Mapo Korean beef omakase in private rooms: Usu

Is this a good private-room restaurant for a quiet meal with parents?

I visited Usu (우수) in Gongdeok for dinner with my parents. Every seat was in a private room, so we could eat and talk quietly. The modern interior, softened with plants, also felt relaxing.

I was told there is a 30-seat group room and high chairs. Having eaten there, I thought it would suit occasions where conversation matters, such as family gatherings or formal family meetings, as well as anniversary meals and business gatherings.

How do you get there from Gongdeok Station, and is parking available?

I took the subway. The building is connected to Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station, which made it easy to find, and the restaurant was on the second basement level of the Lotte Castle President commercial building.

At the time of my visit, the posted hours were daily from 11:00 to 22:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00. It was stated to be open year-round and to accept reservations, while the commercial building parking lot offered three free hours with no stated vehicle limit.

How much are the lunch and dinner courses?

The menu was divided into lunch and dinner, with prices and dishes varying by course and Korean beef portion. These are the prices recorded in the original post at the time of my visit.

• Lunch A: ₩39,000, no grilled Korean beef
• Lunch B: 80g ₩59,000 / 110g ₩69,000 / 140g ₩79,000
• Lunch C: 80g ₩79,000 / 110g ₩89,000 / 140g ₩99,000
• Lunch Signature: 110g ₩99,000 / 140g ₩109,000

• Dinner A: 90g ₩99,000 / 120g ₩109,000 / 150g ₩119,000
• Dinner B: 90g ₩109,000 / 120g ₩119,000 / 150g ₩129,000
• Dinner C: 130g ₩139,000 / 160g ₩149,000
• Dinner Premium: chef's choice 140g ₩179,000 / shrimp cut 140g ₩189,000

The drinks included highballs, Champagne, wine, beer, and soju. It was stated that corkage is free, a professional sommelier is on site, and wine pairing is available.

How does the Dinner B course begin?

We ordered the ₩109,000 Dinner B course, which included 90g of Korean beef. Barley tea arrived before the meal, and a staff member showed us and explained the ingredients to be used that day. Even before the dishes arrived, it felt like we were being well looked after.

The first dish was “u, gye jinjuk,” a porridge made from rich beef and chicken stock. It combined Korean beef bone and chicken broth with nurungji (scorched rice), green onion crust, shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, and white wood ear mushrooms, making familiar ingredients feel different.

Next came three bite-sized dishes: a bulgogi sandwich, scallop and clam, and sweet shrimp with gimbugak (fried seaweed crisp). They were not heavily seasoned, which made them easy to eat at the start of the meal.

The bulgogi sandwich paired brioche with Korean beef bulgogi, mushroom duxelles, and truffle cream cheese. The scallop and clam dish had grilled scallop, clam cream sauce, apple, and onion in brik pastry. The sweet shrimp and gimbugak combined roasted seaweed spread with pollock roe, fried abalone innards rice, sweet shrimp, and yuzu sauce; all three felt well balanced.

What do the dishes before the grilled Korean beef taste like?

The shiitake shrimp and zucchini dish included tofu, aged kimchi, golden enoki mushrooms, peanut tofu sauce, and chamnamul oil. It was nutty and refreshing, with a pleasing bite from the shrimp and zucchini.

I wrapped Korean beef yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) with gamtae (sweet seaweed), along with house-made aioli, fried nurungji, chorogi pickles, and cured egg. The soft raw beef contrasted with the crisp scorched rice.

The Jeju tilefish served at dinner came with barley and chamnamul rice, mullet roe, and a neungi mushroom broth. Breaking apart the tender fish and spooning it with the broth gave it a savory, deep flavor. My mother also liked it, saying it suited Korean fine dining well.

The Korean beef tteokgalbi (grilled minced beef patty) came with crushed pistachios, celeriac purée, shiitake duxelles, white balsamic sauce, and basil oil. The patty was tender and went well with the purée.

The abalone five-color gardenia noodles came with shredded radish in black sesame, bracken fern, shiitake mushrooms, seasoned chamnamul, perilla leaf, and abalone. Gamtae dressing and mustard-garlic sauce made it refreshing and clean, and I liked the combination of springy abalone and assorted greens.

Before the grilled Korean beef, I could try seafood and vegetables prepared in several ways. Each dish had different sauces and textures, so I noticed the differences as I ate.

How were the individual-brazier Korean beef and bapsang?

For the main course, we had 1++ grade Korean beef and a bapsang (Korean set meal) with beef miyeokguk (seaweed soup). We grilled the beef ourselves over individual braziers, to our preferred doneness.

The marbling of the beef stood out. I ate it with kimchi, namul, and salt, and the individual brazier kept it warm through the end.

We grilled vegetables alongside it. The Korean beef was tender rather than chewy, and I also liked it with wasabi. The accompanying beef seaweed soup had a deep flavor.

How were dessert and the end of the meal?

Dessert combined corn ice cream with corn cream cheese, apricot, corn crumble, sponge cake, and green tangerine cream sauce. The sweetness of the corn worked well with the freshness of the green tangerine and stayed in my memory. We finished the meal with jasmine tea.

What I especially liked about this meal with my parents was the varied use of ingredients throughout the course and the quiet private room. I was also satisfied that we could keep the Korean beef warm on individual braziers. I would like to return when I need a place for a family meal with conversation.