[Korea travel] “Yukkaeok” – A Korean restaurant loved by locals, located in Gangnam
If you're curious about truly delicious Korean food in Korea,
I’d recommend the restaurant Yuk Gae Ok.
It’s one of the places saved on my personal food map as well!
🔥 Spicy Yukgaejang – 11,000 KRW
A deeply flavorful and spicy Korean beef soup, simmered with generous amounts of taro stems, bracken, green onions, and premium Korean beef—just like a hearty countryside feast.
🌿 Clear Beef Soup (Yangji Onban) – 12,000 KRW
A clean and refreshing beef soup made with tender brisket, shank, radish, and plenty of green onions, slow-cooked for a light yet comforting flavor.
🥩 Korean Boiled Beef (Hanwoo Suyuk) ⭐Best
Small 35,000 KRW / Medium 55,000 KRW / Large 75,000 KRW
Enjoy premium Korean beef (1++) boiled to perfection. A rich, savory dish offering a variety of tender cuts.
🥟 Hanwoo Yukgaejang Dumpling Hot Pot – 55,000 KRW
A hearty and spicy hot pot featuring hand-made dumplings, tender Korean beef slices, and a medley of fresh vegetables in a rich yukgaejang broth.
🍤 Homemade Korean Meat Patties (Donggeurangttaeng) – 22,000 KRW
A traditional Korean patty made with finely minced shrimp, beef, and pork—hand-shaped and pan-fried to perfection.
🍳 Assorted Korean Pancakes (Modeumjeon) – 33,000 KRW
Includes four types: perilla leaf pancakes, pollack pancakes, zucchini pancakes, and shrimp pancakes.
Prepared fresh upon order—please allow about 10 minutes for cooking.
🐙 Spicy Stir-fried Octopus (Nakji Bokkeum) – 40,000 KRW
Tender octopus stir-fried over high heat with vegetables, delivering a bold, smoky flavor with a sweet and spicy kick.
🐙 Sliced Boiled Octopus (Muneo Sukhwe) – 45,000 KRW
Enjoy tender slices of wild-caught South Sea octopus, served chilled with aged kimchi on the side—a perfect harmony of texture and flavor.
I recently visited again after a long time,
and while every dish was delicious, the boiled octopus (Muneo Sukhwe) was especially memorable.
Try it like this:
Put a slice of octopus on a piece of dried seaweed, dip it in wasabi and sesame oil—it’s incredible.
It also tastes amazing with vinegar chili sauce (chojang),
or paired with aged kimchi and a touch of wasabi.
This is a dish I can confidently recommend as something you can only truly experience in Korea—
a uniquely flavorful take on fresh octopus sashimi.
Yukgaeok creates a variety of dishes using a rich base of Korean boiled beef (hanwoo suyuk) that's been simmered for hours with great care.
If you can handle spicy food, I highly recommend trying their Yukgaejang—it's full of deep, bold flavors.
The staff are incredibly generous and kind—they’ll happily refill your side dishes as much as you like!
If you want more side dishes,
don’t be shy—just say “Banchan deo juseyo!” (Please give me more side dishes!) with confidence! 😄
And by the way, in Korea, the go-to drink that pairs well with pretty much any dish is soju.
Especially "Saero" Soju—it has a clean taste, lower calories, and is super popular among the younger crowd. Definitely give it a try!
At Yukkaeok, I can confidently say that every single dish is delicious.
This spot is on my personal food list—carefully curated by a Korean designer in her 40s who's tasted a lot of good food. 😉
I’ll be sharing more yummy spots from time to time,
and if you're curious about a specific place, feel free to ask me in the comments!