# Birthday hanwoo dinner with champagne and Polaroid service in Mapo - By Maru (https://superchart.com/en/@turnstile-city-walks/) - Written Sep 8, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after receiving a meal as an in-store sponsorship. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@turnstile-city-walks/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@turnstile-city-walks/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/index.md) ## In short Usu is a hanwoo (Korean beef) and hanjeongsik (Korean course meal) restaurant in Mapo, Seoul, with every table in a private room, located right at Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station. For a husband's birthday dinner, the writer had the Dinner B Course with 90g of hanwoo, plus complimentary champagne, a dried persimmon dessert, and a Polaroid photo. It's a spot well suited to a quiet, private celebration. ## Good to know - **Address**: 467 Gongdeok-dong, Lotte Castle President B2F, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - **Transit**: Right in front of Gongdeok Station Exit 2 - **Parking**: 3 hours free, no limit on number of vehicles - **Hours**: Open every day - **Features**: All seating in private rooms, group seating available, corkage-free - **Course eaten**: Dinner B Course (includes 90g of 1++ hanwoo sirloin) *as written by the visitor on Sep 8, 2026* For my husband's birthday, I wanted to put together a slightly more special evening than usual, so we went to Usu's Gongdeok location. On special days like birthdays or anniversaries, the food matters, but so does having a quiet space where you can focus on just the two of you. Usu Gongdeok is a Gongdeok room restaurant where every single seat is its own private room, so it worked perfectly as a birthday dinner spot. ![Interior of a private room at Usu Gongdeok](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-01-6vhef-900.webp) ## Right at Gongdeok Station Exit 2, with 3 hours of free parking If you're looking for a Gongdeok restaurant near the station where you can enjoy hanwoo and Korean food as a course, this one is worth noting. Usu Gongdeok is on B2 of the Lotte Castle President building, right at Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station. It's an easy walk from the subway, and there's also a large parking lot, so driving over isn't much of a hassle either. Parking is free for 3 hours with no limit on the number of vehicles, which is handy when several family members drive separately to meet up. It seemed like it would make choosing a venue easier for family gatherings with parents or for something like a formal meeting between families before a wedding. > Usu Gongdeok / Address｜467 Gongdeok-dong, Lotte Castle President B2F, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea / Transit｜Right at Gongdeok Station Exit 2 / Parking｜3 hours free, no limit on vehicles / Hours｜Open every day / Features｜All seating in private rooms, group seating available, corkage-free ## All-private-room seating, well suited to anniversaries Every seat is arranged as its own room, so we could enjoy the meal without worrying about other tables looking over. ![Independent room seating out of view of other tables](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-02-1irwc-900.webp) It was nice for slow conversation while celebrating my husband's birthday, and even during the course itself everything felt more relaxed. ![Room table set for a birthday dinner](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-03-iyh34-900.webp) The mood suited not just a couple's special Gongdeok date but also meals with parents, family birthdays, and anniversary dinners. There's plenty of group seating too, so it could be a good choice for anyone looking for a family-gathering restaurant or a Gongdeok work dinner spot. I especially liked that it's corkage-free, so you can bring wine you've prepared for a special occasion and enjoy it with the meal. ## What's in Usu Gongdeok's Dinner B Course What we had that day was the Dinner B Course, which includes 90g of hanwoo. It's a hanjeongsik course meal that moves from small bites through seafood and Korean dishes, to 1++ hanwoo grilled tableside and a rice-and-side spread, ending with dessert. ![Table setting before the Dinner B Course begins](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-04-oh4wd-900.webp) ![Display box holding the course's ingredients](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-05-1iixq-900.webp) Before the meal properly began, they first showed us the fresh ingredients that would be used in the course, arranged in a display box. Amid gently drifting dry ice smoke, the vivid red hanwoo appeared, and the dense marbling and glossy color already looked exceptional. Being able to see exactly what ingredients would become the dishes really raised our anticipation for the dinner course. Before the meal started, warm, toasty barley tea was served. Rather than focusing on just one ingredient, it was Seoul dining that reworked hanwoo, seafood, and seasonal ingredients in a modern way, so waiting for the next dish was part of the fun. ![Usu Gongdeok's wine menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-06-rwtdw-900.webp) ### Wine menu and corkage-free policy A separate wine menu was also on hand, good for looking over what to pair with the dinner course. It had a variety of wines that go well with hanwoo dishes, well suited to setting a birthday or anniversary mood. Not only can you order wine there, but since it's corkage-free, you can also bring a wine you already love or one you've prepared for the occasion — a real plus. ## Ugye jinjuk, a rich porridge simmered with hanwoo and chicken ![Ugye jinjuk, the first course](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-07-uzxf9-900.webp) The first dish was ugye jinjuk, whose name combines '牛' (u, beef) and '鷄' (gye, chicken). It's a porridge simmered richly with hanwoo bone broth and chicken stock. The smooth porridge had several textures layered in, making it an easy, unintimidating first course, and the warm broth felt gentle on the stomach. As a special event for birthday guests, they also brought out champagne. It was a thoughtful touch we hadn't expected, and my husband was delighted — we got to properly toast to the birthday mood with champagne. Enjoying a course meal and champagne together in a private room made it feel like more than an ordinary dinner — a birthday to remember. ## Four bite-sized dishes, a treat for the eyes and the palate The dinner course included four bite-sized dishes. Even though each was bite-sized, the ingredients and preparation differed for each, so it was fun examining and tasting them one by one. One bite used scallop and clam. It came with scallop and clam cream sauce, apple and onion, and gamtae (sea lettuce) powder. The contrast between the soft scallop and the crisp pastry stayed with me. A bulgogi sandwich, with hanwoo bulgogi, mushroom duxelles, and truffle cream cheese tucked between soft brioche. The flavor of the hanwoo bulgogi combined with the truffle aroma and the freshness of pickled apple, giving a taste that was familiar yet different. Sweet shrimp and fried gim (seaweed) chips. This dish paired grilled gim and fried abalone-innard rice with sweet shrimp, pollock roe, and yuzu sauce. The shrimp's sweetness combined with the savory flavor of the gim and abalone innards, and the yuzu sauce cleaned up the finish nicely. ![Sweet shrimp and fried gim bite-sized dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-08-uc9cd-900.webp) The fourth was a lobster taco. Sous-vide lobster and tomato were tucked into a tortilla made with squid ink and black sesame, topped with a smoky gochujang mayo sauce. Combining Korean ingredients with a taco made it fun to look at, on top of tasting great. ## Shiitake shrimp and zucchini Grade-A shiitake mushrooms and shrimp made up the shiitake shrimp dish, served together with a zucchini dish featuring tofu, aged kimchi, and golden enoki mushroom. ![A plate of shiitake shrimp and zucchini dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-09-pzovs-900.webp) It came with peanut tofu sauce and chamnamul (aster) oil, adding nuttiness and fragrance to the natural flavor of the ingredients. I was struck by how familiar Korean ingredients were expressed through such a delicate course-dining lens. ## Yukhoe gamtae ![Yukhoe gamtae with fried nurungji](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-10-13ab1-900.webp) ![Close-up of yukhoe gamtae with house-made aioli sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-11-27ec1-900.webp) The dinner course also included yukhoe gamtae (Korean beef tartare with sea lettuce) with house-made aioli and fried nurungji (crispy scorched rice). You could enjoy the soft yukhoe, the crunchy nurungji, and the aroma of the gamtae all at once, giving it rich texture. ## Tilefish and mesima mushroom broth The tilefish came with rice mixed with barley and chamnamul, along with mullet roe and mesima mushroom broth. The clean flavor of the tilefish combined with the texture of the barley rice and the deep aroma of the mesima mushroom, letting me savor the charm of Korean food in a quiet way. ## Tteokgalbi The tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) came with pistachio and celeriac purée, shiitake duxelles, white balsamic sauce, and basil oil. Enjoying the familiar tteokgalbi in such an unexpected presentation really showed the delicacy you'd expect from a Gongdeok hanwoo restaurant. ## Sea bream pot rice, in season The side spread included hanwoo seaweed soup along with seasonal sea bream pot rice. A staff member came and mixed the pot rice for us themselves, so the sea bream and rice were evenly combined and easy to eat. ![Seasonal sea bream pot rice mixed by a staff member](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-12-1w45y-900.webp) The clean flavor of the sea bream was gently absorbed into every grain of rice, and eating it with the warm hanwoo seaweed soup made for a filling yet clean final dish of the course. ## Abalone five-color gardenia noodles Over noodles tinted a lovely yellow with gardenia, perilla leaf and abalone were neatly arranged on top. It came with gamtae dressing and mustard-garlic sauce so you could adjust it to taste, and the color made it a pretty dish to photograph too. ## Main course: 1++ hanwoo grilled tableside with birthday seaweed soup spread ![Main course spread with 90g of 1++ hanwoo sirloin](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-13-121s0-900.webp) The main course consisted of 90g of 1++ hanwoo sirloin, a hanwoo seaweed soup spread, and pot rice with river clams and fish. ![Hanwoo sirloin on the tabletop grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-14-lvieo-900.webp) ![Hanwoo cooking on the individual tabletop grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-15-12n9d-900.webp) ![Grilled hanwoo with side vegetables](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-16-9vzrb-900.webp) Watching the hanwoo cook to a beautiful color on the tabletop grill naturally raised our anticipation for the main course. ![1++ hanwoo sirloin cooked to the right doneness](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-17-rxaz0-1200.webp) The hanwoo sirloin let us enjoy both its savory meaty aroma and tender texture, and the warm side spread that came in the later part of the course was satisfying too. ![Side spread including hanwoo seaweed soup](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-18-7w3lk-900.webp) What meant the most was that, since it was my husband's birthday dinner, having hanwoo seaweed soup served alongside felt especially meaningful. It felt like receiving both a sophisticated course meal and a thoughtfully prepared birthday table, which suited this dinner perfectly. The vegetables served with the hanwoo were also grilled one by one on our individual tabletop grill. Since we grilled the hanwoo and vegetables ourselves to our preferred doneness, there was a small, ongoing bit of fun throughout the meal. ![Vegetables grilled on the tabletop grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-19-12cyz-900.webp) ![Individual tabletop grill for cooking hanwoo and vegetables](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-20-14qcf-900.webp) Slowly grilling the food while chatting with my husband gave a different kind of enjoyment than a typical course meal, and being able to eat everything hot right off the grill was an added plus. ## Finishing with a corn dessert Dessert was a corn ice cream presentation. ![Corn ice cream dessert](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-21-rngn3-900.webp) The sweet, nutty flavor of the corn combined with the freshness of apricot and cheonggyul (green citrus), giving a clean finish to the long course. ![Dessert plate with apricot and green citrus](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-22-9xnrg-900.webp) After the course dessert, a fragrant sujeonggwa (cinnamon-persimmon punch) came out to cleanse the palate. When I mentioned it was a birthday visit, they even brought out a dried persimmon dessert on the house, which made it feel extra special. ![Dried persimmon and sujeonggwa served as a birthday treat](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-23-l06zj-900.webp) The sweet, chewy dried persimmon paired well with the gently spiced sujeonggwa, letting us enjoy the meal happily right up to the very end. ### Birthday service that even includes a Polaroid photo To help us remember the occasion, they even took a Polaroid photo of us. Beyond the delicious food, the thoughtful touch of capturing our moment together in a photo was genuinely touching. With the champagne, the birthday dessert, and the Polaroid all taken care of, my husband's birthday became an even more memorable day. ## A Gongdeok restaurant worth returning to for special occasions ![Table at the end of the birthday dinner course at Usu Gongdeok](https://img.superchart.com/images/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne-24-flvj2-900.webp) Visiting Usu Gongdeok to celebrate my husband's birthday was satisfying, since we could enjoy hanwoo and a range of Korean dishes as a course in a private space. It's a place well suited to everything from a quiet Gongdeok date or anniversary dinner to a family gathering with parents or a formal, dignified meeting between families. If you're looking for a good-atmosphere restaurant to properly enjoy Gongdeok beef or Gongdeok Station hanwoo, I'd recommend Usu Gongdeok. Since the private rooms make it easy to focus on conversation, it's also worth considering for anyone searching for a Seoul restaurant for a formal family meeting or a family-gathering spot. ## Where it is - Usu (우수) - 467 Gongdeok-dong, Lotte Castle President B2F, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 마포구 마포대로 109 롯데캐슬프레지던트 상가 지하2층 201호 - 37.5446186, 126.9503453 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%9A%B0%EC%88%98/@37.5446186,126.9503453,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@turnstile-city-walks/ususe-gongdeok-birthday-hanwoo-course-champagne/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt