Suwon Japanese restaurant date spot with Shin-chan bar seats

A lunch favorite for donburi near Ajou University — Gyudongjip Ajou University Branch nails the vibe, the taste, and the value all at once.

🕖 Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–21:00 (closed weekends) 🅿️ Parking: 1 hour free at the nearby Uman-dong public parking lot

Is there a lunch wait at Gyudongjip near Ajou University?

Today's review is of Gyudongjip, already known as one of the best donburi spots near Ajou University! I went during lunchtime and there were so many university students that there was actually a wait — a proper waiting-list restaurant, haha 🤗 But turnover was fast, so the line moved quickly.

Shin-chan bar seats at Gyudongjip: fine for solo lunch or a date

Gyudongjip Ajou University Branch has dachi (counter bar) seats, which make it great for eating alone or coming on a date. If you're looking for a good place to eat solo near Ajou University, consider Gyudongjip Ajou University Branch, haha.

There's a little Chibi Maruko-style figure at every seat!!! It's a small touch, but seeing them lined up along the counter seats was so cute 🤍💓 The whole place has a charming, cozy feel, so it really seems good for a date spot too.

Of course there are table seats too. I think there were about two 4-person tables and two 2-person tables.

The main menu items are gyudon (beef rice bowl) and char siu don (pork rice bowl)! This photo is of the curry, since it wasn't listed on Gyudongjip's Naver menu. They also sell house-made curry topped with karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and shrimp tempura, and it looked really tasty just from the photo, haha.

What comes with the 10,900 won Gyudon Set

The Gyudon Set is ₩10,900 and comes with gyudon, buckwheat noodles (memil), 3 pieces of karaage, and plum tea. You can swap the buckwheat noodles for cold udon or hot udon — since it was hot out that day, I went with the cold buckwheat noodles, haha.

The Gyudon Set really comes out as a full spread! At ₩10,900, this is such a steal!! Definitely a great value spot 👍🏻

The gyudon's meat seasoning was sweet, and the rice underneath was already seasoned too, so I could enjoy it all the way to the last bite.

The highlight was the poached egg! 🍳🥚 When you pop it, the yolk oozes out so satisfyingly 🤤 mixing it in adds a nutty richness that makes it even more delicious. When it started to feel a bit heavy, adding the red sauce and mixing it in gave a spicy, clean finish — it never got boring all the way through.

And this karaage was seriously amazing!! Crispy outside, moist chicken inside, and dipping it in what looked like a cheese sauce was a total delicacy — I'd definitely recommend ordering the set so you get to try it too.

The mini buckwheat noodles come as a side, so I didn't expect much, but it was completely delicious too!! The noodles weren't soggy at all, had a nice chewy texture, and the broth wasn't too salty — perfect for a palate cleanser between bites of the rice bowl 😋

So springy and chewy, and with a bit of wasabi on top it has a clean, refreshing flavor!!!

Char Siu Don regular instead of the set: how big is the portion?

For the char siu don, priced at ₩10,900, I ordered the regular size instead of the full set. It comes with char siu don, udon broth, side dishes, and plum tea. Bottom line up front: the portion was just right for me! If you're a really big eater, I'd recommend going with the full set.

The kicker for the char siu don is this torch-seared section. As soon as you get it, that smoky torched aroma hits you, and it keeps coming through with every bite — makes eating it so fun 🤭

The meat was thick with a nice chew, not tough at all, and just really delicious! Honestly as good as the char siu you get on top of ramen!

It's even better with wasabi on top. The rice inside is drizzled with soy seasoning too, so even eating just the rice mixed in was sweet and salty — by the end I was just scooping up plain rice, haha.

Gyudon or char siu don at Gyudongjip — which to order?

If you like bolder, more intense flavors, go for the char siu don 🙌 If you prefer clean and refined flavors, go for the gyudon 🙌 That's my recommendation.

After finishing everything, sipping the plum tea felt like the perfect ending. Small details like that seem to determine the overall quality of a meal, and Gyudongjip Ajou University Branch was satisfying in every way 💓

If you're looking for a great-value restaurant near Ajou University, a nice-atmosphere spot for a date, or a delicious Japanese donburi place — how about giving Gyudongjip Ajou University Branch a try!!!