Haeundae beef course with counter-side grilling: Usiya, Busan

While looking for somewhere with a nice atmosphere on Haeridan-gil in Haeundae, I visited Usiya. There are already so many great restaurants and cafés on Haeridan-gil, but that day I wanted to enjoy beef in a slightly more special way rather than having my usual casual meal. Usiya serves beef as a course rather than the typical Korean barbecue format of choosing and grilling meat at the table, so I could focus a little more on each dish throughout the meal.

Usiya location and visitor information

• Hours: 17:00–01:00
• Address: 1F, 2 Udong 1-ro 38beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Parking: Not available

Usiya - Haeridan-gil

A beef course grilled at the counter

As soon as I entered Usiya, the counter-style seating caught my eye. It definitely felt different from a barbecue restaurant where you sit at a table and grill the meat yourself. Since it was counter seating, I could watch the staff preparing and grilling the beef right in front of me, which made it natural to take in the whole process as the food came out.

Even for larger groups, there was a brazier positioned where the staff could easily grill right away. That kind of thoughtful interior detail felt nice too.

Usiya has two course menus, A Course and B Course, and you can order items individually as well. We had the A Course.

While looking around the restaurant, I also noticed the wall densely covered with celebrity signatures. A few familiar names made me look more closely, and there were signatures from Tiffany of Girls' Generation and Byun Yo-han! I do not know whether the two visited together and left those signatures, but seeing the names of this recently married couple in one place somehow made me especially happy. It was fun to eat delicious food and spot traces of celebrities around the restaurant too.

The basic table setting was ready.

Once we were seated, they carefully explained the components of the A Course they had prepared for us.

Beef cuts and dishes in the A Course

The A Course we had that day began with yuk sashimi (Korean-style raw beef), then included beef tongue, tenderloin, striploin, jebi churi, flat iron steak, and upjin-sal. It continued with sukiyaki tail, sotbap (pot-cooked rice), aged-kimchi stew, and ice cream for dessert, so it felt like a very satisfying full meal.

Rather than focusing on just one cut, the appeal of Usiya’s course seemed to be comparing the different textures and flavors of each cut. The staff explained each one and grilled it themselves at the best point for eating, so it was easy to enjoy the course even if you do not know much about beef.

They also prepared side dishes that went nicely with the beef.

The beef tongue had an appealing chew that came through more with every bite, while the tenderloin was so tender it practically melted in my mouth. It was fun comparing those contrasting textures.

The course did not arrive all at once; each dish was prepared and served in sequence, which made it easy to focus on the food. There were also plenty of accompaniments to enjoy with the beef, so even the same beef tasted a little different depending on what I paired it with.

Above all, it was definitely comfortable because the staff checked the meat themselves and grilled it at the best time to eat. At places where you grill your own meat, it can burn while you are chatting or make you worry about whether it is cooked enough, but at Usiya I did not have to worry about any of that. I could simply wait for the delicious beef grilling in front of me and eat it, so I could focus more on the meal itself.

The lemon highball was sweet and tangy, and it went well with the meal too.

Cut explanations and sauce recommendations

What I especially liked was that they briefly explained the characteristics whenever a cut came out. When we had jebi churi, they told us that because it is a cut close to the organs, it has a slightly stronger beef aroma than other cuts. Hearing that before tasting it made it fun to notice the flavor and think, ah, so that is where this beefy aroma comes from. They explained the qualities of each cut in an easy way, so even someone like me who does not know beef very well could follow the course and feel like I was learning its flavors.

Another nice thing was that they recommended accompaniments and sauces that suited each cut. Among the various options, including perilla-leaf pesto and soy sauce, they told us which combinations paired well with the meat, so I tried them one by one as the staff suggested.

Even with the same beef, the flavor felt different depending on which sauce I ate it with. Tasting each cut with a sauce that suited it brought out the flavor even more, and it was delicious. Once you finish the tail cut, they prepare the meal dishes.

The sukiyaki was seasoned sweet and savory, and dipping the meat into the soft egg added a nutty richness that made it delicious in a different way.

By then, I was already quite full from enjoying the meat course, but the meal dishes came out generously too. I guess I really am Korean 😂 Even when I was full, the aged-kimchi stew went down so easily hahaha 👍 It was fairly well seasoned, so it was just right with rice, and after the beef course it made a great finish to the meal.

Then I soothed my stomach with warm sungnyung (scorched-rice tea) and finished the meal neatly.

After eating a good amount of the course, I was already nicely full, but dessert was waiting at the end too. A meal really does end with dessert! Ice cream made for such a refreshing finish. The cold, sweet ice cream felt like it cleansed my palate, and I could end the meal feeling happy right to the last bite. Personally, I love having dessert at the end of a course like this. It is just right because you can enjoy it without feeling too heavy after a filling meal 😆

A special meal without the pressure of grilling

Overall, Usiya is a place where I could enjoy beef in a way that felt a little different from an ordinary beef restaurant. What felt most comfortable was that the staff grilled everything themselves from beginning to end at the counter, and paced the course according to the diner’s speed. I think it would be a good choice for anyone who is not confident about grilling meat or finds it hard to focus on a meal while tending the grill. Above all, since it is a course meal with dishes served in order, it seemed well suited to a more relaxed, special meal than usual or to an anniversary. Enjoying carefully grilled beef right in front of me at the counter, followed by the final ice cream, made for a clean and satisfying end to the meal that day 👍