Korean BBQ restaurant in Gangnam: marinated beef at Bongu Hwarro

I went to Bongu Hwarro (봉우화로) for lunch with a friend in Gangnam. I had been craving sweet marinated beef brisket, and the tender meat with the beef rice set made for a filling meal.

Where is Bongu Hwarro, and what is the seating like?

It is at the entrance to an alley behind the CGV near Gangnam Station, so it was not difficult to find. The address is 76 Bongeunsa-ro 18-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The original post lists its hours as daily 11:00–23:30, and parking is available at nearby paid lots.

Once inside, the restaurant was more spacious than I expected. The wooden tables and brick interior created a comfortable atmosphere, and there were window seats too.

The tables were generously spaced, which made it comfortable to eat with my friend. There were plenty of seats, so it also seemed suitable for company dinners or group gatherings. Each table had its own hood, and we looked through the menu and ordered on a tablet.

How much were the marinated beef brisket and beef rice set?

The two of us ordered four 150 g portions of marinated beef brisket, a beef rice set, and a bowl of steamed rice. I chose the set, which came with beef fried rice and chadol doenjang-jjigae, while my friend had steamed rice.

• Marinated beef brisket regular price: ₩14,000 per 150 g serving
• Four portions of marinated beef brisket: ₩42,000 after the discount recorded in the original post
• Beef rice set: ₩8,000
• Steamed rice: ₩1,000
• Total order amount recorded in the original post: ₩51,000

At the time of my visit, there was a promotion offering 50% off additional meat when the initial meat order matched the number of diners. The original post says ₩7,000 was applied to each of two portions of marinated beef brisket. However, it also says we ordered three portions first and added one later, so the discount unit needs confirmation.

How did the self-grilled marinated beef brisket taste?

The basic side dishes included shredded scallion, lettuce, kimchi, pickles, and sausage. There were also sauces, wasabi, and salt, giving us several combinations for the meat. The marinated beef brisket was moist with seasoning, and king oyster mushrooms came with it.

We put the grill plate over a charcoal brazier and grilled the meat ourselves. There was no staff grilling service, but because the meat was thin, it was not difficult to cook.

When I spread the marinated beef brisket across the hot grill, the scent of its sweet seasoning rose up.

Even when we put several slices on at once, they cooked quickly, so we did not have to wait long.

The sweet seasoning had soaked in well, and the texture was tender. It was seasoned enough to eat on its own, while a little wasabi added a pleasant sharpness. Eating it with lettuce and shredded scallion also cut through the richness.

We did have to grill it ourselves, but the additional-order discount available during my visit made ordering more meat feel less burdensome.

After eating the first three portions, we ordered one more.

We put the additional marinated beef brisket and king oyster mushrooms on the grill together. The thick mushrooms, grilled in the meat fat, were moist and chewy.

Did the beef rice set go well with the marinated beef brisket?

The beef rice set included spicy stir-fried beef rice and chadol doenjang-jjigae. The beef rice had generous amounts of finely chopped meat, vegetables, flying fish roe, and more.

It was lightly spicy and sweet, with the savory flavor of beef as well. It was good to have with the meat instead of steamed rice.

The chadol doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew with beef brisket) arrived boiling in a ttukbaegi (earthenware pot). It had plenty of beef brisket, tofu, zucchini, and other ingredients, and its hot, spicy broth went well with the sweet marinated beef brisket. The rice and stew together were filling.

What service items and dessert were available during my visit?

At the time of my visit, there was a 20th-anniversary promotion with 50% off additional meat orders and one Hangang ramyeon per person as a service item. We had the beef rice set as well, so we could not eat the ramyeon.

After the meal, we had the free soft-serve ice cream prepared in the restaurant. We could serve ourselves as much ice cream and Joripong topping as we wanted. The soft, sweet ice cream and crunchy topping made a good dessert.