Itaewon Restaurant Tongue & Groove Joint

Great place if this your first time in Korea. But otherwise it’s not much Korean about it. Many tourists and foreigners (like me) here, the difference is I know my Korean food and beef. The grill is electric (not charcoal sadly). We took a 500g beef package - 3 types of beef - that was good but one meat was very chewy (unacceptable for a price of 1500 won). Egg was very good and so was the soybean soup. 1 Star – Terrible: Extremely disappointing. Poor taste, bad texture, and low quality. 2 Stars – Poor: Edible but far from enjoyable. Lacks flavor, freshness, or proper preparation. 3 Stars – Average: Decent and passable. Nothing special, but it satisfies hunger. 4 Stars – Good: Tasty and well-prepared. Shows quality and care, with quite a few standout elements. 5 Stars – Excellent: Delicious, memorable, and expertly crafted. High-quality ingredients and exceptional flavor.

Stopped by for lunch and now I see why this place is in the Michelin Guide. The ambience is incredible—modern, chic, and much more elevated than your typical BBQ spot. We had the steaks and they were cooked to perfection. It’s the perfect spot for a high-quality midday meal if you're looking for top-tier meat and a great vibe.

We found this premium Korean BBQ accidentally. We love the ambience of the restaurant. Kids friendly. Great service from the beginning till the end. Juicy and moist meat. Price wise slightly up but overall worth it. Japchae texture is slightly chewy but good taste. Michelin Guide 2025. Good to try while visit Itaewoj area.

Visited after reading on michelin guide for great meat in Seoul - didn't disappoint. Reasonable price for the quality of meat served. Attentive details on salt (natural mineral sea salt from shining gun) and customer experience. Friendly server who grilled at table side to ensure no over cooking. Recommend its sirloin cut， the aged cap needs to be ordered in 2 portions so dodnt get to try. Disclaimer: Theee is a free steamed egg promotion for writing a googke review. But as a seasoned Google local guide, this review is not affected by its promotion. Restaurant quality, value, and staffs truely deserves a 5 star review.

A long-standing K-BBQ restaurant run by a chef for exceptional taste. Known for the outstanding quality of both the meat and the overall dining experience, it welcomes guests from all over the world about half of are locals, and the other half are international visitors who are always received with warm hospitality. All the meat is grilled and served by the staff, ensuring the perfect temperature and doneness every time. Side dishes are unlimited, so feel free to enjoy as much as you like. Don’t miss the signature steamed egg, kimchi fried rice, and soybean paste ramen absolute must tries!

It was a Michelin recommended restaurant that is worth a visit for high quality meats and service! We ordered the Korean aged mineral pork belly, lamb chops, spicy japchae and steamed eggs. There was nothing to fault! We really enjoyed the pork belly and the japchae, which had a unique spicy flavour. Even the banchan (side dishes) were really good, especially the kimchi! They were running a promotion which meant that the steamed egg was complementary, but it was still on the pricey side for the entire dinner.

Excellent cut meats and we had the beef set B. Excellent service with chef that bbq-ed at our table ensuring beef that is perfectly cooked. Banchan was superb. Loved the japchae. Will come back again.

"Absolute 5-star experience! We actually stumbled across Tongue & Groove Joint by chance because we were staying in an Airbnb just up the road, and it turned out to be one of the best meals of our trip. ​The service was excellent, and I loved that the staff grilled the meat perfectly for us at the table. The beef was incredible—it literally melted in your mouth! If you’re in Itaewon, don’t miss this place. A total gem!"