Gyuen-dang gyukatsu near Gwanggyo Central Station: grill swap, butter

Lunch near Gwanggyo Central Station: Gyuen-dang Avenue France Gwanggyo Branch

Since I was already around Gwanggyo, I decided to grab lunch at Gyuen-dang Avenue France Gwanggyo Branch. I was looking for somewhere to eat near Gwanggyo Central Station and ended up here — it's right by Avenue France, so it wasn't hard to find at all. Let me walk you through my visit to Gyuen-dang's Gwanggyo location.

The place is located near Avenue France, and I liked that you could check the menu from outside the store before going in. Being able to look over the options ahead of time made deciding what to order much easier. It's also convenient if you're hunting for a good restaurant near Gwanggyo Central Station and want to preview the menu first.

How the CatchTable waitlist works, and what the Gyuen-dang dining room is like

If you're worried about waiting, Gyuen-dang's Gwanggyo branch lets you reserve a spot ahead through CatchTable. Since I came during lunchtime, it was helpful to check the wait status before heading over. Plenty of people come here as a go-to Gwanggyo restaurant, so it's worth checking during peak hours.

The interior isn't huge, but it's not cramped or uncomfortable either — a pretty reasonable size overall.

Gyuen-dang menu lineup and what we ordered

Gyuen-dang's menu turned out to be more varied than I expected. Alongside gyukatsu, there's hamburg omurice, steak rice bowls, tsukune (chicken meatball) rice bowls, curry, udon, and more Japanese dishes, so there were quite a few options. After some thought, I went with the tenderloin gyukatsu and the sirloin gyukatsu.

How to eat gyukatsu: grilling it yourself on the tabletop brazier

Gyuen-dang's gyukatsu doesn't come fully cooked — you grill it yourself as you eat. Instructions are printed right on the table, so even first-timers can follow along easily.

This is basically how it's served, and you just grill the gyukatsu yourself over the fire in front of you. Butter comes with it too, and extra butter is listed at ₩1,000. Being able to grill it little by little to your preferred doneness is really part of the fun of gyukatsu haha

The gyukatsu isn't fully cooked when it arrives — you place bite-sized pieces on the grill and cook them as much as you like. I didn't want to overdo it, so I grilled mine just until the surface turned golden brown. Cooking it bit by bit on the fire meant I got to eat it warm the whole time, which I really liked.

Once the outside is cooked enough, you can eat it right away, or keep grilling longer depending on your taste — everyone can cook it exactly to their liking.

What if the fire dies down? Asking for a fire and grill plate swap

If you keep grilling for a while, the fire can die down — when that happens, just tell a staff member and they'll bring a fresh one. They'll swap out the grill plate too if needed, so there's no need to worry much if the fire weakens partway through!

Tenderloin vs sirloin gyukatsu, wrapped in rice: how they tasted

Once the gyukatsu was well grilled, I tried wrapping it in rice, and this combo turned out to be way better than expected. The meat was tender, not chewy at all, and eating it with rice made for a really filling meal. The tenderloin gyukatsu in particular was noticeably soft, so I'd recommend it if you like tender cuts of meat.

This dish was received through a Naver receipt review event. If you're planning to visit, it's worth checking whether a Naver receipt review event is running and joining in if you can.

Is Gyuen-dang Gwanggyo worth it? The verdict and the drawbacks

Overall, I liked being able to grill the gyukatsu myself and control the doneness exactly how I wanted. The tenderloin had a nice soft texture, and the sirloin was good when I wanted a bit more meaty flavor. That said, since it's grilled directly at the table, keep in mind your clothes might pick up a slight smell of grilled meat.

If you're looking for a good restaurant near Gwanggyo Central Station or somewhere to eat around Avenue France, Gyuen-dang is worth a visit.