Suwon Japanese restaurant: gyukatsu with Japanese cider, Gyuen-dang

You already know Gwanggyo has tons of great restaurants, right? Today I'm telling you about one of the best at Avenue France Gwanggyo — Gyuen-dang! I'll share the recommended menu and a totally honest review, down to every detail.

Where is Gyuen-dang Avenue France Gwanggyo Branch?

Gyuen-dang Avenue France Gwanggyo Branch is a gyukatsu specialty Japanese restaurant located at cb19, 20 on the basement floor of Avenue France Gwanggyo. It's a great stop while out and about near Gwanggyo Jungang Station, and easy to find even as a walk-in.

What's on the Gyuen-dang menu, and what is it known for?

Gyuen-dang's menu mainly features gyukatsu and omurice, plus rice bowls and udon, with tempura as sides. Click to enlarge.

One thing I really liked was that instead of Korean drinks, you can enjoy Japanese beverages here.

The personal stone grill at each seat

Gyuen-dang uses personal stone grills so you can eat hygienically, and even when two people share one grill, it's wide enough that you can each cook your gyukatsu to your own preferred doneness separately.

My first time trying Japanese cider! This was so fascinating. I didn't know how to open it, so I got help from a staff member — who was incredibly kind about it!!

What comes with the sirloin gyukatsu set

The Gyuen-dang sirloin gyukatsu set comes with the gyukatsu as the main, plus plain rice, pickled radish salad, fresh wasabi, salt, butter, and a sesame dressing salad. Butter can be ordered extra for an additional charge.

I've had sirloin gyukatsu before, but sirloin was new to me, so I was curious and ordered it — and that turned out to be a brilliant move. It was seriously, seriously delicious.

How does Gyuen-dang's sirloin gyukatsu taste from rare to medium?

The Gyuen-dang sirloin gyukatsu was ridiculously gorgeous just to look at. My anticipation shot up before I even took a bite.

The batter was so crispy. It melted the moment it hit my mouth, and the sirloin beef itself tasted amazing. The crispy edge parts were extra fun to eat too. Pairing it with butter made the outside fry up even crispier, letting you enjoy top-quality gyukatsu.

Gyuen-dang's geso-age (fried squid tentacles)

This is the geso-age (squid tempura) I ordered as a side. If the beef gave me pure bliss, the squid tempura offered its own appeal — chewy yet crispy squid with contrasting textures. Dipped in the sauce, it was truly special.

Now let's set the gyukatsu aside and move on to the omurice review.

Brie cheese omurice, if you're torn between that and hamburg steak

Gyuen-dang's brie cheese omurice comes with one whole brie cheese on top. I was torn between hamburg steak omurice and brie cheese omurice, and ended up ordering the brie cheese version. In the end — such a great choice!!

What is brie cheese? A soft white mold cheese representative of France. Its exterior is covered in a fuzzy white mold, and the inside is creamy and buttery with a mild, low-salt flavor. The contrast between the exterior and interior texture is part of the appeal.

I finally got to do the omurice knife-cut I'd only seen in videos. Want to see my first-ever knife-cut in real life? You can pour the sauce a little at a time, but I poured it all on at once.

Tips for eating gyukatsu at Gyuen-dang

Try eating Gyuen-dang's sirloin gyukatsu at different doneness levels — rare, medium-rare, medium, and so on. That way it never gets boring, and you get to taste a happiness rarely found in beef. Personally, I preferred dipping it in nothing but wasabi — it was clean and suited my taste best.

For the omurice, the brie cheese is very thick and large. Dip it in the sauce to fully taste the cheese's flavor, and also eat it the regular way with rice and egg. Try mixing it up, bite by bite.

When adding butter, drop it in the very center of the gyukatsu rather than the edges — as it melts and spreads, the outside fries up even more deliciously.

Is Gyuen-dang worth recommending near Gwanggyo Jungang Station?

If you're out and about in Gwanggyo looking for good food, or searching for a Japanese restaurant near Gwanggyo Jungang Station, this is a solid recommendation. Personally, I felt Gyuen-dang's gyukatsu was on another level — the best I've ever eaten in my life — and my friend who came along raved that the omurice was insane, like eating a high-protein, nutrient-packed meal. In the end, we each praised a different dish to the skies... I'd say my return-visit intention is at 500%!!

Gyuen-dang Avenue France Gwanggyo Branch: address and directions

1st basement floor, cb19, 20, 85 Central Town-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, inside Avenue France Gwanggyo.