# Japanese restaurant in downtown Cheongju, 30-minute wait: Momo Lab

- By Moeun (https://superchart.com/en/@daejeon-noon-stops/)
- Written Sep 5, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Cheongju, Chungbuk
- Sponsored: This is a review of a visit made with support from the business.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@daejeon-noon-stops/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@daejeon-noon-stops/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/index.md)

## In short

Momo Lab is a Japanese restaurant on Seongan-gil in downtown Cheongju, where steak-don and gyukatsu are grilled over a small brazier right at the table. On this repeat visit the writer entered a phone number into the waiting machine out front, waited just over 30 minutes, then ordered steak-don and gyukatsu — mixing the steak into black rice and eating the gyukatsu with sauce, salt and wasabi in turn. Momo Lab ends the meal with rice cake grilled at the table and dipped in honey, which made the wait worth it.

## Good to know

- **Hours**: Daily 11:00–21:20
- **Location**: 78-10 Bukmun-ro 2-ga, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk (Seongan-gil, downtown Cheongju)
- **Ordered**: Steak-don, gyukatsu
- **Pre-meal drink**: Omija (five-flavor berry) juice
- **Set includes**: Salad, jangguk (savory broth), rice, rice cake to grill with honey
- **Waiting**: Enter your phone number at the waiting machine in front of the restaurant for your place in line and estimated wait; this visit was just over 30 minutes

*as written by the visitor on Sep 5, 2026*

![Cover image of a visit to Momo Lab, a Japanese restaurant in downtown Cheongju](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-01-f9d6s-900.webp)

There are a few places I think of when I want a good meal in downtown Cheongju. This time I went back to Momo Lab, a Cheongju favorite I'd enjoyed once before.

![Waiting sign in front of Momo Lab](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-02-m8x6x-900.webp)

## How long is the wait at Momo Lab?

Momo Lab has a waiting machine out front — you enter your phone number and it tells you your place in line and the estimated wait. This time I waited just over 30 minutes before getting seated. I already thought it was busy on my last visit, but this time it felt even more popular.

The wait wasn't exactly short, but this place is so popular that I expected it going in. If you're looking for a spot for a date or a meal with friends in downtown Cheongju, it's worth trying at least once!

> Momo Lab
> 📍78-10 Bukmun-ro 2-ga, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk, South Korea
> ⏰ Daily 11:00–21:20

![Momo Lab menu board](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-03-19v1o-900.webp)

## This order at Momo Lab: steak-don plus gyukatsu

Last time I had the traffic-light cream udon nabe at Momo Lab — the visuals were insane! This time I decided to order something different from before. After some deliberating, I went with steak-don and gyukatsu.

Both dishes are meat-centered, so together they made a hearty combo for when you want a filling meal. With so many customers, the restaurant had a lively energy, and my heart raced a little once I finally sat down after the wait!

![Omija tea served as Momo Lab's pre-meal drink](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-04-j81nd-900.webp)

Before the food arrived, I got omija tea as a pre-meal drink. The sweet-and-sour flavor unique to omija spread through my mouth and was great for whetting the appetite before eating. Having a refreshing drink before the meat dishes made my appetite come alive even more!

![Momo Lab's steak-don topped with thick slices of steak](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-05-ot1zt-1200.webp)

### Steak-don with black rice and caramelized onions

The first dish out was the steak-don. It looked appetizing right away, with a thick slab of meat piled on top. Caramelized onions and various toppings sat on the steak, making for a combination that paired really well with the meat.

One thing that was different from what I expected of a steak-don: the rice wasn't plain white rice, it came as black rice. Eating the meat with the rice worked really well — the plain, clean taste of the rice balanced out the richness of the steak. I cut the thick steak into bite-sized pieces and mixed it into the rice, and eating a spoonful of meat, rice, and onion together all at once was delicious.

![Black rice steak-don topped with caramelized onions](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-06-14khh-900.webp)

The caramelized onions were especially sweet and paired well with the steak. Because the meat was thick, it had a satisfying chew, and eating it with rice made the dish more filling than I expected. Mixing the steak with the rice and toppings was more to my taste than eating the steak on its own.

![Momo Lab's gyukatsu table setup](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-07-ao2m5-900.webp)

### Gyukatsu grilled over a brazier at your table

While I was still eating the steak-don, the gyukatsu arrived next. Gyukatsu is always fun because you grill it yourself!

![Gyukatsu grilled with butter on the tabletop charcoal grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-08-1pbsc-900.webp)

You light the tabletop charcoal grill, melt some butter, then place the gyukatsu on it and grill it to your preferred doneness. As the gyukatsu sizzles on the grill, a savory smell rises up — fun to watch and fun to eat. I loved being able to grill it exactly how I wanted, crispy outside and juicy inside.

![A piece of gyukatsu grilled crispy on the outside](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-09-16s16-900.webp)

### Gyukatsu with sauce, salt or wasabi — which tasted best?

I didn't stick to just one way of eating the gyukatsu — I tried it several ways. I dipped it in the dedicated gyukatsu sauce, dipped it in salt, and topped it with a bit of wasabi. Same meat, but the flavor shifted a little depending on what I paired it with, which made it fun to enjoy in different ways.

![Sauce, salt, and wasabi served with the gyukatsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-10-urdb1-900.webp)

Personally, I liked it best with just a touch of salt, since it let the flavor of the meat itself really come through, and the wasabi added another appeal by cutting the richness. If you like gyukatsu, I'd recommend trying it in a few different combinations depending on your taste.

![Salad, jangguk, and rice served alongside the gyukatsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-11-182xq-900.webp)

## Salad, jangguk and rice included with the set

Momo Lab doesn't just serve the meat dishes on their own — salad, jangguk (savory broth), and rice come along too, making it a pretty filling meal overall. Eating meat-heavy dishes can get a little rich after a while, but the salad felt like it cleaned up my palate in between. The warm jangguk was nice to sip alongside everything too.

If you're someone who loves meat, ordering the steak-don and gyukatsu combo will leave you properly full.

![Honey and a white piece of rice cake in the sauce dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-12-s345p-900.webp)

### It looks like cheese, but it's rice cake: grill it and dip in honey

Honey came out along with the sauce dish. At first I thought it was for dipping the gyukatsu, but it turned out the square white piece that came with it wasn't cheese — it was rice cake. I mistook it for cheese at first because it was white, but it was actually tteok (rice cake). Placing this rice cake briefly on the fire warms the outside and lets it soften slightly, bringing out a chewy texture.

![Grilled rice cake stretching as it's dipped in honey](https://img.superchart.com/images/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu-13-1orn3-900.webp)

And then dipping it in honey! The rice cake stretches out long and the sweet honey adds to it — it was honestly more delicious than I expected. Grilling rice cake and dipping it in honey at the end of a meat meal felt like a fun dessert moment.

## Is a repeat visit to Momo Lab worth the wait?

Coming back to Momo Lab this time, what struck me was that it's clearly gotten even busier than before. I already thought it was crowded on my last visit, but this time I waited just over 30 minutes to get in, which confirmed it's a genuinely popular spot in downtown Cheongju.

It's worth keeping in mind that there may be a wait, so plan accordingly before you go — especially if you're visiting during mealtimes, I'd recommend giving yourself extra time. Still, the steak-don and gyukatsu I ate after the wait were delicious, so it was a satisfying meal.

## Where it is

- Momo Lab Cheongju Downtown Seongan-gil Main Branch (모모랩 청주시내성안길본점)
- 78-10 Bukmun-ro 2-ga, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk, South Korea
- 충청북도 청주시 상당구 중앙로 9-1 아트에비뉴198 102호
- 36.6380249, 127.4887521
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%AA%A8%EB%AA%A8%EB%9E%A9%20%EC%B2%AD%EC%A3%BC%EC%8B%9C%EB%82%B4%EC%84%B1%EC%95%88%EA%B8%B8%EB%B3%B8%EC%A0%90/@36.6380249,127.4887521,17z

---

Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@daejeon-noon-stops/momolab-cheongju-steak-don-gyukatsu/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt