Born and Bred (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★★☆

With little nugget’s newfound obsession with steak, it came as little surprise that I’d be booking a dinner at one of Seoul’s top steakhouses for this trip. And since I had never dined at Born and Bred before, it was a no-brainer to reach out and secure a table at this highly coveted steakhouse which has been a favorite on the radar of both the Michelin Guide and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Ranked No. 51 on Asia’s 50 Best list this year (slightly down from No. 47 last year), Born and Bred is renowned for its top-tier Korean Hanwoo beef, grilled over charcoal and served with white-glove precision. Best of all, each table is taken care of by a dedicated chef, who handles everything from start to finish.

We arrived a little ahead of schedule and were immediately to the ground-level lounge while they prepared our table. This would end up taking almost 30 minutes.

But we didn’t mind. Not when we had the best seats to the restaurant’s in-house butcher shop, where some of Seoul’s finest cuts are prepared with care and precision.

Finally, we were ushered to the main dining room on the second floor. Our chef who spoke fluent English quickly went over the menu with us with a highlight on the daily specials. We would end up getting ourselves 400g of ribeye (steak cut) and 200g of tenderloin (Korean cut). Of course, the final weight and portion would be confirmed after slicing in the butcher room.

Before the grilling actually began, we were invited to enjoy an impressive array of banchan (Korean side dishes) — a signature part of any Korean meal.

This was highlighted by three types of kimchi, started with the Baechu kimchi.

White kimchi.....

I forgot to jot this one down but I thought I heard kimchi confit. As our server put it, only the top steakhouses in Korea offer this kind of kimchi.

 

There was also a small quenelle of spicy herring roes which I absolutely love (more on this later).

My personal favorite? A creamy potato salad that reminded me of a classic Russian-style potato salad. Fast start!

As soon as our chef got the charcoal grill fired up, the game was about to begin with our first Korean-cut tenderloin. 

Born and Bred doesn’t just serve Hanwoo 1++ beef, the highest official grade of Korean beef.  They go one step further with Hanwoo 1++ BMS9 Grade, the absolute highest quality of Korean Hanwoo beef (BMS = Beef Marbling Score?). It doesn’t get better than this. 😏😏

We have four kinds of condiments to complement our steak tonight including some lavender infused salt, Korean chili paste, doenjang (大醬) or Korean soybean paste and premium soy.

First up, some top-notch Hanwoo tenderloin.

Lean but incredibly tender. As the tenderloin was more on the lean side, we were told by our chef to simply enjoy it without any condiments to get its natural flavors take over.

For the second round of tenderloin, we were told to pair the meat with the premium soy for a lovely umami-rich finish. That smoky char, courtesy of the charcoal grill, made each bite even more irresistible.

After enjoying a couple rounds of the beef tenderloin, it was time to indulge ourselves in the well-marbled rib-eye. The rib-eye steak bursting with juicy, bold flavors, was a stark contrast to the lean tenderloin we had earlier.

This was just super juicy and flavorful. We were told to enjoy it with either the salt or soy sauce.

I decided to have some of these with the spicy herring roes. What a wonderful match!

Our chef saved the ribeye cap till the very end calling it the best part of the cut.

While the flavor was consistent with the rest of the ribeye, the cap did have a wonderfully bouncy texture.

Ram-don (₩15,000) – Little one wanted some starch to go with his charcoal grilled steak so we ended up ordering a small bowl of ram-don for him. Sounds like this was straight out of the "Parasite" movie, a mash-up of two instant ramen noodles with small pieces of tender beef.

I have to admit, the ramen noodles were really addictive after they tossed them in the homemade sweet soy.

More meat before we reach the finish line.

After observing our chef work tirelessly throughout the night, I discovered a fascinating cooking technique he employed. He would often grill a steak partially, then allow it to cool briefly before returning it to the charcoal. This meticulous process likely enhanced the meat's rich flavor and perfect texture. It’s a technique I wouldn’t dare attempt myself. I’d probably ruin these premium cuts in minutes! 😅😅

Dining at Born and Bred is by no means cheap but it’s one of the smartest splurges I made on this trip. The experience felt more like fine-dining than a typical steakhouse meal. Flawless (and interactive) service, top-tier ingredients, and an ambiance that elevates the entire dining experience. I’m sure everyone wants to come back for more on our next trip to Seoul. And I know I will.

Food Rating: 7.6/10

Price: ₩₩₩₩

Address: 781-15 Majang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Majang

Tel: +82 2-2294-5005

Website: https://www.catchtable.net/shop/bandb?type=DINING_GLOBAL

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 10:15pm daily

S. Pellegrino Asia's 50 Best Restaurants: 51st (2025)