MapleTree House — Restaurant in Seoul

The food at this Korean bbq restaurant is awesome. My local coworkers recommended this restaurant and I was surprised that it was located in a trendy bar area. This place is on par with some of the better Korean bbq places I have eaten at in Los Angeles.

My five star rating is based on the following:

Food: 5 stars Environment: 4 stars Service: 4.5 stars

Recommended dishes: Jeju pork belly, marinated galbi

The menu is in English and easy to navigate. Some of the staff can speak Mandarin Chinese so if you can’t speak Korean that’s an alternative.

We ended up ordering the shrimp, pork belly, galbi, bibimbop and steak. The galbi was marinated in the traditional Korean bbq sauce (soy, garlic, sugar, sesame oil). Marinade was light and the meat flavour still shined through. The staff cooked and prepared the meat on the grill. It was delicious and I feel hungry writing about it.

The steak was also really delicious. The marbling of the meat got me really excited. We were advised to eat the steak with the course salt provided. The meat was tender and juicy. It didn’t need much seasoning and the salt was a nice compliment.

The pork served is a special black haired pork from Jeju island. I went to Jeju a few months ago and can say the pork quality is better than a lot of the restaurants that I went to in Jeju. I recommend trying the pork if you haven’t tried it before.

The shrimp was not as successful. The shrimps were big and the meat was plump. It was a bit bland on its own but the salt made all the difference. The shrimp was good but not as good as the pork or steak. Bibimbap was good but nothing spectacular.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant especially if you are not with locals who can...

Maple Tree House (단풍나무집) sits tucked into one of Itaewon’s more elegant corners, blending traditional Korean BBQ with a polished, international vibe. The address itself—26 Itaewon-ro 27ga-gil—isn’t hard to find, but stepping inside feels like you’ve walked into a more refined kind of grill house. Clean lines, modern lighting, and just the right amount of wood decor make it feel cozy without being cramped. And yes, rumor has it Angelina Jolie once dined here, so there’s definitely a bit of star sparkle in the air.

As for the food, we opted for their most popular set menu, and it didn’t disappoint. The staff brings out the meats with care and handles the charcoal grilling right at your table—no smoke in your face, no guesswork with cooking. Every cut we tried was tender, flavorful, and well-marinated, especially the galbi. The banchan were fresh and nicely varied, and the pacing of the meal was smooth, never rushed. It’s not just a meal—it’s more like a curated dinner experience.

While some may say it’s a bit on the pricier side, you’re paying for more than food—you’re getting service, ambiance, and presentation. It’s not your late-night BBQ fix, but it’s a strong choice for business dinners, date nights, or travelers wanting Korean BBQ with polish. Overall, a solid experience with just enough celebrity lore to make your dinner...

Frustrating Experience with Reservation Mix-up and Poor Customer Service

We were really looking forward to dining at Maple Tree House in Seoul, but unfortunately, our experience was disappointing due to how our reservation issue was handled.

We had booked a table for 7:00 PM through a third-party app, but when we arrived, the staff said our reservation was for 6:00 PM and had been marked as a no-show. We showed them our confirmation clearly stating 7:00 PM, but they still refused to seat us—even though there were multiple empty tables and we were only a party of five.

They did offer to pay for a taxi to one of their other locations, which we appreciated, but that wasn’t an option for us because we had plans nearby after dinner. We weren’t asking for special treatment—just a bit of flexibility, especially since we made a good-faith effort to reserve and arrive on time based on what the app showed.

It was really disappointing to be turned away over a miscommunication that wasn’t entirely our fault. Based on this experience, I’d be hesitant to return or recommend Maple Tree House, particularly if you’re booking through a...