# Hanwoo private-room dinner in Mapo, Seoul: Usu - By Sohye (https://superchart.com/en/@where-we-ate-4/) - Written Sep 2, 2026 - Updated Sep 11, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul - Sponsored: The original post does not state whether this was sponsored, so the scope of any provided support needs confirmation. [type=sponsored] - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@where-we-ate-4/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@where-we-ate-4/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/index.md) ## In short Usu is a hanwoo dining restaurant near Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul, where every table is in a private room. I had the ₩109,000 Dinner B Course with my parents for an anniversary and found the Korean-inspired course filling, with a comfortable setting for conversation. ## Good to know - **Location**: Unit 201, B2, Lotte Castle President Shopping Arcade, 109 Mapo-daero, Mapo-gu, Seoul - **Getting there**: Enter the shopping arcade from Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station; the restaurant is straight ahead after the B2 escalator. - **Order**: Dinner B Course, 90 g — ₩109,000 - **Seating**: All tables are private rooms. - **Drinks**: Free corkage; wine by the glass is available. - **Reservations**: Catchtable, Naver Map, or by phone - **Parking**: Use the Lotte Castle President shopping arcade parking lot; three hours of free parking are provided. - **Course options**: Choose a larger meat portion or change the course composition for an additional charge. *as written by the visitor on Sep 2, 2026* I visited Usu, a hanwoo dining restaurant in Gongdeok, for an anniversary meal with my parents. The course centered on grilled Korean beef, with Korean-inspired dishes served before and after it, and we could eat while talking together in a private room. ## How do you get there from Gongdeok Station, and how do reservations and parking work? I left Gongdeok Station through Exit 2 and entered the Lotte Castle President shopping arcade. The restaurant was directly in front of me as soon as I got off the B2 escalator, so it was easy to find. ![Usu entrance in Gongdeok's Lotte Castle shopping arcade basement](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-01-1yae2-966.webp) Prices and course details for each menu were posted in front of the restaurant. Since it is a course meal, I recommend reserving in advance. Reservations can be made through Catchtable, Naver Map, or by phone. If driving, go straight past the hotel parking area to use the shopping arcade parking lot; three hours of free parking were provided. ## Is it a good space for dining and talking with parents? ![Interior atmosphere at Usu, a Gongdeok hanwoo dining restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-02-2vfba-966.webp) The main course was hanwoo, but Korean-inspired dishes came before and after it, so I thought it would be nice to share with my parents. Every table is in a separate private room, and the room we used that day was spacious, making it comfortable to talk over our meal. ![Interior space at Usu, visited for a meal with parents](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-03-1ot6m-966.webp) ![Interior of Usu Gongdeok with private-room seating](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-04-1v0nf-966.webp) ![Usu private room visited for a family meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-05-18wdj-966.webp) ![Usu interior dining space in a separate private room](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-06-o0a0v-966.webp) ![Usu private-room atmosphere suited to dining and conversation](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-07-1ghmo-966.webp) ## What are the Dinner B Course price and drink options? That day, I ordered the 90 g B Course for ₩109,000. It was also possible to choose a larger meat portion or change the course composition for an additional charge. ![Hanwoo course options menu at Usu Gongdeok](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-08-lizzn-966.webp) The restaurant offers free corkage, and its drinks menu included wine by the glass. The drink prices felt reasonable to me. ![Drinks menu for Usu Gongdeok's hanwoo course](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-09-ziwdr-966.webp) ## Which dishes stood out in the B Course? Before the meal began, the staff first showed us the ingredients to be used in that day’s course. The server in charge explained the ingredients and characteristics of each dish in detail as it arrived, so I could understand the flavors in each composition while eating. ![Dinner course ingredients introduced before the meal at Usu](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-10-1pvgn-966.webp) The first dish was “u-gye jinjuk,” a porridge made with hanwoo bone stock and chicken broth. Crispy scorched rice, a scallion crust, shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, and white wood ear mushrooms sat on top of the savory porridge, giving it both crisp and springy textures. ### Which of the three bite-sized dishes was best? ![Bite-sized dish served early in Usu's dinner course](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-11-1jx6r-1200.webp) ![Three bite-sized dishes in Usu's hanwoo dinner](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-12-1w72j-966.webp) The bulgogi sandwich paired hanwoo bulgogi, mushroom duxelles, and truffle cream cheese in brioche, with a deeply savory aroma. The scallop and clam dish had seared scallop, a creamy clam sauce, apple, and onion inside crisp pastry, balancing freshness and richness. ![Seafood bite-sized dish in Usu's dinner course](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-13-1u88d-966.webp) Of the three, my favorite was the sweet shrimp bite. It combined fried abalone innards rice inside grilled gimbugak (crispy fried seaweed) spread with pollock roe, then wrapped it in sweet shrimp, so it was both crisp and rich. ![Shiitake shrimp and zucchini dish in Usu's dinner course](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-14-dgns7-966.webp) ### What did the vegetable and seafood dishes taste like? The shiitake shrimp and zucchini dish came with shiitake mushrooms and shrimp beside a rolled zucchini filled with tofu, golden enoki mushrooms, and more. Peanut tofu sauce and chamnamul oil made it light yet fragrant. I especially liked the peanut tofu sauce and ate it until the bottom of the dish was visible. ![Dining scene following shiitake shrimp and zucchini](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-15-5uvml-966.webp) As the course continued, I wanted wine with the hanwoo to come, so I added two glasses of red wine. ![Usu dinner course meal with added wine](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-16-d95te-966.webp) ![Raw beef dish wrapped in gamtae in Usu's dinner course](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-17-akf0n-966.webp) The yukhoe gamtae dish was raw beef seasoned with aioli, fried scorched rice, and chorogi pickles, which I wrapped myself in gamtae seaweed. The raw beef and sauce worked well together, but the occasional taste of the pickles stood out most. The grilled tilefish was a thick piece of fish set over barley rice and sprinkled with mullet roe. The server poured in a neungi mushroom broth, and the gentle mushroom aroma went well with the mild fish. My mother especially liked this dish, saying that she enjoyed the fragrance of the broth. ![Usu dinner dish served after grilled tilefish](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-18-is3pg-966.webp) ![Tteokgalbi with purée and sauce in Usu's dinner](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-19-12zus-966.webp) The tteokgalbi (grilled minced beef patty) was served with chopped pistachios, celeriac purée, shiitake duxelles, white balsamic sauce, and basil oil. The juicy patty paired well with the smooth purée, while the balsamic sauce and basil oil gave the familiar tteokgalbi flavor a change of pace. ![Usu dinner course served after tteokgalbi](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-20-1c6l7-966.webp) ![Usu gardenia noodle dish with abalone and vegetables](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-21-y4bzw-966.webp) The abalone five-color gardenia noodles were mixed noodles topped with gardenia noodles, shredded radish with black sesame, bracken fern, shiitake mushrooms, seasoned chamnamul, perilla leaf, and abalone. The noodles, about as thick as somyeon (thin wheat noodles), had a pasta-like chew, and the mustard-garlic sauce refreshed my palate. ![Main grilled hanwoo meal in Usu's dinner course](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-22-cri0r-966.webp) ## How is the main hanwoo served, and was the course filling? The main course was hanwoo sirloin. We grilled it ourselves over a brazier, so we could eat at the pace and doneness we wanted. The bansang (Korean set meal) included steamed white rice, miyeokguk (seaweed soup), and side dishes. I particularly liked the seaweed soup, which had been simmered long enough to become soft. Refills of the bansang were available if needed, but after the earlier courses, the meal was filling enough for me and I could not eat more. ![Bansang enjoyed with grilled hanwoo at Usu dinner](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-23-1myic-966.webp) ## How were the dessert and anniversary service that day? Dessert combined corn ice cream and corn cream cheese with apricot, corn crumble, sponge cake, and more. The sweet, nutty flavors were lifted by freshness, and I finished by cleansing my palate with cold tea. ![Corn-based dessert in Usu's dinner course](https://img.superchart.com/images/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo-24-iiwdq-966.webp) Since we were visiting for an anniversary, we received two glasses of champagne as a celebration. After the meal, they also gave us bite-sized desserts with lettering and a Polaroid photo. What I liked most about the meal with my parents was being able to talk comfortably in a separate private room. The course used familiar Korean ingredients with variations in sauces and textures, and I also enjoyed hearing the explanation of each dish as I ate. ## Where it is - Usu (우수) (우수) - Unit 201, B2, Lotte Castle President Shopping Arcade, 109 Mapo-daero, 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/@where-we-ate-4/woosu-gongdeok-private-room-hanwoo/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt