Pungryugak • 풍류각

Pungryugak (풍류각) is a Korean BBQ restaurant located near Hapjeong Station (합정역) that specializes in dry-aged 1++ Hanwoo meat. The restaurant has a clean, modern interior with plenty of seatings around the space. Each table is equipped with its own modern BBQ exhaust pipe that prevents smokes from filling up the room which is always a nice touch to a Korean BBQ restaurant. On the further end of the dining area, there are 2 private rooms that can accommodate 8 people in each room if you wish to have a more private dining experience. The restaurant also seems to have been visited by a number of celebrities and public figures, evident by the number of framed signatures they hung up on the wall of the restaurants. 

If you’re not familiar with Hanwoo, it is a breed of Korean cattle known for its high-quality, marbled beef. For that reason alone, it is usually compared to Japanese Wagyu (if Japan has Wagyu, Korea has Hanwoo). Hanwoo has their own grading system for their quality of the meat and the highest grade is called the 1++ or 투플러스 (투뿔) in Korean. 1++ grade Hanwoo usually has the highest marbling and tenderness and a higher price point compared to the lower tiers.

Just like a lot of newer restaurants in Seoul that just opened these past couple of years, Pungryugak uses the tabletop tablet ordering system. So all you have to do is browse the menu on the tablet, add the menu you want to order to the cart and press order. For this restaurant though, I don’t remember if they have language options. I came with my Korean friend and since we both can read Korean, I didn’t pay attention if they have option to change the language (you can always use Google Translate camera to read the menu if they don’t). Anyways, not long after we got seated, we placed our orders and the food came out soon after. 

Gochujang Beef Tartare (고추장육회) ₩15,000 | 8.5/10

The yukhoe (beef tartare) was nice and fresh. The temperature was also just right, not too cold or too warm. The gochujang (red pepper paste) sauce was a tad spicy for me but it’s a solid yukhoe.

Dry-Aged Hanwoo Beef Tounge (한우 우설) ₩29,000 | 9/10

20-Day Dry-Aged Beef Tounge
한우우설을 20일간 드라이에이징하여 쫀득하면서 아삭한 식감의 스페셜메뉴

The texture of the beef tongue was soft but still has that chewiness in the bite and it was juicy. Also there’s no meaty smell at all (sometimes there’s a certain smell in beef tongue if they don’t prepare or cook it properly).

Assorted 1++ Hanwoo Platter (투뿔한우모듬) ₩69,000 | 9/10

The Assorted 1++ Hanwoo Platter consists of the 1++ Hanwoo Kkotsal (top) and Dry-Aged 1++ Hanwoo Galbi (bottom).

Dry-Aged 1++ Hanwoo Galbi (Short Ribs) | 8.5/10

드라이에이징 투뿔한우갈비살 

The galbi was juicy, chewy but not tough at all. Galbi is usually a safe choice if you want a good, delicious meat for Korean BBQ and this one was no different. 

1++ Hanwoo Kkotsal (Chuck Flap Tail) | 9/10

투뿔 꽃살

The kkotsal has a very nice marbling. It was also the softest and juiciest out of all the cuts we ordered. Definitely my favorite cut of this meal.

After my first visit with my friend, I actually came back again a few days later with another friend. This time we ordered the Hanwoo Dry-Aged Beef Tounge (한우 우설) and 1++ Hanwoo Anchangsal (Outside Skirt) (투뿔 안창살). Didn’t take proper picture of the anchangsal but it was actually pretty good too. A 8.5/10 from me. This restaurant has officially made it to my ‘K-BBQ Restaurants in Hapjeong Area’ list. Definitely worth visiting if you want to get some high-quality Hanwoo.

 

Pungryugak • 풍류각

Address: 서울 마포구 월드컵로 33 1층
Telephone: 0507-1425-9279
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:00 - 02:00 (Break Time: 15:00 - 17:00) | Sat-Sun 11:00 - 02:00

Instagram: @pungryugak

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Sutbul PIK

Sutbul is a new contemporary Korean dining restaurant that just opened in Golf Island PIK February this year. Focusing on traditional menus with a modern twist, Sutbul offers a variety of unique menus that are different from the dishes one usually find in a typical Korean restaurant in Jakarta. They also prided themselves in their meat cooking techniques where they use imported meat grilling rack from Korea with Binchotan charcoal, the purest charcoal on earth that burns with constant heat bringing out the best flavors in the meat it cooks.

The traditional meets modern concept also extends to the design of the interior of the restaurant. Although the choice of furnitures and fixtures decorating the space feel modern, there’s a certain air of nostalgia exuded by the burnt amber ceramic tiles and the beautiful Korean folklore traditional prints adorning the walls. This two-story restaurant feels stylish and modern but still warm and welcoming at the same time, making it a perfect place to go to if you feel like dressing up for a special occasion or for a casual meal with friends and family.

To start off the meal, they provide you with complimentary corn tea and seven different kinds of banchan. The banchan selections change from time to time but some of the permanent ones (at least the ones that I always got during my multiple visits to this place) are the sweet potatoes, fishcakes, pajeon/pancakes and the pickled onions. And I can say that their banchans are really good.

🍞 Makgeolli Bread 막걸리빵 (59k) | 10/10

Korean Rice Wine Bread, Charcoal Butter

Served in a steaming bamboo container, the Makgeolli bread is warm, soft and chewy. The texture reminded me of Indonesian’s Kue Mangkok, but softer and fluffier. The Makgeolli taste in the bread is subtle and not too sweet. For me though, as delicious as the bread is, the best thing about this dish is the charcoal butter. You got to dip the bread into the charcoal butter and get that combination of sweet and salty from the butter and salt. It’s soooo good. Easily one of my best new food finds this year and I’ve been ordering this on my subsequent visits to Sutbul since the first time I’ve had this. Although instead of having this as an appetizer, I now have this as a dessert.

🐟 Salmon Jang 연어장 (30k/slice) | 8.5/10

Soy Marinated Salmon, Onion

In Korean cuisine, “Jang” (장) refers to a family of traditional fermented sauces that are fundamental to Korean cooking. For the salmon jang, they are using Korean fermented soy sauce (ganjang 간장) so the taste of the soy sauce is different than the ones usually served with sushi or sashimi in a Japanese restaurant (don’t expect it to be the same flavor). The sauce tasted closer to the Korean soy marinated crab (ganjang gaejang  간장 게장) if you’ve ever had one of those. Taste wise, I think they really nailed the Korean flavor profile on the soy sauce. And the salmon pieces were fresh and thick with generous portion.

🥩 Yukhoe 육회 (Wagyu Picanha MB7 80g 250k) | 8/10

Raw Beef, Pear, Seaweed

The raw beef is fresh and cut nicely. The flavor of this dish is on the bolder side since they use soy sauce to marinate the beef (thus the slightly darker color of the meat) and the fresh yolk also added to the creaminess of the overall taste after being mixed together. The pear slices were sweet and fresh and worked really well to add a brighter note to the dish. I do wish the beef tartare is slightly colder than the room temperature that it was served on (but also, I was taking pics of the food for a while so it may contribute the temperature of the meat. Not too sure about this).

🍜  Perilla Cold Noodles 들기름 국수 (110k) | 10/10

Capellini Pasta, Perilla Oil, Perilla Leaves, Perilla Seeds, Seaweed

This is their signature menu that I haven’t seen anywhere else in Jakarta (at least as of now when I’m writing this post. If there’s other restaurant that’s serving this, I probably haven’t heard of it yet). Just like the name suggest, the flavor of this dish screams perilla, but in a nice refreshing way. The pasta is cooked al dente and the dish is really nicely seasoned with earthy, umami and creamy (but not too creamy and more on the lighter end of creamy) flavors. The seaweed powder also added a nice savoriness to the dish. If you like sesame oil or black sesame, roasted soybean, Korean mugwort flavored things like me, you’ll probably enjoy this dish. This is also a perfect dish to have during one of the hot days in Jakarta when you want something light and refreshing and it has become one of the menu that I always order on my every visit. 

🥩 Thick Cut Ox Tongue 우설 150g (425k) | 6/10

The Ox Tongue cuts were nice, thick and well seasoned but the texture was a bit tough and too chewy for my personal taste.

🥩 Beef Platter (1,450k) | 8/10

150g Sirloin (Top Left), 150g Chuck Flap (Top Right), 150g Rib Eye (Bottom)

The meat were nicely cooked although some pieces are a bit burnt on the outside so I took some point off for that. The Chuck Flap was the thickest one, has more fat and the juiciest out of the three cuts. I enjoyed this one the most. The other two are more on the leaner side but still enjoyable. 

🍰 Hotteok Ice Cream 호떡 아이스크림 (79k) | 8/10

Glutinous Rice Pancake, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Walnut, Vanilla Ice Cream

Pretty good dessert although it’s a tiny bit sweet for my personal taste. The portion is pretty generous though so make sure you leave some room in your stomach if you want to order this dessert or share it with the table. 

Other dishes that I’ve tried during my subsequent visits (when I didn’t bring my camera so I have no pictures of the individual dish other than this one below) are:

🍽️ Sogogi Gukbap 소고기 국밥 (130k) | 9/10

Beef Bone Soup, Beef Shank, Shimeji, Shiitake, White Rice

A comforting bowl of soup with generous toppings of beef chunks, mushrooms, radish, zucchini (I think. Cmiiw), green onions and eggs. Unlike the usual white/clear soup gukbap that I always had, the soup on this one is red and reminded me of jjigae (Korean stew) style soup, only less concentrated and lighter. It is a bit spicy for me who can’t handle spicy food well, but for people who does, this is probably not spicy at all. 

🥩 Pork Belly 200g 삼겹살 (168k) | 9/10

One of the better pork belly in this price range that I’ve had in a Korean restaurant around PIK area. Nicely cooked pieces of meat that were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. 

🥩 Pork Jowl 200g 항정살 (168k) | 9/10

Their pork jowl is also delicious. Same comment as the pork belly, nicely cooked pieces of meat that were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. And this one is more tender than the pork belly. 

🥩 Marinated Pork Collar 200g 양념목살 (168k) | 7/10

This one’s a bit tricky. The marination of the meat was really delicious but the texture of the pieces of meat that we got were not consistent. When I tried this, I went with two of my friends and the pieces of meat that I had were good and nice, but they got the tougher pieces so it was not as enjoyable for them as it was for me (I took some points off because of this). But we all agreed that the marination sauce is really good.

After my visit, I also recommended this place to a couple of my friends who went and ordered this menu. The result was 50-50. Half of them got great pieces of meat, half of them got tougher meat. I ended up asking about this to the manager during one of my subsequent visits and he told me that as of right now, they’re still continuously trying to address the inconsistency of the meat. So if you want to try this menu, maybe ask the server first if you’ll be getting a good piece of meat or not on that day before ordering (they could probably tell you by seeing the meat they have in stock that day). Honestly the dish is pretty good, it’s just if you got tougher pieces of meat, it won’t be as enjoyable so I just want to put it out there as a disclaimer. 

I have been back to Sutbul numerous times for dine-in and take-out since my first visit and I have to say (apart from the pork collar) their food is consistently good. My go-to menus usually are: Perilla Cold Noodles (you got to try this if this is your first visit to Sutbul), Sogogi Gukbap, and the Makgeolli Bread. For the meat, pork jowl and pork belly are probably the top two meat options right now since I haven’t tried the rest of the beef cuts just yet and their pork meat prices are pretty affordable. 

Service at this restaurant is also really good. Super friendly staff (for introverts it could be bordering on too friendly though since the staff’s energy level is pretty high. Just an FYI) and prompt service. The place is also pet friendly so if you want to bring your furry friends with you, you definitely can. If you’re looking for a Korean restaurant with less than traditional menu, I would totally recommend this place to try. And with how frequent I’ve been to this place lately, who knows, you might bump into me too (say hi if you do!).

Sutbul PIK

Address: Golf Island, Jln Rukan Jl. Pantai Indah Kapuk No.12 Blok J, DKI Jakarta 14470, Indonesia
Telephone: +62896 0371 5091
Hours: Everyday 11:00 - 00:00

Instagram: @sutbul.jkt

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Solsot Cheongdam • 솔솥 청담점

Solsot Cheongdam (솔솥 청담점) is a chain restaurant that is specialized in “Sotbap” (솥밥) (or“pot rice” in Korean), a Korean traditional dish where short-grain rice is cooked with various ingredients in a heavy pot placed directly on a stove or over an open flame. The dish has been gaining popularity (or at least I’ve seen more and more clips online of restaurants serving Sotbap) in the past couple of years and in my opinion is one of the food trends that’s pretty popular in Korea in recent times (not recent recent, but pretty recent). I still remember a couple of years ago when it started with one or two restaurants that went viral because of their Sotbap menu. But these days, you can find multiple restaurants that have similar concepts in different places in the country. Solsot is one of the bigger franchise in this category with 77 locations all over South Korea. 

I went to the Cheongdam location (솔솥 청담점) on a Friday for lunch with a friend of mine. We arrived at 11:30 am, right before the lunch rush started and managed to get a table right away. The restaurant is not too big with about 24 seatings available around the room. The tables are for mostly for 4 people, but there are about four tables that accommodate party of two. And good thing we came a little early because minutes later, the restaurant was full with people and there’s even a line forming outside. So yes, the place is definitely pretty popular and you might have to wait for a table if you come during lunch or dinner rush. 

The menu here is pretty straight forward with accompanying pictures so you don’t have to guess what you’re getting. Each Sotbap set comes with sides of salad, soup, banchan, dipping sauce and a Yakult drink. 

How To Eat

First, mixed everything inside the pot. Add the sauce too according to your preference and liking. After everything is mixed together, scoop the rice out and place them on the empty plate they gave with your set. If you want to enjoy the Nurungji (or scorched rice), leave the crispy rice that’s sticking to the pot and then pour the hot tea/broth that they gave you inside the white sake bottle shaped container into the pot and put the lid back on top. You can eat this at the end of your meal after you finish your Sotbap.

Overall Comment

One thing I have to say about the flavors, if you’re imagining Sotbap to have a bold flavors (as in South East Asian standard for bold flavors and strong seasonings for example), you might be disappointed when eating it. In general, I think when talking about what considered comfort food in Korea, most of the dishes are very mildly seasoned, especially if you’re comparing it to the flavors one usually finds in South East Asian cooking. Even my Korean friends have told me that SEA foods are generally stronger in seasonings and saltier compared to Korean food (not all, but majority of it). So for the locals, the flavors and seasonings might already hit their level of comfort, but if you are from South East Asia or prefer a strongly seasoned dishes like those found in the SEA countries, Sotbap could taste a tad under seasoned for your taste buds. Just a heads up.

Abalone Sotbap (전복솥밥) ₩18,000 | 8/10

The abalone is fresh and chewy, not tough at all. This Sotbap tastes very earthy especially with the addition of the sesame seeds. For the Abalone Sotbap, it does come with a pack of seaweed sheet on the side. And they recommend you to wrap the rice with the seaweed, dip it into the sauce and eat it in one bite. Eating it this way does add a layer of complexity to the Sotbap and enhance that sea flavor in your bite.

Steak Sotbap (스테이크솥밥) ₩18,000 | 8/10

The steak is nice and tender with pretty generous portion. The egg yolk added an extra creaminess to the Sotbap which I enjoyed. The sauce for the Steak Sotbap is a bit saltier than the Abalone Sotbap’s sauce so I would recommend you to pour it little by little first and taste it in case pouring everything in all together is too salty for you. 

All and all, my friend and I enjoyed our meal. We were pretty stuffed by the end of our lunch (we didn’t even finish all of our rice, just the proteins cause the portion is actually bigger than we thought) and the Sotbap felt like a very healthy meal. If you’re looking for something warm, comforting and nutritious for your body, I think Sotbap is the way to go.

 

Solsot Cheongdam • 솔솥 청담점

Address: 서울 강남구 도산대로53길 16
Telephone: 0507-1334-6806
Hours: Everyday 11:30-21:00 (Last Order 20:30)

Instagram: @solsot_official

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Yoo Bang Nyeong The Hyundai Seoul • 유방녕 더현대서울점

Yoo Bang Nyeong The Hyundai Seoul (유방녕 더현대서울점) is a Chinese restaurant that is located at the B1 Floor of The Hyundai Seoul Mall (더현대서울). I ended up at this restaurant simply because me and my friend wanted to eat some Jjajangmyeon and Tangsuyuk when we were hanging out at The Hyundai Seoul and this place seemed to have a pretty good options for those. 

As soon as we walked in, we took a seat at one of the empty table inside the pretty spacious restaurant. We put our order into the self-service tablet on the table and not long after, our food was served.

Yooni Jjajangmyeon (유니짜장면) ₩11,000 | 9/10

Black Bean Sauce Noodles with Minced Meat

The noodle is cooked perfectly and it’s very easy to mix the sauce (some places have the noodle clumped up together, but this place definitely cooked their noodle right). The black bean sauce is also really tasty and flavorful. One of the better Jjajangmyeon I’ve had in Seoul.

Black Garlic Tangsuyuk (흑마늘 탕수육) (Small) ₩33,000 | 9/10

Black garlic sweet and sour pork

The texture of the tangsuyuk is so good. Crispy breading on the outside with juicy tender pork meat on the inside. The sweet and sour sauce also hit that middle balance between sweet and sour, making it a perfect pair for the meat. This was the first time I tried black garlic and I thought it’s gonna taste like a raw garlic and spicy. But surprisingly, it tasted sweet. If you like black garlic, you’ll definitely enjoy this dish (my friend who eats black garlic often did).

This is one of those no frill, no fuss kind of restaurant that you can go in and out quickly after you eat your food. And judging by the two menus we ordered, I think it’s safe to say that their food is pretty good. This is place is a good option to try if you’re looking for a place to eat when you’re hanging out at The Hyundai Seoul. As for me, I would definitely come back again to this place if I’m craving for some Jjajangmyeon or Tangsuyuk. 

 

Yoo Bang Nyeong The Hyundai Seoul • 유방녕 더현대서울점

Address: 서울 영등포구 여의대로 108 더현대서울 B1F
Telephone: 0507-1367-0769

Hours:
Monday-Thursday 10:30-20:00 (Last Order 19:30)
Friday-Sunday 10:30-20:30 (Last Order 20:00)

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Emilia Cucina Italiana Alam Sutera

Emilia Cucina Italiana—or more commonly known as Emilia—just opened their fourth location in Alam Sutera last Thursday, 13 March ’25. Known for their authentic Italian dining experience, Emilia is now establishing themselves as one of the go-to places for Italian food in Tangerang area. Their menu consists of a lot of their crowds’ favorites as well as a couple of new dishes and drinks that are only served exclusively at this location. 

Located on the ground floor of Saumata Apartment, the restaurant itself is actually pretty spacious. Decorated with dark wooden furnitures, big plush green sofas, gold and brass lamps as well as wine bottles and vintage prints around the space, the interior gives off an intimate yet friendly and welcoming atmosphere for visiting patrons. The ample seatings also make this restaurant a perfect choice for a lunch spot with friends or coworkers, Sunday brunch with the family, fun night out with friends or a romantic date night with your loved one. 

I went for lunch with my friend during their grand opening day and got to try a couple of different dishes from their menu. One general comment about their food is they are all nicely seasoned, but they’re not too heavy handed with the seasonings (not super ‘medok’ us Indonesians will say). But still, everything is flavorful and delicious. Also, the quality of the food seemed to be consistently good just like their other locations.

Insalata Di Fichi E Prosciutto (175k) | 9/10

Fig, Prosciutto (Pork), Walnut, Burrata, Arugula, Balsamic

The fig and cherry tomatoes were really sweet and juicy. The combination of all the elements in this salad works really well together. They’re fresh, creamy and nutty all at the same time. The amount of balsamic dressing also was just right, making the flavors of every components of this dish shine in every bite. I really enjoyed this dish.

Vita Loca (150k) | 8.5/10

Jasmine Vodka, Aperol, Orange, Ginger 

Took my first sip and the first thing I think about was it felt like I’m in a spa. Like I just finished a session of refreshing spa in one of those resorts in Bali. It’s sweet, refreshing and the Jasmine Vodka is really fragrant. I like this cocktail.

Salsiccia Dei Finocchi Italiani (165k) | 8.5/10

Italian Sausage (Beef), Pomodoro, Red Onion, Mozzarella

Great crispy, airy pizza crust with a little bit of chewiness to the bite. The crust has a nice brown char to it, giving you that added smokiness to the flavor and it has the right amount of sauce and toppings. For Indonesian’s standard though, the flavor of this pizza could be more on the lighter side for some people. But it’s still nicely seasoned and I think it won’t leave you feeling too stuffed if you decide to order a whole pan to eat by yourself.

Pappardelle Con Bistecca (245k) | 8.5/10

Sirlon (100g), Mushroom, Cream

The pasta was cooked al dente. The sirloin was nicely cooked, it was tender and juicy. The creamy mushroom sauce was also really nice.

Hanger Steak (620k) | 10/10

Wagyu Hanging Tender (300gr), Greens, Chimichurri

The Hanger Steak is one of the menus that is only served at this location (I believe. Cmiiw). The meat was perfectly cooked. Every piece was really tender with a slight crisp on the edge but still pink and juicy in the center. The steak also came with a side of salad, Chimichurri sauce and garlic. This was my most favorite menu out of all the dishes that we ordered and I have to say, they really know how to cook their meat (all the meat in the dishes we ordered was cooked nicely).

Conchiglioni Alla Carbonara (330k) | 8.5/10

Conchiglioni, Maple Glazed Thick Beef Bacon (250gr), Grana Padano, Yolk

During our last visit to Emilia Menteng, we had the pork bacon menu so this time we decided to try the beef bacon since the option is available (although there’s an extra charge of 35k if you switch the pork bacon to beef bacon for this dish). The maple glazed thick beef bacon was nicely cooked with a good char on the outside but the meat itself was still tender. Flavor wise, it is definitely more on a sweeter note and kind of reminds me of charsiu pork a little. Also, the pasta was cooked al dente. Overall, it’s a good dish.

Sesame Boulevardier (160k) | 7.5/10

Bourbon Whiskey Fatwash Sesame Oil, Mung Bean Vermouth, Campari

The sesame flavor is really dominant on this one. The overall taste is sweet and nutty with a hint of bitterness to it.

Service was also really good at this place. The staff was friendly, the drinks and food came out promptly and the servers also checked in periodically to see if we need anything. If you’re looking for a place to get good Italian food with a nice cozy ambience around Tangerang area, definitely recommend you to try this place.

 

Emilia Cucina Italiana Alam Sutera

Address: Apartment Saumata, Jl. Alam Utama No.Kav.12-16, RT.001/RW.006, Panunggangan Tim., Kec. Pinang, Kota Tangerang, Banten 15143, Indonesia
Telephone: +6281318884682
Hours: Monday-Sunday 10am-11pm

Instagram: @emilia.jkt

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