Gyukatsu grilled with butter and draft beer at Gyuen Dang, Seolleung

Ta-da Gyuen Dang, the gyukatsu spot near Seolleung Station

This branch seems pretty new, but the Seongsu location and others seem super famous already haha

A neat, well-arranged spread right off the bat. Great spot for a solid lunch near Seolleung Station. Honestly might be too busy grilling for a blind date though haha

The meat color looks so good! Really has that gyukatsu vibe going on

Interior and seating at Gyuen Dang Seolleung

Gyuen Dang, tucked inside the Seolleung Station food alley

Feels newly renovated, so it's really clean and nice

There's also this kind of seating area

What should you order?

The menu has tenderloin gyukatsu and sirloin gyukatsu, but honestly they taste similar so go for the sirloin

And drink some beer. Knocking back a draft beer really hits the spot

Tenderloin gyukatsu

The gyukatsu was so good!!! Especially that special sauce, absolutely delicious. The ginger sauce works with it and cuts the richness completely

You can really feel the quality of the meat with this Seolleung Station gyukatsu!!!

Look at that, the color is so good

You can grill it with butter, which makes it nutty and delicious

Ugh, looking at this again makes me want to eat it once more

Sirloin gyukatsu with rice, soup, and cabbage

This time I tried the sirloin gyukatsu

Threw it onto the fire, sizzling away

The rice was tasty too, kind of a Japanese style???

The soup was piping hot and cut through the richness

The cabbage sauce tastes a bit different from the usual sauce we're used to, in a good way

Sizzling and bubbling all over again

It was such a delicious meal!!!

The history of gyukatsu

Gyukatsu's history can be traced back to tonkatsu (とんかつ), Japan's iconic Western-style dish. As Western food culture entered Japan during the Meiji era, deep-fried pork cutlets developed and later evolved into various forms as they met Japan's distinctive food culture.

One of those forms is gyukatsu (牛カツ). Instead of pork, it uses beef — fried crispy on the outside while kept nearly rare on the inside. The method of frying briefly to preserve the beef's flavor and tender texture became popular, and gyukatsu established itself as a menu item in its own right.

Recently, gyukatsu restaurants have been increasing not just in Japan but in Korea too, and gaining a lot of love. The combination of crispy batter and red, juicy beef, plus the way you grill it yourself at the table to your preferred doneness — that's the charm of gyukatsu, a dish that started from tonkatsu and added the appeal of beef.

The nutritional benefits of gyukatsu

Gyukatsu itself doesn't have special 'benefits' as a dish per se, but there are nutritional advantages that come from its main ingredient, beef.

• 🥩 Protein boost: Beef provides quality protein needed to build muscle and body tissue.
• 💪 Iron intake: The iron abundant in beef is a nutrient related to oxygen transport in the blood.
• ⚡ B vitamins: Contains vitamin B12 and others that help with energy metabolism and nervous system health.
• 🧠 Zinc intake: Beef supplies zinc, needed for immune function and cell growth.
• 🍽️ High satiety: With both protein and fat, it makes for a relatively filling meal.

That said, gyukatsu is a fried food, so the fat and calorie content can be high. It's best enjoyed in moderate portions alongside vegetables or rice ><

Overall review

This was really my first time properly trying gyukatsu, and it was so much better than I expected — I was very satisfied! The outside was fried nicely crispy while the inside stayed moist and tender, so the texture was really great. Especially with the first bite, I could taste the savory juices and the clean beef flavor right away, which kept me reaching for more. It was also nice being able to grill it a bit more on the hot plate to your own taste. Eating it with the sauce added extra umami, and paired with rice it made for a filling meal. Satisfying from the visuals to the taste — if I'm ever back in the area, I'd love to visit again. If you like gyukatsu, I highly recommend giving this place a try!