Ooh Ahh Hagea 牛雅 우아하게 (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

For months, I’ve been trying to bring little nugget to Hinikinu To Come (挽肉と米) for their famously succulent, freshly grilled hamburger steaks. But as anyone in Hong Kong knows, both branches (IFC and Harbour City) are practically impossible to get in.

So during our recent trip to Seoul, I figured… why not look for an alternative? After all, little nugget has been obsessed with beef and steak lately, and I knew he’d love something along those lines.

Tucked away in a quiet corner on the edge of Hongdae, I managed to find Ooh Ahh Hagea (牛雅 우아하게), a Korean restaurant that specializes in charcoal-grilled hamburger steaks made with Korean beef. 

The setup instantly reminded me of Hinikinu To Come, a circular counter surrounds the open charcoal grill, allowing guests watch the chef in action as he flips the patties to perfection.

The moment we walked in, the smell of charred meat over hot coals was absolutely irresistible.

Here, the star of the show is the tteokgalbi, or Korean-style hamburger steak. 

Tteokgalbi set – Each set comes in two options:

• ₩14,900 for a 2-piece set (great for lighter appetites)
• ₩17,900 for a 3-piece set (perfect for meat lovers)

And we get to choose between a Korean-style or Western-style combo.

Korean style: This includes a small salad, soup and a few small Korean side dishes. The hamburger steaks would be served up when they were readily grilled.

Western-style: I went with the western style myself with mushrooms, vegetables, tomatoes, fried egg and a bowl of steamed rice. There was a pool of tomato sauce sitting there ready for the grilled beef patties.

As soon as the hamburger steaks are ready, the chef wasted no time placing them onto our metal plates.

The combination of tomato sauce, diced vegetables and chargrilled beef patties just worked so well together. Comforting, hearty, and full of flavor.

Grilled king prawns (₩18,000) – We also tried the grilled king prawns which were nice and bouncy in texture. 

Nothing mind-blowing but definitely complemented the beef patties and rice nicely.

This meal drew mixed reviews from the team but for under HK$100 per set, I wasn’t expecting to be completely blown away. While it may not quite rival Hinikinu To Come, Ooh Ahh Hagea still offers a satisfying experience especially if you’re craving charcoal-grilled hamburger steak in a cozy, chef-at-the-counter setup.

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: ₩₩

Address: 201-53 Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Hongik University

Tel: +82 2-336-7883

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 10:00pm daily