Unlimited Yeoju rice refills at Gyugyu, a Yeoju tonkatsu restaurant

I ended up in Yeoju for a business trip. By the time I arrived it was well past lunchtime and I was starving, so I looked up a good restaurant on the way :)

Gyugyu Donkatsu, home to two of my favorites — tonkatsu and ramen. The reviews were great and the menu looked good, so I didn't hesitate to go. Bottom line: totally satisfied 🫶🏼 A real Yeoju gem!

What is Gyugyu Donkatsu in Yeoju like, and where do you park?

The storefront is really cute and charming — it caught my eye from far away. Felt like stumbling on a local spot in Japan 😛 Now I want to go to Japan,,,

There's a huge parking lot behind the building, so zero stress about parking :) Gyugyu Donkatsu has its own dedicated lot — big enough for large cars and even trucks.

The sky was so, so pretty that day. Summer was fading into fall — high, clear skies with that autumn feeling in the air on the day I visited Gyugyu Donkatsu. Pretty clouds, clear sky, perfect 💗

Even at around 2pm on a weekday, the place was packed with customers. Parked easily and walked in with high expectations!

Gyugyu Donkatsu specializes in just tonkatsu and ramen. Only two menu items — I love that kind of focus! It really felt like the owner had studied katsu cooking in Japan.

Looked like a family-run business, and everyone — owners and staff alike — was so kind. Smiling and welcoming from the moment I walked in until I left.

The dining room is huge and spotless! The tables are nice and wide, which was great. Good for solo dining, and lots of families too.

The AC was blasting and the whole interior felt clean and comfortable — a pleasant meal from start to finish at Gyugyu Donkatsu.

The free Yeoju rice and miso soup refill bar

At the self-serve bar, you can freely refill miso soup, rice, and various side dishes for free — and the fact that the famously chewy, delicious Yeoju rice was unlimited was the best part!!!

There are several signature ramen options. Taipei-style ramen with its spicy kick, non-spicy tonkotsu ramen, and hearty set menus with sides.

Such a hard decision on what to order!!

I went back and forth between Taiwan ramen and chashu ramen, but decided on chashu ramen since they said I could add spice to the basic broth! And of course, figuring it wouldn't be enough, I went for the set menu with sides haha

I was really curious about the cold soba too, sadly. If I'd come with a group we could have ordered a few different things, but solo dining has its limits.

The katsu dishes all looked amazing too — since it's a katsu specialist, of course I had to order one!! Katsu-don and cheese katsu-don are bound to be great at a katsu specialist.

If this place were closer to home, I'd be getting takeout constantly. Lucky Yeoju locals.~~~ Next time I'm at the Yeoju outlets, I have to stop by again.

Table setup and how the self-serve refills work

After ordering, I checked out the table!! Every table has handy condiments — tonkatsu sauce, salad dressing, sesame, pepper, and more, all within easy reach 🫶🏼

The refill bar was clean too, and unlimited rice and miso soup — the best 💐💐 Yeoju rice is famously delicious, haha.

I usually eat a ton of cabbage salad with katsu, so having salad there too was great. The refill bar really showed the owners' generosity.

How was the chashu ramen set with katsu?

My order arrived!! Funny how people work — I ordered spicy ramen, changed my mind, and then once the dish arrived, I wanted spicy again lol. Luckily there was spicy sauce on the table so I could still enjoy it my way. Two flavors.

The katsu that comes with the ramen set is top-notch too!! Juicy, thick cuts of meat fried perfectly crisp — so, so, so good 💗

I love Japanese ramen so much. This place is legit!! The broth was seasoned just right, packed with hearty ingredients — a really filling bowl of Japanese ramen.

The noodles were cooked to my exact preference. And apparently katsu can be refilled once for free — it was so good I used my one free refill haha.

What impressed me most was the katsu itself!! Next time I might make it the main dish.

Good dipped in salt and mustard too 😋

Dipped in the house-made tonkatsu sauce, it tasted exactly as delicious as I remembered.

Genuinely a place I'd want to bring every friend I know. Clean hygiene and that healthy taste of oil that's clearly fresh came through clearly.

Every single bite was pure happiness haha

After a few bites of ramen, I sprinkled on some spicy powder and it matched up to the Taiwan spicy ramen I'd been torn about!!

Being able to adjust the spice to my taste was the best. The broth was so good I had to mix in rice — a must.

Jumbo shrimp tempura rounds out the meal

And once again, the jumbo shrimp tempura blew me away. Honestly the meatiest, crispiest, most delicious shrimp tempura I've ever had... highly recommend.

Generous portions and amazing flavor — Gyugyu Donkatsu near the Yeoju outlets. Highly, highly recommend!!