Tablet-ordered gyukatsu for two at Izawa, a Yeouido restaurant

Where is Izawa Yeouido Direct Store?

Izawa Yeouido Direct Store is a Japanese restaurant on the 2nd floor of the building right in front of Yeouido Station Exit 5. I wanted proper, authentic Japanese food near Yeouido Station, so I visited Izawa Yeouido Direct Store. Izawa has branches all over the country, so I figured it was a proven, well-tested spot. Being right at the exit also meant it was super easy to reach by public transport.

At the entrance there were notices about business hours, parking, and so on. Restaurants in Seoul that support parking are rare, so it was great that Izawa Yeouido Direct Store offers 1 hour of parking support at the ground-floor lot in the building.

Inside Izawa: interior and seating

The interior of Izawa Yeouido Direct Store stood out with its neat, warm wood-toned Japanese-style decor, and the tidy space made for a comfortable meal. There were over 10 regular tables plus a bar table, so it works whether you're with coworkers, friends, or dining alone.

On the wall was info on how to join the review event — a simple receipt review gets you a free drink. There were also a lot of celebrity signatures, and I was surprised to spot one from Lim Young-woong.

How tablet ordering and the menu work at Izawa

You check the menu and order right away via the tablet installed at each table. The gyukatsu (breaded and fried beef cutlet) set and the steki (steak) set were the signature dishes, along with a variety of rice bowls and noodle dishes. I wanted gyukatsu today, so I ordered two straight away.

Gyukatsu set with sirloin, 18,000 won — 36,000 won for two

The gyukatsu set (sirloin) is ₩18,000 per person, so two of us came to ₩36,000 total. After about a 10-minute wait, the gyukatsu set arrived. It was a neat spread with gyukatsu, salad, fresh wasabi, house sauce, and kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi). The portion of gyukatsu was bigger than I expected, which was great.

Two sauces came out: the house soy sauce and a mayo sauce. Both had strong, distinct personalities, which felt like a nice touch of variety.

The gyukatsu had a thin, crispy coating in harmony with the pink, juicy beef cross-section. With just the right fat ratio, it melted in my mouth even eaten straight without grilling. The beef's freshness meant no gamey smell — it went down smooth and tender.

Grilling the gyukatsu on the mini stone-plate hearth

Placing the meat on the preheated mini stone-plate hearth sent up a sizzle and a savory aroma. I liked being able to grill it to my own taste. The mini hearth stayed at a good temperature the whole meal, which was convenient.

I like mine lightly cooked, so I grilled it just until a bit of pink remained on the outside. Grilling it on the hearth brought out a chewier bite and a richer, savory juiciness compared to eating it raw. The coating also seemed to get even crispier.

Fresh wasabi and the house soy sauce

Gyukatsu is delicious on its own, but eating it together with the side dishes made for an even better balance. The sharp kick of fresh wasabi cleanly cut through the richness, and the umami of the soy sauce maximized the meat's flavor — very satisfying.

Is Izawa worth it for Yeouido office workers?

If you work in Yeouido, go visit Izawa Yeouido Direct Store and try the gyukatsu set. It tastes no different from the gyukatsu I've had in Japan.