Suwon Japanese lunch with Zero Coke: Gyuen-dang

While looking for somewhere to have lunch in Gwanggyo with my husband, I spotted gyukatsu (breaded fried beef cutlet) that you grill yourself on a little brazier, so we went to Gyuen-dang Avenue France Gwanggyo Branch. Rather than eating beef that simply arrives cooked, you cook it as much as you like, and somehow it made an ordinary lunch feel like eating while traveling. Haha.

We ordered tenderloin and striploin gyukatsu so we could compare both. To give you the conclusion first, tenderloin was my pick! Then we tried putting butter on it too, and from that point each bite tasted completely different. Haha. For anyone curious about gyukatsu while looking for Japanese food near Gwanggyo Jungang Station, I’ll show you the location, menu, ordering process, and the grilling method I enjoyed, with photos.

Gyuen-dang Gwanggyo at a glance

• Gyuen-dang Avenue France Gwanggyo Branch
• It opened at 11:30 at the time of my visit according to Naver Place; check that day’s hours before visiting.
• Use the Avenue France underground parking lot.
• Reservations and parking are available; separate restrooms, high chairs, a waiting area, Wi-Fi, and easy payment are available.

Finding Gyuen-dang from the underground parking lot

We drove and parked in Avenue France’s underground lot. The restaurant was not immediately visible on a first visit, so we took the escalator up from the basement, went outside, and walked toward the Provincial Government Complex.

Once outside, look toward the Provincial Government Complex and follow the first-floor storefronts of Atti Zone. If this is your first time coming to look for restaurants in Gwanggyo Avenue France, knowing this route from parking to the restaurant beforehand should mean less wandering.

It is on the first floor of Avenue France Atti Zone

The exterior immediately had the feel of a Japanese restaurant. With its white facade and sign in Chinese characters, it was not difficult to find while walking along the shops.

There was also a signboard with the menu in front of the entrance, so it was nice to have a look at what was available before going in.

What is the atmosphere like inside Gyuen-dang Gwanggyo?

Inside, it was bright and tidy, with Japanese-style decor and lettering. There were several tables, ranging from spots suitable for two people to seating for larger groups.

My husband and I visited for lunch, and although we had a small brazier on the table, the spacing between tables did not feel especially uncomfortable. Above all, the staff at the Gwanggyo branch were really, really kind when I visited. It was easy to ask when we needed something, and their service during the meal stayed with me.

A menu with gyukatsu through omurice

Gyuen-dang had a range of Japanese dishes centered on gyukatsu, including hamburger steak omurice and Brie cheese omurice.

After some deliberation, we chose tenderloin gyukatsu, striploin gyukatsu, and Zero Coke. We also joined the review event that was running at the time.

Should you split tenderloin and striploin when ordering?

At the table, we could check the types and set options on the menu screen. You can choose gyukatsu by cut, so first-timers may wonder whether to choose tenderloin or striploin. If there are two of you like us, ordering different cuts and sharing a piece of each is a good option. Once we tried both, the textural difference was clear.

The country-of-origin information was available too

Country-of-origin information was also posted inside the restaurant. Since this is somewhere you order meat dishes, anyone curious can check it before ordering or while dining.

Tenderloin and striploin gyukatsu set

After a short wait, the gyukatsu, rice, soup, sauces, and more arrived as a full set.

Put simply, gyukatsu is beef coated in breadcrumbs and fried, then finished to your preferred doneness on a mini brazier.

A key feature was that it did not arrive fully cooked from the start—you could adjust it to the doneness you wanted. Salt, wasabi, and a special sauce came alongside it too, so it was fun changing the combination for each piece.

How long should you grill it on the brazier?

The instructions said to cook each side for about 15–20 seconds, just enough to give it a smoky grilled flavor.

But after grilling it a few times myself, I found it tastier when the outside was nicely crisp while the inside stayed tender, rather than timing it exactly.

The grill temperature was quite important too. If the heat was weak, the meat did not cook as quickly as expected, so if it seems to have weakened, it is best to tell a staff member.

Having tried both tenderloin and striploin

First, the striploin had a layer of fat, so it was richer and fattier than the tenderloin. Depending on how much it was grilled, it also had a pleasantly chewy texture, and it could be tender when cooked well.

As expected, I really liked the distinctly tender texture of the tenderloin. I tried both myself, but tenderloin was still more my style. Haha. If you prefer a soft meat texture over a fatty flavor, tenderloin may suit you better too.

What does it taste like grilled with butter?

At first, I dipped the gyukatsu in salt, added wasabi, and ate it with the special sauce too. Then I tried it with butter.

The taste changed so much again. Haha. The nutty richness was much deeper than when it was simply grilled, so I liked the butter combination. Trying several ways and finding the pairing that suits you is part of the fun of eating gyukatsu.

Replace the grill plate when the breading starts to burn!

Because gyukatsu is beef with a fried coating, breadcrumb bits fall onto the grill and gradually start to burn as you keep grilling. If you continue in that state, the meat can pick up a burnt flavor, so ask a staff member to replace the grill plate if needed.

One tip here: rather than putting meat on the new grill plate right away, I found it better to wait until it was fully heated. If the temperature has not risen enough, it takes longer for the meat to cook nicely.

We also had the review-event mini okonomiyaki

When I visited, we could also receive a review-event menu item. Since “mini” was in the name, I thought it would really be one or two bites, but... it was bigger than expected. Haha.

It felt like a mouthful, making it good to eat alongside the gyukatsu here and there, and it was much more filling than the “mini” I had imagined. ※ Review-event details may change, so please check the restaurant’s information at the time of your visit.

Zero Coke went well with gyukatsu too, haha

Because it is breaded beef that you then grill on a brazier, I found it got a little rich as I ate. So I took sips of Zero Coke in between, haha. Maybe it is just me, but I liked having something fizzy alongside gyukatsu. It paired especially well with a fattier cut like striploin.

Lunch with my husband that felt like a trip

My husband and I went out for lunch looking for a good restaurant in Suwon, and grilling each piece of meat ourselves over the little brazier reminded me of gyukatsu I had eaten in Japan, rather than an ordinary meal. Cooking it ourselves and enjoying it with salt, wasabi, and special sauce made it feel briefly like we were having lunch on a trip to Japan. :)

It was fun comparing how the texture differed between tenderloin and striploin, and it was nice that the flavor changed again when we went from salt or wasabi to adding butter. Most of all, the staff at Gyuen-dang Gwanggyo Branch were so kind that we could enjoy the entire meal in a good mood.

We did finish all the meat, but we could not finish the rice. Haha, I thought we were going to burst... haha. If I go back, I think I will definitely get tenderloin gyukatsu with Zero Coke, and butter in between, without hesitation. :)