Maple Tree House Itaewon is a korean bbq restaurant in Itaewon, Seoul.
Editorially verified May 29, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Hanu sirloin, Jeju black pork belly
Must order: Aged hanwoo sirloin and Jeju heuk dwaeji (black pork belly) grilled tableside with full banchan spread and perilla leaf wraps.
Tip: The Samcheong-dong original is smaller and more moody; the Itaewon branch is easier to reach from central hotels.
Address: 26 Itaewon-ro 27ga-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Ungteori is Hongdae's busiest fresh-cut all-you-can-eat samgyeopsal house, with never-frozen pork belly and neck delivered daily and a flat-price spread.
Signature: Fresh-cut pork belly samgyeopsal, Pork neck moksal
Order: All-you-can-eat fresh samgyeopsal and moksal grilled at the table with kimchi and lettuce wraps included.
Tip: The fixed-price AYCE works out cheaper than ordering by the cut once two people split sides; come before 18:30 to skip the queue.
Open since 1953, Ojangdong serves Hamheung-style naengmyeon: potato starch noodles notably chewier than Pyongyang style, best in the spicy bibim version.
Signature: Bibim naengmyeon, Mul naengmyeon
Order: Bibim naengmyeon: chewy potato starch noodles tossed in a sweet-spicy red sauce with cold beef and a soft-boiled egg.
Tip: Hamheung noodles are chewier than Pyongyang style; cut with scissors at the table if you prefer shorter strands.
Vegan Insa in the hanok lanes of Ikseon-dong is consistently rated one of Seoul's best vegan restaurants: purely plant-based Korean food in a traditional.
Signature: Vegan bibimbap, Banchan set
Order: Fully plant-based Korean banchan and rice.
Tip: Ikseon-dong is a 10-minute walk from Insadong and worth the detour for its traditional atmosphere.
Open 24 hours, Bonga near Dongdaemun cooks its seolleongtang in traditional cast-iron pots from ten beef cuts for 24 hours: the bowl that market traders.
Signature: Gamasot seolleongtang
Order: Gamasot seolleongtang from the iron cauldron.
Tip: This is the best late-night beef broth in the city; order extra rice to soak the last of the bowl.
A traditional Korean lunch counter in Insadong serving plant-based kimbap and banchan, rated 4.5 stars across 400+ HappyCow reviews for consistent quality.
Signature: Vegan kimbap, Organic banchan
Order: Vegan kimbap (seaweed rice rolls) with seasonal vegetable fillings.
Tip: Arrive early; the seating is limited and the queue forms quickly at lunchtime.
EID on Usadan-ro near Seoul Central Mosque is the city's most respected halal Korean restaurant, run by a Korean Muslim family since the 1990s.
Signature: Halal Korean BBQ, Bibimbap
Order: Halal bibimbap or Korean BBQ platter.
Tip: The mosque alley on Usadan-ro has several halal Korean options side by side; EID is the one with the longest-running local reputation.
