Suwon yukhoe restaurant solo dining with abalone: Yukhoe Dokjon

I was trying to decide on dinner near Suwon Station and ended up craving yukhoe (raw beef tartare), so I went to Yukhoe Dokjon.

I visited alone this time, and after debating whether to just get yukhoe or add another dish, I went with abalone hanwoo yukhoe plus hanwoo sushi.

My total for this visit came to ₩46,000 — based on the menu board I saw, abalone hanwoo yukhoe was ₩32,000 and hanwoo sushi was ₩12,000.

If you're looking for yukhoe near Suwon Station, it might help to know the menu lineup, the actual portion sizes, and what it's like to dine there solo.

Finding Yukhoe Dokjon, a yukhoe specialist near Suwon Station

Yukhoe Dokjon Suwon Station Branch is a hanwoo (Korean beef) yukhoe specialist on the first floor of Dream Plaza on Hyanggyo-ro near Suwon Station. Even from outside, big signage listing beef sashimi, yukhoe sushi, and yukhoe bibimbap made it easy to spot.

The whole storefront had a wood-tone look that stood out from a distance, and photos of the food posted near the entrance made it immediately clear what they served.

When I visited it was dinnertime, so there were quite a few customers inside already.

The space was long and narrow, laid out with tables and round stools. I was a little worried it might feel awkward going in alone, but eating there wasn't actually much of a burden.

That said, in the evening a lot of customers were drinking alongside their yukhoe, so the vibe leaned more lively than a quiet restaurant.

It also seemed like it'd work well as a Suwon Station date spot.

How much does the Yukhoe Dokjon menu cost?

Looking at the menu board when I visited, the hanwoo yukhoe assortment for two was ₩37,000, live octopus hanwoo yukhoe for two was ₩34,000, hanwoo sashimi for two was ₩28,000, and abalone hanwoo yukhoe for two was ₩32,000.

Hanwoo sushi was ₩12,000 and yukhoe bibimbap was ₩10,000.

I first thought about ordering the hanwoo yukhoe assortment, but since I wanted to try yukhoe and abalone together that day, I picked the abalone hanwoo yukhoe.

Even though I was alone, I ordered a two-person menu and added hanwoo sushi on top.

Is the abalone hanwoo yukhoe generous enough for one person?

When the abalone hanwoo yukhoe I ordered arrived, the first thing that caught my eye was the yukhoe filling up a wide section of the plate.

Sesame seeds and pine nuts topped the yukhoe, and abalone, pear, and sprouts were arranged alongside it.

An egg yolk came separately too, so I could mix it into the yukhoe depending on my mood.

Eating the yukhoe plain versus mixed with the yolk felt different, which was nice for switching things up midway, and the pear added a crisp crunch on the side.

The portion wasn't small either, so if you're going solo, I'd recommend showing up genuinely hungry.

I was trying to place the yolk right in the center and missed a bit haha. Forgive the small mishap, it's kind of cute right? ㅎㅎ

Two ways to eat the abalone in the yukhoe

On the left side of the plate, abalone was placed on top of perilla leaves.

As you can see in the photo, the abalone was sliced pretty thick, giving a texture that was clearly different from the yukhoe.

Alternating between a few bites of yukhoe and a piece of abalone kept things from feeling monotonous, and I liked being able to switch between two different textures on one plate.

If you like abalone, I think there's a clear reason to choose the abalone hanwoo yukhoe over the regular yukhoe menu.

A warm soup served alongside the yukhoe

Eating cold yukhoe dishes for a while can make you crave something warm, and the soup that came with it turned out to be a good pairing.

Maybe because it was a day I'd been out and about a lot, but sipping the warm soup once or twice between bites of yukhoe worked surprisingly well.

Adding hanwoo sushi for 12,000 won

And the dish I ordered alongside the abalone hanwoo yukhoe that day was hanwoo sushi.

It came out on a black plate with a piece of hanwoo laid over each rice piece, with sauce served separately.

Where yukhoe is centered on the texture of finely chopped meat, hanwoo sushi has a single slice of meat on top of each piece, so it offered a bit of a different way to enjoy it.

Eating a piece of sushi here and there instead of just yukhoe the whole time made the meal feel more like a proper, complete dinner.

That said, the abalone hanwoo yukhoe itself is already a two-person menu item, so if you're solo and add sushi on top, the quantity can end up being quite a lot.

It's fine if you want to try multiple dishes like I did, but if you'd rather keep it light for a solo meal, it might be worth starting with the yukhoe bibimbap or the hanwoo sushi on its own.

Solo dining at Yukhoe Dokjon near Suwon Station: the verdict

Having visited in person, I found this spot works well for anyone looking for yukhoe near Suwon Station who also wants to try abalone or hanwoo sushi alongside it.

Above all, with options like the hanwoo yukhoe assortment, sashimi, abalone hanwoo yukhoe, and yukhoe bibimbap, it was easy to pick a menu depending on group size or purpose.

Dining solo was doable, but since most signature menu items are sized for two, I'd recommend checking the portion before ordering if you're eating alone.

What stuck with me most was getting to try yukhoe, abalone, and sushi all in one meal by ordering the abalone hanwoo yukhoe together with the hanwoo sushi.

If you're trying to decide on dinner near Suwon Station or craving yukhoe, this place is worth comparing against your other options.