798 Hwa Ro Grill Hongdae • 798화로 홍대본점

Located less than 200m away from Hongdae Station Exit 7 is 798 Hwa Ro Grill Hongdae (798화로 홍대본점), a small restaurant that specialized in grilled meat. The restaurant has 24 seats available, mostly table of fours except 2 tables that sits only 2 person. Each table has its own smoke exhaust pipe which help get rid of that smoky smell that you usually find inside a meat grilling restaurant. 

I found this place when I was browsing Naver looking for a meat restaurant around Hongdae just because I was craving meat. Didn’t have anybody to go with that day so I tried searching for a more low-key place that’s not too crowded or loud. After looking at the pictures previous patrons of this place have uploaded online, the vibe of this restaurant seemed pretty chill so I decided to go and give the place a try. 

Their main menu consists of different cuts of Hanwoo (Korean Beef) with set menus available if you want to try a couple of different cuts. They also have a pretty solid of side menu that you can order to pair with your meat selections. 

Set C C세트 (400g) ₩59,000

Wet Aged Hanwoo Sirloin, Short Ribs, Chuck Flap Tail, Top Blade
한우숙성등심, 꽃갈비살, 살치살, 부채살

I ended up ordering Set C which consisted of 4 different cuts of meat: Wet Aged Hanwoo Sirloin, Ribs, Chuck Flap Tail, and Top Blade which were served from left to right in that order. If you were to order this set, I would suggest to eat the meat from right to left because that way, you’ll start with the more leaner cuts to the juicier ones. But if you like leaner cuts more, then you should start from left to right.

Wet Aged Hanwoo Sirloin 한우숙성등심 | 8.5/10

I personally prefer juicier meat so my most favorite cut out of the four was the Wet Aged Hanwoo Sirloin (한우숙성등심), which is the very left one on the plate. The meat was the most tender and juiciest out of all the cuts and I really enjoyed this one. 

Short Ribs 꽃갈비살 | 8/10

My second favorite was the Short Ribs (꽃갈비살). This was also tender and juicy, but not as juicy as the Wet Aged Hanwoo Sirloin. But it still tasted good though. 

The Chuck Flap Tail (살치살) was on the leaner side so it was just okay for me. The Top Blade (부채살) in particular, the texture was a little bit tough for my personal preference so I didn’t finished all of it. This cut was the one I enjoyed the least. 

Spicy Beef Ramyeon 소고기얼큰라면 ₩6,000 | 9/10

I also ordered the Spicy Beef Ramyeon because I was craving ramyeon that day and this ramyeon was actually better than what I expected. The broth was really flavorful with deep flavors and smokiness from the beef. And the toppings and portion were pretty generous. I did request a less spicy version (which just meant less red pepper powder) since I can’t really eat very spicy dish and the chef accommodated my request which I really appreciate. Definitely recommend this Beef Ramyeon if you ever come to this restaurant.

The place wasn’t too busy when I was there on a Wednesday night. There were maybe 3 or 4 other tables that were occupied other than mine so it wasn’t noisy inside the restaurant. There are photos of celebrities visiting the restaurant stuck up on the wall which led me to think that this place might be busier on the weekends. During my visit, there was only 1 staff working who assumed the server and chef role at the same time. But still, the service was pretty quick so it’s pretty impressive for a one man show. And oh, you have to grill the meat yourself at this restaurant. But all and all, for a random find, the food at this place was pretty good. 

798 Hwa Ro Grill Hongdae • 798화로 홍대본점

Address: 서울 마포구 와우산로29마길 6 반지층 b01호
Telephone: 0507-1362-0798
Hours: Everyday 17:00-23:00 (Last Order 22:30)

Instagram: @798grill_official

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Sura Lotte Shopping Avenue Jakarta

Sura is a Korean BBQ bar that’s specialized in Korean-style Hamburg Steak—or Hambak Steak as the Koreans pronounce it—and the first one of its kind in Jakarta. They opened their first outlet in July 2024 at Lippo Mall Puri and expanded into the second one a month later at Lotte Shopping Avenue.

Korean-style Hamburg Steak itself is nothing new. The dish has been served at multiple different restaurants in Korea for years now. Having said that, I did notice that it was making a comeback last year when I started to see a bunch of new Korean-style Hamburg Steak restaurants opened up around Seoul. Most of them adopted similar concept where they have a restaurant with nice modern interior, bar style seating, open kitchen and offers limited menu focusing on the Hamburg Steak. I’ve been meaning to try one of those restaurants but unfortunately haven’t got a chance to until now. But since Sura basically has the same concept as those restaurants, might as well go see what the Hamburg Steak hype is all about since the brand is brought from Korea to Jakarta. 

I visited the Lotte Shopping Avenue location with a friend for a late lunch. The interior is pretty nice and interesting with plenty of seatings available around the room from the bar seating that’s perfect for solo or duo patrons to the cubicle seatings for bigger parties. We opted for the bar seatings since we also wanted to see how the Hamburg Steak is cooked. 

Currently, they have 2 options for the meat: the Wagyu Hambak Steak that’s made with 100% wagyu beef and the Spicy Chicken Hambak. Every Hambak is slow-cooked to order and is grilled and torched for about 15 to 20 minutes to get that smoky juicy meat. And since they have an open kitchen, you can see all the action from your seat while waiting for your order to be done.

The basic set consist of two patties and are served with free-flow white rice, soup, and omega-3 egg. There are also pickles and five different kind of dippings (Korean Suje Ssamjang, Chinese Secret Spicy Powder Ganfen, Yuzu Mayo Sauce, Himalayan Pink Salt & Garlic Flakes, and Sambal Bawang) provided for your steak. 

Double Wagyu Hambak Steak (148k) | 9/10

I ordered the double Wagyu Hambak Steak and not gonna lie, I was pretty impressed with how juicy and flavorful the steak is without dipping it into anything. The smokiness from the all the grilling and the torching definitely added a new layer of complexity to the flavor of the meat. When I dipped the meat into the egg yolk, the overall flavor definitely tasted creamier. With or without the egg yolk, the meat tasted good. 

Another thing that deserves a special shoutout is their Korean Beef and Daikon Radish Soup. I’m a sucker for a good soup and theirs was so goooood. It’s nicely seasoned and the flavor profile is pretty much the same as the ones I’ve had in Korea. Super comforting, especially if you eat if with the rice (their rice is also really good). My friend and I were saying that we can honestly just eat the soup with the rice because it was that comforting.

For the dipping options, I liked the Himalayan Pink Salt & Garlic Flakes and Chinese Secret Spicy Powder Ganfen the best. The Korean Suje Ssamjang and Yuzu Mayo Sauce were alright. The Sambal Bawang was probably my least favorite because it’s spicy and the flavor profile doesn’t really pair well with the Hambak Steak in my opinion. But I do understand why they have that option since we’re in Indonesia after all. Their pickles were also really good and have that authentic Korean flavors in them.

I also tried the Spicy Chicken Hambak that my friend ordered. It also tasted good and the meat was juicy, but it is on the spicier side for me who can’t really eat spicy food. The flavor profile tasted like Sate Lilit Bali if you ever had one of those.

At the end of our meal, the server asked us if we wanted to try their Sundubu Jjigae, a soup option that’s apparently only available on Sundays. We said yes and we each were served with a bowl of pipping hot red soup. Turned out, it was pretty good as well. Super flavorful with generous toppings inside. But since the flavor of the Sundubu Jjigae is stronger than the Korean Beef and Daikon Radish Soup, I feel like if you eat this with the steak, the soup might overpower the taste of the meat. So my recommendation is if after your meal you’re still hungry, ask for the Sundubu Jjigae (and maybe put an egg in) and just eat it with rice. I think it’s going to be better that way. 

Service was really good during our visit. The server explained the menu clearly and checked in with us periodically to see if we need a refill or anything else. She also gave my pregnant friend a boiled egg since she can’t eat the raw egg so that’s something you can probably ask the staff if your don’t eat raw egg. All and all, it was a really good meal and would definitely come back again to this place.

Sura Lotte Shopping Avenue Jakarta (4F)

Address: Kuningan, Jl. Prof. DR. Satrio Kav. 3-5, South Jakarta 12940, Indonesia
Hours: Everyday 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

Instagram: @surafromkorea

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Yukmian Yeonnam • 육미안 연남점

Yukmian Yeonnam (육미안 연남점) is a meat restaurant specialized in grilled beef ribs. Located on the second floor of a building in one of the alleys in Yeonnam-dong (연남동), the restaurant is also well-known for their yukhoe (육회) which uses grade 1++ Hanwoo beef.

I found this restaurant when I was searching Naver for a dinner spot to meet up with my friend at. Honestly, the pictures of the torched meat looked really delicious so I asked my friend to go and try this place with me. It was a weekday when we went for dinner and we immediately got a table as soon as we arrived. The interior of the restaurant is quite different than the usual traditional meat restaurant in Korea. It’s definitely more modern and simpler. There are about 26 seatings around the place and the place is pretty noisy with people talking quite loudly on different tables. 

Yukmian Salad 육미안 샐러드 ₩3,000 | 7/10

Fresh arugula, tomatoes, olives with shredded cheese.

The salad came with the signature beef ribs that we ordered. It’s a pretty straight forward side dish that goes well with the meat. 

Signature Beef Ribs 본갈비 (250g) ₩27,000 | 8.5/10

Yukmian’s signature beef ribs (2 servings minimum).
육미안 대표 '시그니처' 진갈비만을 사용 (2인분 이상 주문 가능).

So we ordered 2 servings of the signature beef ribs since 2 servings are the minimum. They served the thick cuts of meat on the plate, already grilled (or maybe half grilled). Then the server torched the meat again table side to get them to the right level of doneness. The sight of the torched meat was pretty mouthwatering. 

They also gave us this stone plate with wasabi, salt, and mustard on it to dip the meat into. The meat itself was as good as it looked. It’s thick, fresh and juicy and very satisfying. The three dippings were also great but I like the salt the best out of the three.  

Snow Crab Innards Fried Rice 대게내장볶음밥 ₩11,000 | 8/10

Fried rice mixed with snow crab innards.
대게내장으로 범벅된 볶음밥.

To complete our meal, we ordered the Snow Crab Innards Fried Rice to make sure we’re full. The fried rice was rich and tasty and definitely didn’t taste like an ordinary fried rice that I commonly found at other meat restaurants. I think the snow crab innards gave the dish an edge over other fried rice out there. 

Overall, I think this place is pretty good spot to go to if you want to have some meat without having to grill them yourself. There are lots of good reviews about their yukhoe as well which make me curious to try it (maybe for my next visit). Noise level at this place is pretty high so you might have to shout a bit when talking to your companions if you come during their busy hours. I also happened to pass by this place a couple of times after my visit during the weekends and the line was pretty crazy (didn’t know that this spot is that popular). So if you want to avoid the line, I’d recommend you to go on a weekday or maybe make reservation first if you’re going on a weekend. 

Yukmian Yeonnam • 육미안 연남점

Address: 서울 마포구 동교로38길 5 2층
Telephone: 02-332-3430
Hours:
Mon-Thrs 12:00-22:00 (Break Time 14:30-16:00. Last Order 21:55)
Friday 12:00-23:00 (Break Time 14:30-16:00. Last Order 22:55)
Saturday 12:00-23:00 (Last Order 22:55)
Sunday 12:00-22:00 (Last Order 21:55)

Instagram: @yookmian_yeonnam

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Noransang Sogalbi Anguk • 노란상소갈비 안국역점

Noransang Sogalbi Anguk (란상소갈비 안국역점) is a Korean BBQ restaurant that is well-known for their beef ribs. The restaurant is located on the second floor of a building 1-minute walk away from Anguk Station Exit 2 as well as the famous Cafe Onion nearby.

Noransang Sogalbi has multiple locations and I believe the Anguk location is the newest addition to their other three locations in Seoul. The first time I visited this place was for lunch last year after taking my relatives sightseeing around the nearby Bukchon Hanok Village. The restaurant is newly opened then so the interior was still in pristine condition. There are 13 tables that can sit 4 people comfortably in each table and every table has its own meat grill.

(To note, this is their menu from 2023 so the prices are slightly different from what they are now. You can check their current menu and prices on their Naver page.)

saenggalbi/Fresh Galbi 생갈비 (200gr) ₩25,000 | 8/10

We ordered two kinds of meat. The first one is the Saeng Galbi which is just fresh beef ribs without seasoning. The meat was fresh but overall it was okay (okay as in it’s good, but I’ve tasted similar meat at other places before. Still worth ordering if you like non-marinated meat more).

Also, a plus point of this restaurant is that they cook the meat on the table for you so it won’t get burnt and the only thing you have to do is watch and eat. Very convenient.

idong Galbi 이동갈비 (280gr) ₩22,000 | 9/10

For the second meat, we ordered two portions of the Idong Galbi, which is beef ribs with soy sauce seasoning. This one is their best-selling menu and I can understand why after I bit into my first bite. The meat is juicy, tender and the seasoning is on point.

I’ve brought two families with kids to this place and all the kids and adults liked the Idong Galbi better than the Saeng Galbi.

Doenjang-jjigae (Soybean paste stew) 된장찌개 ₩22,000 | 8/10

We also ordered the Doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) and it was pretty good. Flavorful broth with plenty of vegetables and meat inside the pot.

If you visit on a weekday during lunch, they do have lunch set specials available. The place is pretty family friendly and just like any other meat restaurant in Korea, they do have the 1 order per person rule.

During lunch or dinner rush hours, the place can get pretty busy and you might have to wait for tables if you don’t have a reservation. But they do have the waiting list machine available at the restaurant where you can put your name and Korean number in, and they’ll text you when your table is ready so you can walk around the area while waiting if you choose to do so. If you don’t have a Korean number, you’ll probably have to wait at the restaurant so they can call you immediately when your table is ready.

If you’re looking for a place to have a proper meal at near Bukchon Hanok Village, Anguk Station or Cafe Onion, this is a good place to go.

Noransang Sogalbi Anguk • 노란상소갈비 안국역점

Address: 서울 종로구 율곡로 67 2층
Telephone: 0507 1489 9314
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:00-21:30 (Break Time: 15:00-17:00, Last Order: 14:00, 20:30) | Sat-Sun 12:00-21:30 (Last Order: 20:30)

Instagram: @noransangsogalbi

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