Wolfgang's Steakhouse (Cheongdam)

02What to order

• Porterhouse₩37,000 per 100 g, for two (1,000 g), three (1,500 g) or four (2,000 g). At the 2015 opening, the 1 kg porterhouse for two was ₩168,000.
• Prime NY sirloin and rib eyeThe sirloin comes at 600 g and ₩34,000 per 100 g; the rib eye at 700 g and ₩35,000 per 100 g.
• Broiled aged kimchiMugeunji under the broiler, the house's Korean side; ₩16,000.
• Thick-cut Canadian baconBy the slice, ₩14,000.
• Cheongdam lunchWeekdays 11:00–15:00, ₩130,000: 180 g of filet mignon or 350 g of NY sirloin.

03The beef

The animal is Black Angus graded USDA Prime, which the house places in the top 3 % of American beef. It arrives by air under cold chain and is dry-aged for 28 days in the house's own ageing room, the geonsukseongsil. In 2015 the Korea Herald described 4–5 days of wet ageing in transit before those 28 days, with supply through the American wholesaler Master Purveyors; Time Out, the same year, gave 22–28 days. Each piece loses 10–15 % of its size as it dry-ages, the house said. One cut skips the dry room: the filet mignon on the lunch menu is wet-aged. The number: 28 days.

04The fire

Steaks are cooked at 1,600 °F (870 °C) and reach the table on a very hot plate; in 2015 Time Out described a broiler at about 871 °C.

05The story

Wolfgang's opened to the public on Monday 23 March 2015 in Cheongdam-dong, the first in South Korea. The Korea Herald counted it as the chain's 11th restaurant and its second in Asia; the house's Korean site calls Seoul its third in Asia, after Roppongi, and the two sources do not agree. In 2015 the Korean partner was Tera International. A second Seoul branch now operates in Gwanghwamun. The entrance appears in episode 1 of the tvN drama Crash Landing on You.

06The practical

Wolfgang's occupies B1–B2 of the Yeongin Building, 21 Seolleung-ro 152-gil, five minutes' walk from exit 4 of Apgujeongrodeo station (Bundang line), with valet parking. It opens 11:00–22:00 every day of the year, last order 21:00. There are 180 covers and 9 private rooms of up to 10, two joined for 20; rooms carry a minimum spend of ₩750,000 at lunch and ₩1,000,000 at dinner. Dress is smart casual; slippers or flip-flops can mean being turned away. Phone 02-556-8700, or book through Naver Booking or Kakao chat.

Address

B1–B2, Yeongin Building, 21 Seolleung-ro 152-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Phone

+82 2-556-8700

Website

wolfgangssteakhouse.co.kr

Directions

Google Maps ↗

07In Seoul’s selections