Gwangalli solo dining yakiniku in Busan: premium sirloin at Bisyoku

I heard there was a Japanese-style yakiniku place in Gwangalli, so I went looking for Bisyoku.

A great spot to pair with Gwangalli Beach and cafés, to wrap up a Busan trip with good beef.

The entrance and atmosphere at Bisyoku Gwangan

Bisyoku Gwangan Branch felt like a Japanese izakaya from the entrance. Right by the door there were machines for various beers and highball sawas — it was surprising to see what felt like a certification that you can get a proper highball in Busan.

There's a private room too, but even the partitioned tables felt private. They say it snows indoors on the hour every evening, so spring, summer or fall, you get that atmospheric Sapporo feel.

The table spacing is generous too, good for families, friends, or a date.

Bisyoku Gwangan menu: sets, courses and à la carte yakiniku

The menu ranges from set meals for two, to course-style sets, to à la carte yakiniku. There's a separate drinks menu too, with a solid lineup of whiskies, sake, and beers — it looked great to pair with good meat.

Can you eat yakiniku alone? The bar counter at Bisyoku Gwangan

Bisyoku Gwangan Branch has a dedicated bar seat for solo diners. You can eat solo right at this bar-style counter, which really nailed that local Japanese-bar feeling. There's a grill right in front of you and a smoke extractor right above it, so you can eat cleanly without smelling like smoke.

I always order the Suntory highball, but this time I tried Suijin for the first time. There are plenty of good options like Yamazaki, but the Suijin highball is reasonably priced and has a brighter, tangier flavor, which worked really well mixed with ginger ale.

Side dishes served with the beef

Side dishes to go with the meat: julienned radish kimchi, garlic scapes, and pickled mung bean sprouts.

Pickles and pickled chili peppers also came out, good for a bite between pieces of meat.

Ordering 100g each of premium sirloin and premium ribeye

I ordered 100g each of premium sirloin and premium ribeye. I thought about trying the beef tongue too, but skipped it since I was alone — if there are two or more of you, definitely try it.

The premium sirloin came out as the shrimp-shaped cut (saeusal), nutty, rich, and clean-tasting.

The ribeye was sliced thinner than the sirloin, thicker than sukiyaki-style beef, so it cooked quickly.

Ordering the meat also came with eggplant, peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini to grill alongside. Delicious.

The first bite grilled by the staff, with salt and wasabi

First, the staff grilled a piece of each shrimp-cut sirloin for me one by one, explaining as they went. Cooked to just the right doneness — I was so happy.

A well-grilled piece of sirloin melts in your mouth. First bite plain with just salt, then next with wasabi and lightly vinegared green onion on top! The beef flavor comes through more, with a clean finish.

Then the ribeye, lightly marinated in the sauce they grilled it in. Egg yolk and soy sauce came out too, and eating the well-grilled meat with the sweet yolk sauce tasted like top-grade sukiyaki in Japan.

The meat is thin so it grills fast, and with the egg yolk it just goes down easily, bite after bite.

Tips for grilling it yourself: the fire runs hot

Now for grilling it myself! The grill at Bisyoku Gwangan Branch runs pretty hot, so I had to tend each piece carefully so it wouldn't burn. The grilled shishito peppers were also really good.

Such a happy spread.

The ribeye is on the thinner side, so it sticks to the grill plate easily — you have to flip it quickly.

Grilling piece by piece went well with a drink, and I thought about ordering more pork belly, but I was pretty full and didn't want to give up the egg rice, so I decided to order rice instead.

Finishing with egg rice, eaten like a sukiyaki-don

Look at that egg rice! Furikake seasoning, egg yolk, and sweet soy sauce.

Mix the yolk well and eat it with ribeye cooked to your liking, and it becomes sukiyaki-don.

The rice was fluffy and freshly cooked, and with the warm meat, dinner felt really satisfying.

Who is Bisyoku Gwangan best for?

Bisyoku is a great yakiniku spot whether you come alone to enjoy a drink leisurely, or with a date, a group, or family. If you love beef while traveling, pair it with Suyeongman waterside park or Gwangalli plans — instead of the usual Busan favorites like ggomjangeo (conger eel) or yangkopchang (grilled beef intestines), try a beautifully atmospheric beef grill for once!!