–21:30 (break 15:00–17:00)
• Closed every Tuesday
• Private parking lot in front of the restaurant
• Naver Reservations available
• Corkage allowed
• Dog-friendly

Since it's in a cluster of restaurants, the parking lot is huge. No worries about parking here.

Chodang Uga is a pet-friendly restaurant — they run separate seating for pets and regular guests, and apparently have handmade treats, pet pads, and even strollers ready. Just be sure to follow the house rules!

We came on a weekday without a reservation. But there were quite a few group parties, so I'd say book ahead on weekends or during peak season!

Tables, private rooms and high chairs at Chodang Uga

The tables at Chodang Uga are huge and spaced far apart, so you can eat in real comfort. With 6 private rooms too, it's great for group gatherings and family meals!

High chairs are set up all over, of course.

The whole restaurant felt really clean, which made me trust the place.

Ordering woo-dae galbi for two

Chodang Uga serves top-grade hanwoo (Korean beef) and hanpork — perfect for a family dinner on a special occasion!! The meal menu and lunch specials looked pretty good too. We ordered two servings of woo-dae galbi!

Side dishes and Chodang sundubu (soft tofu) delivered by serving robot

The smart serving robot brought out all the side dishes~! Everything looked neat and delicious. The japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) and salad were especially good!!

We also got to try Chodang sundubu (soft tofu stew), which was nice haha. So silky~

If you order draft beer, it gets brought over from the pub right next door. We'd worked up a sweat at Muscle Beach on Gangmun Beach before coming, so my sister said the draft beer tasted absolutely amazing 🤤

What cut is Chodang Uga's woo-dae galbi?

Then the woo-dae galbi arrived! Chodang Uga's woo-dae galbi apparently uses the 6th–8th rib flower short rib cut from American black cattle.

It's not hanwoo, but look at that color — it's insane! The marbling is a work of art 🤍 The portion looked generous too haha.

Grilling the short ribs over charcoal: how to manage the heat

Blazing charcoal comes out, and after a short wait, they put the meat on. Just so you know, the grill doesn't have adjustable heat control.

There's no system where staff grill it for you at first, so my sister started grilling it herself — the heat is really intense, so I'd recommend grilling quickly!

There are pre-cut slits along the rib, so it separates easily with a quick snip. The scissors cut really well too, which was satisfying ^^

The woo-dae galbi sizzling and cooking away so deliciously 🧡🧡 They put king oyster mushrooms and onion on the grill too~

Watch out — when the fat drips, the flames flare right up! For the second round, a staff member grilled it for us, and even though woo-dae galbi is apparently pretty tricky to grill, my sister got praised for how well she'd done haha.

The ribs cooking up nicely, cut into cube shapes 🎵

They also brought out a stone plate to rest the meat on, and we happily dug in haha.

It melts in your mouth even plain — and it's also great dipped lightly in salt, or eaten together with the mushrooms and onions..♥

The self-serve bar and the second rack grilled by staff

Oh, and Chodang Uga has a self-serve corner, so you can freely grab anything you're missing. The lettuce wraps were really varied and fresh, which I loved.

A staff member who's apparently amazing at grilling woo-dae galbi grilled the second rack for us..!! And honestly, they grilled it like an art form!!!

Not a single burnt spot — tender, juicy, and moist through and through, cooked to perfection haha.

What a gorgeous sight…♥ Chopsticks moving faster and faster…♥ Can you see that juice!! No need to go all the way to Montan — this right here is a woo-dae galbi hotspot 😘

We wrapped it up neatly in fresh lettuce, and the chewy meat still clinging to the bone was so tasty too!

The woo-dae galbi vanished without a trace.. the rib bone picked completely clean, ha.

On the way out, a post-meal coffee and a good stretch~! We ate so well❤️

Honest verdict on dinner at Chodang Uga

🍀 First off, Chodang Uga is spacious, so it felt comfortable and pleasant, and all the staff were so kind that we felt good the whole meal. The woo-dae galbi portion was generous and the quality was great — super juicy and melted away in the mouth, truly delicious.

My sister and I ate until we were fully, happily stuffed, making for a happy Gangneung trip❤️ If you're around Gangmun Beach, definitely stop by!