Korean restaurant in Geumcheon, Seoul: Yukhwang yukhoe lunch

Looking for a filling meal near Gasan Digital Complex Station, I visited Yukhwang (육향), a restaurant specializing in Korean beef dishes. After work, I ordered yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef rice bowl), yukhoe mulhoe (chilled raw beef soup), and a plate of suyuk (boiled beef).

Where is Yukhwang, and is parking available?

Yukhwang is at 121, 1F, Building A, Halla One & One Tower, 101 Gasan Digital 2-ro, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul. Its exterior felt modern and neat, and I could use the building's underground commercial parking.

At the time of the original post, weekday hours were 11:00–21:00, with last orders at 20:20. Saturday hours were 11:00–16:00, with last orders at 15:20, and it was listed as regularly closed on Sundays. After registering my parking following the meal, I could park free for 30 minutes from 11:00–17:00 and for one hour from 17:00–21:00.

Is it a good space for lunch or a group dinner?

The interior was finished largely in black tones, and the full-height front windows made it feel open. The high ceiling and generous space between tables made me think it would be comfortable for a group meal.

The table was set with brassware and wrapped cutlery. There was no separate call button or ordering pad, so I called a staff member to order. Group use, takeout, and reservations were listed as available, and on the evening I visited, the restaurant was full of office workers there for company dinners.

What did I order, and what side dishes came with it?

The menu was divided into rice dishes, hot pots, and side dishes. The origin notice listed major cuts of beef, including brisket, shank, round, and brisket point, as domestic Korean beef.

At the time of my visit, there was a notice that a half plate of suyuk was offered for taking part in a Naver receipt review event. We ordered yukhoe bibimbap, yukhoe mulhoe, and one plate of suyuk.

The basic side dishes were salted octopus, seasoned lettuce, and seokbakji (cubed radish kimchi). The seokbakji, which I was told was made in-house, was tart and crisp.

What did the yukhoe mulhoe taste like, and what came with it?

The yukhoe mulhoe was generously filled with vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, and perilla leaves, and came with somyeon (thin wheat noodles). I ate the crisp vegetables and yukhoe with the chilled broth, which had a thin layer of ice.

At first, I thought the yellow pickled radish was pineapple. Its crunchy texture went well with the yukhoe, and I also enjoyed mixing the somyeon into the broth after eating the solid ingredients. It was a dish I could see myself thinking of for lunch on a hot day.

How were the seasoning and accompaniments for the yukhoe bibimbap?

The yukhoe bibimbap arrived in a brass bowl with vegetables and yukhoe, alongside warm beef-and-radish soup. I liked that it used a soy-sauce bibimbap seasoning rather than gochujang.

Once mixed, I could taste the aroma and crisp texture of the generous amount of chamnamul (Korean parsley). The seasoning was neither overly sweet nor salty, so the pleasantly chewy texture and nutty flavor of the yukhoe came through well.

The radish soup that came with it was also lightly seasoned and clear, pairing well with the bibimbap. I thought it would be a good choice when looking for a filling lunch.

How was the suyuk alongside the meal?

The suyuk came in a shallow amount of warm broth with a house sauce. It combined chewy shank and nutty brisket, so I could enjoy a different texture from each cut.

With the yukhoe bibimbap, mulhoe, and suyuk together, it made for a filling spread after work.

The suyuk worked well as a side to the meal. Dipping it in the house sauce or adding a little salted octopus, one of the basic side dishes, gave it extra savoriness.