Gyukatsu near SNU Station: ham-like steki grilled well-done at Izawa

Where is Izawa Sharosugil Branch and how do you get there?

Izawa Sharosugil Branch is a gyukatsu restaurant right in the middle of Sharosu-gil near Seoul National University Station, on the 2nd floor of a building on Gwanak-ro 14-gil. I went to this Sharosu-gil gyukatsu spot and it was really easy to reach.

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor. When you see the sign, head inside and go up the building's stairs! A banner points the way, so you'll find it easily~

The stairs are covered in menu posters too, so you walk in with full "I'm here for gyukatsu" energy~!

Is there a wait at Izawa Sharosugil Branch, and should you book?

Izawa Sharosugil Branch has waiting seats, and you can reserve through Naver and Catch Table. To skip the wait, definitely book before you go!! On the weekday lunch when I visited, there was no wait at all. If you want to eat in peace, I recommend a weekday lunch~

Inside Izawa Sharosugil Branch: a cozy, sunlit room

Izawa Sharosugil Branch is a cozy space with lots of windows that let the sunlight pour in. Open the door and there it is, a snug, really relaxed atmosphere. It looked great for an easy lunch and for get-togethers too.

What's on the Izawa menu besides gyukatsu?

Izawa's signature dish is gyukatsu, and the menu also has a steki set meal, steki-don, mazesoba, ramen, tonkatsu, soba and more. Even if you come with a friend who doesn't like gyukatsu, there's plenty they can eat~ It seems like a place everyone can enjoy without fuss. I also heard a lot of people call Izawa a great tonkatsu spot in Sharosu-gil, so I'll have to try the tonkatsu next time!

Kiosk ordering and the ₩500 drink add-on with the set

At Izawa Sharosugil Branch you order from the kiosk at each table. You can browse the menu at your own pace and then order, and I find places with kiosks so convenient these days. The menu is the same as the printed one, but there were set menus too!

There were sets for 2 and for 2-3 people, and the sets that include a drink with the main dishes cost a bit less. We ordered gyukatsu and steki, and if we had ordered the 2-person gyukatsu + steki set, we could have added a drink for just ₩500~ The set options vary, so if you're going with a group, check them out and eat smart!

While waiting for the food, we looked at the posters stuck up all over the place~ We came for lunch, but after seeing the posters, it looks like a good spot to come back to in the evening for a highball.

What comes with the gyukatsu and steki set meals?

Izawa's gyukatsu and steki come neatly arranged with rice, soup, salad, sauces, kkakdugi and more. It showed up quickly after ordering~ a tidy setup! Salt sits on the table, so you can use as much as you like. We shared one mini grill between the two of us~

First time trying steki: how is it different from gyukatsu?

Izawa's steki is lightly seared on the outside, while gyukatsu is deep-fried on the outside. Steki first! I've had gyukatsu many times, but this was my first time trying steki. Doesn't it look a bit like ham? haha It also looks a bit like tuna sashimi...

How does Izawa's gyukatsu taste?

Izawa's gyukatsu was that flavor you know well,, the one that never lets you down. The outside was crunchy and the inside was freshly grilled and warm. And as I always feel, if this much tonkatsu came out, I'd have slurped it down in no time, but with gyukatsu you grill it piece by piece, bit by bit, so the meal lasts longer than you'd expect~ It's a nice way to cook slowly, chat and spend time together.

Grill plate swaps and grilling the beef well-done

At Izawa Sharosugil Branch, I hadn't asked, but when the grill plate got messy a staff member swapped it for us. We grilled away, sizzling happily haha They kept looking after us, so we could eat comfortably~

At first I carefully grilled one piece at a time, but as it went on, haha, it was like being at a Korean BBQ place, haha, I piled the pieces on and grilled them well done. Juicy has its charm and well done has its charm too, so eat it however you like!!

Doesn't the steki really look like ham, haha If this isn't Spam, what is?! It tasted like a delicious steak, but the look was so cute that I snapped a photo.

Looking at the sizzling grill again makes me want to eat it all over again T_T If you're looking for gyukatsu or tonkatsu in Sharosu-gil near Seoul National University Station, definitely stop by!!

Who Izawa Sharosugil Branch is best for

• Anyone looking for a Sharosu-gil restaurant that's open for lunch
• Anyone who wants delicious gyukatsu
• Anyone who wants tonkatsu, mazesoba, soba and other Japanese dishes all in one place