Gwanak Japanese restaurant, well-done gyukatsu couple lunch: Izawa

Hi, this is Yungi, here to introduce you to a great restaurant :)

#I received some support from the business for this visit, but I only share honest reviews of genuinely good restaurants!

Yungppu doesn't go to bad places!! Especially now that I'm pregnant, only real finds make the cut!!

Today I'm bringing you my review of Izawa Sharosugil Branch, where my husband and I went for lunch in Sharosu-gil! Lately I wanted something a bit different from plain old pork cutlet, and while looking around, gyukatsu grilled yourself at the table caught my eye haha. There was also a set for two where you could try both gyukatsu and steki, which made it perfect for a couple visiting together! If you're looking for pork cutlet near Seoul National University Station and love crispy gyukatsu, this one's for you :)

Where is Izawa Sharosugil Branch, and what you should know first

Izawa Sharosugil Branch is located at 28 Gwanak-ro 14-gil, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 2nd floor, tucked into the alleys of Sharosu-gil near Seoul National University Station. The signature dishes are gyukatsu and steki, and you order via a tablet at your table.

• Address: 28 Gwanak-ro 14-gil, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 2nd floor
• Signature menu: Gyukatsu, Steki
• Reservations / group bookings available
• Ordering: table tablet ordering
• Parking: nearby public parking lot recommended over on-site parking

Izawa Sharosugil Branch is set back in an alley, but there's a big standing sign out front of the building, so it wasn't as hard to find as I expected.

The restaurant is on the second floor, so you just follow the sign up the stairs!

There were photos of gyukatsu and steki on the wall along the stairway too, which made me look over the menu one more time on the way up lol.

There was also a separate waitlist near the entrance. We got seated right away when we arrived, but seeing how many names were already on the list, I'd guess there could be a wait during lunch peak hours or on weekends.

Inside Izawa: a clean dining room by Seoul National University Station

Izawa Sharosugil Branch isn't a huge, sprawling space, but the tables were spaced out better than I expected, so it never felt cramped.

White walls, wood tables, and round lighting fixtures gave the whole place a clean, tidy vibe!

What I liked most was the big windows. We visited during the day, so sunlight streamed in and the interior felt bright the whole meal — never stuffy. It'd be a nice spot for a date in Sharosu-gil or a casual lunch with a friend :)

Ordering by tablet: the 36,500 won Izawa set for two

You order using the tablet at your table. The menu is organized by category — gyukatsu, sets for two, noodles, rice bowls — with photos included, so it was easy to pick.

Since it was just the two of us, we ordered the ₩36,500 set for two, which came with a gyukatsu set, a steki set, and one drink! Ordering one dish each is fine too, but since we'd come all this way, we wanted to try both gyukatsu and steki, so this combo was perfect for us haha.

How the tabletop charcoal grill works at Izawa

The most fun part of Izawa! Each table has its own personal grill. Once it's fired up, the plate heats up quickly, and you can place a piece of gyukatsu or steki on it and cook it to exactly how you like.

They told us both the gyukatsu and steki are fine to eat as served, but that grilling them makes it even tastier, so we diligently grilled piece after piece lol. It felt less like just coming for pork cutlet near Seoul National University Station and more like the meal itself became a bit more special thanks to the grill-it-yourself fun.

Gyukatsu set grilled well-done: crisp outside, juicy inside

Finally, the gyukatsu arrived! Even in the photo, the outside looks super crispy right haha. Inside the thin breading is a thick cut of beef, sliced into bite-sized pieces. It came with rice, soup, side dishes, sauce, and salad, so the set felt pretty substantial.

When it first arrives, the inside is still pink, so you can eat it right away or grill it a bit more depending on your preference.

Personally, I found gyukatsu tastes better cooked completely well-done!

Compared to eating it lightly cooked, leaving it on the grill a bit longer made the outside crispier and brought out more of that savory flavor. I love a crispy texture, so after a few bites I basically grilled the rest all the way through lol. Crispy outside, juicy inside — the phrase fit perfectly.

It was great dipped in the sauce, and a little wasabi on top cut through the richness nicely too.

Izawa steki set: sirloin cooked medium and tender

And then the steki set we ordered together! The sirloin comes sliced thick, and it had a completely different appeal from the gyukatsu.

If crispiness was the whole point of the gyukatsu, the steki is more about the texture of the meat itself when you chew it. For this one, my preference was cooking it moderately rather than too long.

Lightly searing just the outside gave it a nice chew while keeping the inside tender. Even though both are beef dishes, gyukatsu and steki felt totally different, so ordering one of each and sharing kept things from getting repetitive.

The salad that ties the Izawa set together

I didn't have high expectations, but the salad was surprisingly good too lol. Shredded cabbage topped generously with dressing — a bite of meat followed by a bite of salad cleansed the palate nicely and paired really well. Since gyukatsu is a fried dish, having this salad alongside made it even better.

With rice, warm soup, diced radish kimchi, pickles, and sauce all included, it felt like a complete meal with nothing missing.

Service at Izawa: how the staff guide the grilling

Friendly staff and refills at Izawa

One thing that stood out during the meal was how attentively the staff checked on our table. They came by periodically to make sure the grill flame hadn't gone out,

and since the plate gets messy from continuous grilling, they swapped it out for a fresh one now and then so we could keep eating comfortably till the end. They took care of it before we even had to ask, which felt especially thoughtful :)

Is lunch at Izawa Sharosugil Branch worth it?

Grilling it yourself at the table made Izawa Sharosugil Branch more memorable than an average pork cutlet or gyukatsu spot! My favorite combo was gyukatsu cooked well-done and crispy, paired with steki cooked medium and tender haha.

If you're visiting as a couple, I'd recommend the set for two with gyukatsu set + steki set + a drink so you can try both dishes together. The restaurant was bright thanks to the windows, the tables had more breathing room than I expected, and the staff's attentive service made for a comfortable meal :)

If you're deciding what to eat for lunch in Sharosu-gil, or looking for pork cutlet near Seoul National University Station with a bit of a twist, gyukatsu here is worth a try💗