Hanwoo private-room dinner in Mapo, Seoul: Usu

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.

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?

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.

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.

The restaurant offers free corkage, and its drinks menu included wine by the glass. The drink prices felt reasonable to me.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

As the course continued, I wanted wine with the hanwoo to come, so I added two glasses of red wine.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.