Best Pot Rice and Hamburg Steak in Jongno Ikseon-dong, Seoul

/ Seoul / By

Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of minced-meat dishes like Hamburg steak or Korean-style patties.

But oh boy, lately, my Instagram feed has been flooded with all sorts of hamburg steaks: traditional Japanese-style, charcoal-grilled, hay-smoked, and those boasting juiciness like it’s their middle name.

Is this a trend? Well, if it is, I have no choice but to check it out, right? 😂 Can’t resist those Insta-famous spots! 🤩

우연화 익선 (Woo Yeon Hwa, Ikseon-dong)

Address: 1st Floor, 30-2 Supyo-ro 28-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Phone: 0507-1490-7984
Hours: 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM (Break: 3 PM – 5 PM on weekdays)

Amid the sea of hamburg steak joints, I went for a hotspot that was conveniently close: Woo Yeon Hwa in Ikseon-dong. 🏃‍♀️

Located near the entrance of Ikseon-dong, it’s pretty easy to find. For a moment, I thought I had hit the jackpot with no waiting line, but nope! You register your name, and voilà—40 minutes later, we were finally in. (Pro tip: You can reserve in advance via Catch Table!)

The Experience

Orders are made at a kiosk by the entrance, and a staff member assigns your seat. We opted for the two-person set with an additional demi-glace curry because why not? 😎

The interior? A long bar table setup, centered around the grill where the magic happens. Cozy vibes, plenty of seating. Watching the steaks sizzle and brown? Chef’s kiss 👨‍🍳—a visual appetizer!

However, first impressions were a bit mixed: instead of the delicious aroma of grilled meat, there was an odd lingering smell of raw meat. Sensitive nose? Maybe. Still, it threw me off. 😬

The Food

The 2-person set is 50,000 KRW and includes:

2 hamburg steaks per person
Geotjeori (fresh kimchi) salad
Seasoned pollack roe with perilla oil
Two marinated eggs
Two sodas

First to hit the table: geotjeori salad and seasoned pollack roe. Can we take a moment to appreciate the salad? It was so good that my dining buddy (a self-proclaimed recipe hunter) couldn’t stop raving about wanting to recreate it. 🥗✨

The marinated eggs are served with instructions to separate the yolk and top your rice with it alongside the hamburg steak. Since raw egg isn’t my jam, I gracefully passed mine to my friend—sharing is caring! 🥚💛

Drinks-wise, we upgraded from the included soda to lychee tea ade and omija ade for 4,000 KRW each. Honestly? Nice but unnecessary—next time, I’ll stick with the soda. 🍹

Then came the main show: the grilled hamburg steaks on sizzling wire mesh plates. My friend was so excited that they accidentally dropped one of theirs onto the table—oops! Pro tip: careful maneuvering is key! 😂

The steaks themselves were juicy and smoky, thanks to the charcoal grilling. As someone who prefers well-done, the medium doneness was a bit much for me, but hey, all that juice had to go somewhere! 😅

Meanwhile, my friend went all out, stacking their steak on rice with yolk and soy sauce for the full experience. I kept it simple—geotjeori salad, wasabi, and a bit of salt on the side were my besties.

The demi-glace curry? Meh. Not bad, but not memorable either. If I go back, I’d skip it. Curry FOMO? Cured. 😌

The Star of the Show

The real MVP here is the rice. I’m not kidding—Woo Yeon Hwa could market itself as a rice specialty restaurant. The rice is steamed in a traditional pot and comes with this incredible aroma that hits you like a warm hug. It’s chewy, fragrant, and just perfect. I’m seriously still dreaming about it. 🍚💯

Final Thoughts

Woo Yeon Hwa is definitely Instagram-worthy with its live grilling action and cozy vibes. That said, would I go back? Eh, maybe not. The hamburg steak, while good, didn’t blow my mind, and the long wait time doesn’t help.

But if you’re a rice lover or want to try an epic geotjeori salad, this place is a must-visit. For me, it’s one-and-done! 🙃