Hongdae izakaya with karai yakisoba and tiger shrimp: Gusa Yeonnam

I was craving Japanese food in Yeonnam-dong and stumbled across this place haha. On a day when I wanted both okonomiyaki (savory pancake) and yakisoba (stir-fried noodles), they had a set menu that even came with black tiger shrimp on the side 🔥🔥

Where Gusa Yeonnam is and when it opens

☞ Location) B1, Yeontral Tower, 6 Donggyo-ro 30-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea Hours) Daily 12:00–24:00 ※ Break time Mon–Thu 15:00–17:00

Gusa Yeonnam sits right on the street packed with Yeonnam-dong's famous restaurants haha. Walking there on a cool day, I arrived in no time~

Here's the exterior! I don't know Japanese, but it's also written in English so you can find it too hahaha. All the basement restaurants in Yeonnam-dong are so pretty;;

What a weekend noon visit to Gusa Yeonnam is like

I loved that Gusa Yeonnam is open at lunch too, so you can visit for a proper meal. I went on a weekend at noon 🤗 I really love this izakaya style, but most places like this only open in the evening ㅠㅠ so it seems perfect for a first or second stop in the evening too haha.

There are quite a lot of seats inside! Different corners are decorated in cute little ways~ There's a display of Japanese anime goods, so cute ><

Barley tea and cabbage were set on the table! I love the combo of cabbage with sesame oil 🤍🤍 The cabbage was so fresh I crunched through it in no time haha... maybe I should've asked for a refill;

They also had plastic gloves? If you open one packet there are 2 gloves inside, just so you know~ I wondered when you'd even use them, but turns out they're handy for eating shrimp or crab >,<

What comes in the 66,000 won wagyu set for two

I ordered the wagyu 2-person set for ₩66,000 at Gusa Yeonnam. They set everything up ready to eat! I was hungry, but since it's teppan-grilled food it takes a bit of time to cook, so it didn't come out right away haha.

Wagyu MB9 skirt steak, medium-well (cut and doneness changeable) Mentaiko (pollock roe) yakisoba (+₩1,000 over classic) Karai (spicy) okonomiyaki (default, spicy option available) Black tiger shrimp

There was a ₩1,000 add-on charge, and with a Kirin draft beer L at ₩11,000, the total came to ₩78,000~

Black tiger shrimp and wagyu skirt steak on the teppan

The shrimp and meat came out grilled first! A big shrimp was lying on top of bean sprouts, draped in sauce 🤤🤤 The meat wasn't an add-on, just what came with the set, and the portion wasn't huge... I kept saying 'this is so good, so good' while eating a few pieces, and then it was just gone...?ㅠ If you eat a lot of meat, it might be better to order the wagyu separately as an à la carte item~

I have pretty big hands, and can you tell it was palm-sized!! The shrimp was definitely big, so the texture was great 👍👍 The bite on it was no joke;; My friend and I happily ate two each 🥰

How spicy is the karai yakisoba at Gusa Yeonnam?

Yakisoba comes in a regular flavor and a karai (spicy) one, and I thought 'it'll probably be just a little spicy' so I ordered karai... whew, maybe because the sauce really soaked in, it was spicy ㅠㅠㅋㅋ Not quite Buldak-level, but hotter than Yeolramyeon or Teumsae Ramyeon ㅠㅜㅋㅋㅋ I kept neutralizing it with shrimp, then with bean sprouts, but it was also just so delicious ㅠㅠㅋㅋ If you handle spicy food well, I highly recommend the karai!

I ate every bit of the shrimp, even the head and innards, hehe. Feels like the bigger the crustacean, the better ..♥️

Okonomiyaki with extra mentaiko

The okonomiyaki I'd been waiting for finally arrived!! It came out last, and since the yakisoba was so spicy I was desperately waiting for it lolol. The okonomiyaki was completely sweet and soft, so good, and I was glad I added the mentaiko sauce! They drizzled it on generously without holding back ✨✨ The seafood inside was also substantial, and I ate really well :)

Is Gusa Yeonnam worth it? Final verdict

• Recommend the okonomiyaki with added mentaiko
• The karai yakisoba is only for those who truly handle spicy food well!!
• The meat portion in the set isn't large, so consider adding wagyu à la carte