BLT Steak Seoul Dinner Review | A Quiet Weekday Dinner Date by Cheonggyecheon

If you’ve spent any amount of time trying to plan a date night in Seoul, you know the struggle. You want somewhere with excellent food, but you also need the right atmosphere. Half the places with great menus end up being so loud you have to yell across the table, and the quiet places often feel so stiff that you’re afraid to laugh. My partner and I were looking for a spot that hit the sweet spot—relaxed, intimate, and genuinely good. We decided to book a table at ” BLT Steak” inside the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul for a weekday dinner. We went with their Weekday Dinner 4-Course, and it ended up being exactly the kind of slow, comfortable evening we were looking for. If you’re wondering how the weekday pacing feels and what actually comes out on the plates, here is exactly how our night went down.

The Vibe: Soft Lights and the Cheonggyecheon View

Dongdaemun is famous for being a high-energy, chaotic district, but the second you step off the street and into the JW Marriott, the noise just cuts out completely. BLT Steak is located up on the second floor. Walking into the dining room on a weeknight is a massive relief.

It wasn’t empty—there were a few other couples and small groups—but the spacing between the tables and the heavy, sound-absorbing decor kept the room incredibly calm. We were seated right by the window. Instead of looking out at the bumper-to-bumper traffic of the main intersection, our table looked out over the Cheonggyecheon stream. Watching the city lights reflect on the water while people walked quietly along the stream paths below set a deeply relaxing tone for the evening. We didn’t have to compete with loud music or rushing servers; we could just sit back, talk, and actually hear each other.

The Warm-Up: The Famous BLT Popover Bread

Before the official four courses kicked off, our server brought out the restaurant’s signature bread: the BLT Popover Bread. If you’ve ever looked up this steakhouse online, you’ve definitely seen photos of it. It’s a massive, craggy, golden-brown puff that looks like it belongs in a bakery display window rather than a dinner plate.

It arrived at the table piping hot. When we tore it open, steam escaped, revealing a completely hollow, airy inside with a slightly crispy exterior. They serve it alongside a smooth butter and a small shaker of sea salt. I broke off a piece, spread a layer of butter on it, and hit it with a tiny pinch of salt. It is incredibly satisfying and dangerously addictive. We actually had to consciously push the plate away halfway through so we wouldn’t ruin our appetites for the actual meal.

The 4-Course Progression

One of the things I really appreciated about this menu was the pacing. A four-course meal feels substantial without turning into an exhausting two-hour marathon. The dishes flowed logically, building up to the heavy steak and then bringing it all back down with a sharp dessert.

Course 1: Lobster & Shrimp

We started things off with a chilled lobster and shrimp plate. The seafood was incredibly fresh, plump, and sweet, layered beautifully over a smooth, creamy base sauce. It was cold, clean, and did exactly what a first course is supposed to do—it woke up the palate and kept things light.

Course 2: Pan-Seared Halibut with Fregola Pasta

Next up was a seafood transition course. A beautifully pan-seared cut of halibut (white fish) was served over a bed of fregola pasta, accompanied by roasted cherry tomatoes, plump clams, and a thin slice of lemon.

The fish itself was flaky and cooked with a perfect golden crust, but mixing a piece of the halibut with a spoonful of the chewy fregola was what made the dish work so well. It was a deeply savory, satisfying plate that felt distinctly Mediterranean.

The Intermezzo: Lime & Thyme Sorbet

Right before the heavy red meat arrived, the kitchen sent out a palate cleanser. It was a small scoop of Lime & Thyme Sorbet. It was incredibly tart, icy, and carried this sharp herbal note from the thyme. It completely washed away the savory, buttery lingering tastes of the fish, resetting our taste buds for the main event.

Course 3: Dry-aged Korean Hanwoo 1++ Strip Loin

Then came the steak. For the Weekday 4-Course, the base menu includes a 360g Dry-Aged Korean Hanwoo 1++ Strip Loin designed for two people to share.

The steak arrived sizzling in a heavy, black Staub cast-iron skillet, sitting in its own juices and topped with a melting disc of herb butter. Just the smell of the dry-aged beef hitting the table was incredible. Because the meat is dry-aged, it has a concentrated, slightly earthy, deeply beefy flavor that standard steaks just don’t carry. The crust was heavily seared, and the inside was rested to a perfect warm pink.

What makes eating steak at BLT so interactive is the Salt Tray. Our server brought over a wooden board featuring five different glass ramekins of specialty salts:

• Maldon: The classic, clean, flaky sea salt.
• Truffle Salt: Earthy and rich.
• Raspberry Salt: Bright pink with a surprising, fruity tartness.
• Lemon Salt: Sharp and citrus-forward.
• Black Garlic:  Rich umami & savory depth.

We spent the entire course experimenting. Dipping a piece of the Hanwoo into the Truffle salt made it taste impossibly rich, while the Maldon just highlighted the pure quality of the beef. My partner ended up really liking the Raspberry salt for the contrast it provided against the heavy butter.

We paired the steak with two classic sides. First, a bowl of thick, velvety Creamed Spinach that held onto the spoon perfectly. Second, a metal bucket of crispy French Fries dusted with parsley. Dipping those hot, salty fries into the leftover herb butter in the bottom of the Staub skillet was easily one of the best moments of the meal.

Course 4: Citrus Vacherin & Coffee

After a heavy steak, the last thing you want is a dense chocolate cake. The kitchen sent out a Citrus Vacherin to close out the night. A vacherin is traditionally a dessert made with crisp meringue, and this one was beautifully plated with a bright pink sorbet, citrus compote, and delicate meringue pieces.

It was sharp, sweet, and incredibly refreshing. The crunch of the meringue mixed with the cold, tart citrus completely cut through the heaviness of the meal.

We finished our dessert alongside an iced Americano and a glass of iced chamomile tea, sitting back in our chairs and watching the traffic clear out along the Cheonggyecheon.

Who Should Book This?

This isn’t a casual, impromptu dining spot. At 140,000 KRW per person, it’s an investment. But it delivers exactly what you pay for. I highly recommend booking this specific Weekday 4-Course if:

1. You want a guaranteed quiet date night: The weekday atmosphere combined with the Cheonggyecheon view is incredibly peaceful and romantic.
2. You appreciate dry-aged beef: The fact that the Korean Hanwoo ++ Strip Loin is included in the base course is fantastic, and the kitchen executes the sear and resting process flawlessly.
3. You hate rushed dining: The pacing here is unhurried. You can actually sit, talk, and let the meal breathe.

Getting There

BLT Steak is located on the 2nd floor of the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul. The easiest way to get there is by subway. Take Line 1 or Line 4 to Dongdaemun Station, and head out of Exit 8 or 9—the hotel entrance is immediately right there.

If you are driving, the hotel offers a spacious underground parking facility(3 hours free parking). Given how congested Dongdaemun can get, leaving the car at home and taking the subway is usually the least stressful option, especially if you plan on having a glass of wine with your steak.

Closing

Finding a restaurant in Seoul that gets both the food and the atmosphere exactly right can be surprisingly difficult, but our weekday dinner at BLT Steak pulled it off effortlessly. The calm view of the Cheonggyecheon, the interactive salt pairings, and a beautifully cooked piece of Hanwoo ++ made the whole night feel special without feeling overly stiff. If you’re looking to plan a proper, unhurried couple’s date night in the city, this is a table worth booking.