If you’ve read our 15 Must-Eat Food in Seoul post, then you would’ve noticed that this Korean Beef BBQ place (Doma ë„마) is one of the places listed!
Located right opposite Aland in Hongdae, this place thrives at night with locals swarming for seats. The restaurant’s wooden exterior really stands out from its surroundings and it gives a warm welcoming feeling when you’re dining in.
The menu provided came in the form of a wooden block shaped like a cow with the different parts labelled according to the respective parts of the meat you could choose from.
Fret not! If you can’t read Korean, the rest of the menu inside the wooden block is written in English! Also, the waiters also recommended that the best part of the beef actually came from between the muscles and the fats of the cow.
For the meal, we ordered the assorted set which consisted of the various parts of the beef. What I like most about the meal is that you can really taste the freshness of the beef! It’s soft and tender depending on the cut. You can also cut up the meat depending on how big a portion you prefer.
The beef is barbecued over hot charcoal, which also adds to the smoky flavour of the meat. Of course, just like many other Korean BBQ outlets, you can cook your meat to your preferred doneness. In my own opinion, it tasted the best when it was medium well, so that it’s done on the outside and chewy on the inside.
The best part of the beef was saved for the last. This was the part of the beef that the waiter said was the best. It tasted really good! The beef was rich and it was not too chewy. It went well with the soy sauce that came with the meal, as the saltiness of the soy sauce balanced out the taste of the beef.
Accompanying the meal was the Hot Tofu Stew. When eaten along with the beef, this makes a great combination for a meal especially on cold nights in Seoul as it will really warm your body up. I really liked how the stew had the right consistency and it was neither too thick nor thin.
Lastly, you can’t miss out on the large shiitake mushrooms that’s barbecued over the grill. The right way of eating this is to save it for the end of the meal to cleanse your palate. You can really taste the freshness of the mushroom and I especially liked the texture of it after it has been barbecued.
I strongly recommend this place if you’re looking for Korean BBQ restaurant that specialises in beef. It’s also a great venue to come along with your friends to chill out and catch up over BBQ and drinks.
