Hanjjak: Tasty & Affordable Hanwoo Beef Ribs in Seoul

2019-12-25 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

We had a family gathering for Christmas. We were thinking about where to go for a nice meal, but decided not to travel too far and visited Hanjjak, located right on the main road. The name "Hanjjak" takes one syllable each from "Hanwoo Jjakgalbi" (Korean beef ribs), and they only have one main grilled dish on the menu. There's no need to debate whether to get tenderloin or sirloin; you just have to decide how many portions of ribs to order. We also ordered yukhoe (beef tartare), a doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew), and later added a bowl of naengmyeon (cold noodles). We ended up ordering everything on the menu except for the steamed egg. The meat is great, but the cooked dishes are also solid, making it one of those rare restaurants where every single menu item is good.

An employee slicing meat on a cutting board inside the restaurant. — This is the sight you see as soon as you walk in.

A wooden menu board listing items and prices such as Hanwoo galbisal (beef rib meat) and Hanwoo yukhoe (beef tartare). — It seems they set the portion at 110g to hit the 15,000 KRW price point. At 13,500 KRW per 100g, it's slightly more expensive than a butcher-style restaurant.

A copper-colored grill placed over a charcoal fire. — First off, they use real oak charcoal. For the price, the charcoal quality is excellent.

A table with a few pieces of meat on a charcoal grill and side dishes placed around it.

A silver tray full of marinated beef short ribs sprinkled with green onions and garlic.

Pieces of marinated beef short ribs starting to cook on a charcoal grill.

Pieces of beef short ribs browning on a charcoal grill.

Seasoned yukhoe (beef tartare) and julienned pear in a stainless steel bowl. — A portioned-out serving of beef tartare. The colors in all my photos came out looking a bit weird.

A piece of grilled meat held by chopsticks with green onion salad visible underneath.

Since they are marinated ribs, I expected a very strong marinade smell, but it was barely noticeable. It was just enough to mask any gaminess of the raw meat. I feel like I've had something similar before, but I can't quite remember where. It might have been at Budnamujip, but the price difference is almost double. Eating the beef tartare, it tasted very fresh and refreshing. I had beef tartare in Seocho-dong a few days ago, and even though it was late at night, it had a funky smell that made me worry about getting an upset stomach. However, the tartare I had today was incredibly clean. In Hannam-dong, a similar style of soybean paste stew would sell for 10,000 KRW, but here they sell it at a standard side dish price. The cold noodles were just your average neighborhood cold noodles.

There isn't any special interior decor, but it's a genuinely great place just for the meat and soybean paste stew alone. If there's a downside, it's that there is no parking, so you have to park on the main street.

The restaurant's large glass windows and interior seen from the outside at night. — With fewer than 10 tables, the place is usually packed and requires waiting in line. In the summer, they even set up tables on the street.

#Hanwoo #SeongsuDining #BeefRibs #SeongsuHanwoo #SeongsuCompanyDinner #SeongsuDate