Mapo Station gyukatsu set for two with egg rice and nurungji: Gyudo

I'd been craving gyukatsu for a while. I suddenly remembered that taste — crispy-fried beef you grill yourself on a hot stone.

So I went looking for Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo, a place said to serve gyukatsu alongside pot rice too. Here's my review after properly enjoying the full spread.

Where Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok is and when it opens

Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch is located at 33 Mapo-daero, B1 138, Obelisk APT Complex, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It's open daily 11:30–21:00, with a break time from 15:00–17:00.

Parking at Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok

Parking is free. Just use the underground parking lot of Obelisk Apartment near Mapo Station.

After parking, press the security office button at the underground entrance to get into the mall.

If you're taking the subway, it's super convenient since it connects directly with Mapo Station.

The storefront in the Mapo Station underground mall

A cozy, quiet-looking exterior.

The standing sign gives a brief rundown of the menu.

Inside Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok

The interior of Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo is more spacious than I expected.

In one corner, there are 3 kinds of broth and a kettle of rice set up so you can make nurungji from your pot rice.

What's on the menu at Gyudo?

The seriously substantial menu of Gyudo, a proper gyukatsu specialty restaurant.

The menu is broken into 4 main categories: smoked gyukatsu, smoked yakiniku, niku mabushi (beef rice bowl), and hot plate steak.

What we ordered: the gyukatsu set for two

We ordered the gyukatsu set. The gyukatsu set for two comes with gamtae mentaiko and drinks included.

What comes with the gyukatsu set for two

An absolutely gorgeous spread came out. Gyukatsu, pot rice, miso soup, and radish salad, plus various sauces. The cross-section of the gyukatsu is downright seductive.

Turning pumpkin pot rice into egg rice and nurungji

The pumpkin pot rice arrived. My heart raced at the thought of scooping some rice out and turning it into nurungji.

I carefully mix the rice and pumpkin together. The sweet, nutty aroma is irresistible. A perfectly well-mixed pumpkin pot rice.

Earlier I picked my favorite broth from the broth corner, and this is how it turns into nurungji.

Into the rice I scooped out earlier, I add a soft-boiled egg marinated in sauce to make egg rice.

Grilling the gyukatsu yourself on a hot stone

Now, today's real star — the gyukatsu. Everything before this was just a warm-up for eating this.

The gyukatsu grills up deliciously with a sizzling sound.

As the pink fades, a nutty aroma rises. I press down with my chopsticks. That sizzling sound is so satisfying.

Perfectly grilled gyukatsu! Full of juicy goodness!

I dip it deep in the sauce and try a bite. My eyes light up. That's the charm of gyukatsu — fried once, then grilled again.

I try the egg rice I made earlier topped with wasabi. Still so good.

I keep grilling. This hot stone... I want to buy one. Getting nicely golden brown... haha.

Personally, I think the pieces with a deep Maillard crust on them are the tastiest.

I try dipping a piece in salt too.

When I want extra umami, I load it up with sauce, haha.

It's really good with the salad too. Just how versatile is gyukatsu?!

Furikake topping and the nurungji finish

As the nurungji is almost done, I prepare the furikake (rice seasoning flakes) topping.

It contains seaweed and fried batter flakes among other things.

I mix it into the nurungji and stir well. Rather than adding any strong flavor, the furikake gives it a deeper, nuttier taste.

I also take a bite with the salty, savory mentaiko.

I try the nurungji with wasabi too. It pairs surprisingly well with the toasty nurungji.

Nutrition information

Beef, the main ingredient in gyukatsu, is rich in quality protein. It also provides iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, nutrients our bodies need. In particular, the heme iron in beef is well absorbed by the body, which helps with iron intake. Getting both great taste and protein at once is gyukatsu's biggest nutritional upside.

Is Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok worth a visit?

This was a place where the whole meal — grilling the gyukatsu yourself, then finishing with pot rice and nurungji — felt genuinely satisfying and well put together. I especially loved cooking the crispy coating and juicy beef to my own preference, and thanks to the variety of sauces and sides, I never got tired of it till the end. It's also a plus that it connects directly to Mapo Station and offers free parking. This is a place I'd want to revisit whenever I want to properly enjoy a gyukatsu meal.