Sharosu-gil gyukatsu restaurant, two sets split for a date: Izawa

Why gyukatsu won our Sharosu-gil date dinner

Haven't we all agonized over "what should we eat tonight so people know we ate well?" before a weekend or after-work date? I was recently mulling over the next date spot with my boyfriend in Sharosu-gil!

Out of nowhere my boyfriend said, "Babe, should we go get some sizzling grilled gyukatsu, it's been forever?" The second he said it, I could taste that crispy-outside, tender-inside bite, so we ran off excitedly to Izawa Sharosugil Branch, the number one gyukatsu spot in Sharosu-gil. 🥰

As Korea's very first gyukatsu restaurant since 2015, this authentic Japanese place nailed everything — the quality of the meat, the neat personal-grill system, and the tasting curry that turned out to be a genius move. Let me walk you through the honest, detailed review of our visit. Shall we go? ✨

Where Izawa Sharosugil Branch is and when it opens

Izawa Sharosugil Branch is on the 2nd floor of 28 Gwanak-ro 14-gil, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. Come out of Exit 2 of Seoul National University Station, walk about 50m, turn left into the Starbucks alley, walk another 100m, and you'll find it on the 2nd floor of the yellow-roofed building on the right.

• Address: 2F, 28 Gwanak-ro 14-gil, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:30 - 21:00 (break 15:00 - 17:00 / last order 20:30)
• Parking: No dedicated lot for the restaurant, so use nearby public parking

Wood-toned interior with a personal mini grill at every table

The class of Korea's first gyukatsu brand since 2015! A relaxed, authentic Japanese meal with your partner in a warm wood-tone space

Izawa Sharosugil Branch is on the 2nd floor of its building, and the black sign with "Izawa" written in Japanese really stands out! On the way up there are posters of Izawa with gyukatsu illustrations and photos that build up your anticipation even more. 😄

It seems like they usually get some waiting lines, because they told us they treat waiting guests to mini mori noodles and a drink on the house! I was so touched by the owner's hospitality ❤️

The moment you walk in, the warm, cozy, distinctly Japanese wood-tone interior puts you right at ease. It's not overly noisy but still has a charming, homey feel, so it's full of couples on Sharosu-gil dates or small groups hanging out. Each table has a neat personal mini grill, making it a great spot to chat away while grilling meat for each other. 💗

Izawa menu and prices at a glance

Beyond the main gyukatsu, the rice-bowl and noodle lineup is packed with plenty of Japanese options to try!

Signature dishes at Izawa

• Gyukatsu set (₩17,000 / ₩18,000): the signature dish, sirloin grilled at your own mini grill
• Gyukatsu double (₩30,000): a larger set with double the meat
• Gyukatsu curry (₩19,000): a set pairing gyukatsu with rich curry
• Steki set (₩17,000 / ₩18,000): sirloin lightly seared on the outside, grilled yakiniku-style

Donburi rice bowls

• Steki-don (₩17,000) / Toro-don (₩13,000) / Gyu-don (₩12,000)

Noodles and katsu

• Mazesoba (₩12,000) / Spicy ramen (₩12,000) / Basil ramen (₩12,000)

Drinks and beer

• Asahi draft (420ml) (₩8,000) / Asahi 3+1 (₩21,000) / Highball (₩5,000), and more

What we ordered: gyukatsu set and steki set (36,000 won)

Our pick as a couple was the gyukatsu set at ₩18,000 and the steki set at ₩18,000, plus a complimentary tasting curry served alongside.

Once we ordered the gyukatsu and steki, they set a personal grill down in front of us! Seeing the shiny grill made me want to start grilling right away!><

The set menu comes with a meat plate plus fluffy rice sprinkled with furikake, hearty miso soup, crunchy cabbage salad, wasabi, pink salt, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), and pickles, all neatly arranged on an individual tray! The moment we saw the meat's gorgeous pink marbling, both my boyfriend and I gasped. 🤤 I ordered steki and he ordered gyukatsu, and we split them roughly in half. :)

Isn't the color just gorgeous... look at this beautiful sight! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Gyukatsu vs steki: how they compare when you split both

Gyukatsu, the perfect harmony of crispy and tender; steki, with its deep flavor and bursting juices with every bite!

1. Gyukatsu set (18,000 won)

With Izawa's own special aging technique, the coating is extremely thin and light. Lightly cooked on the grill, the first bite hits with a crispy, savory crunch, then instantly gives way to the tender sirloin melting inside — a textbook crispy-outside, tender-inside bite. The savory juices burst out more with each chew, and a dab of wasabi cuts any richness, leaving nothing but pure umami!

It comes lightly pre-cooked, but you know gyukatsu absolutely has to be grilled on the hot plate before eating, right?! 🥰

2. Steki set (18,000 won)

Steki is a yakiniku-style dish with no batter — just the surface of the beef lightly seared medium-rare, almost tataki-style. Grilling it yourself lets you fully taste the beef's own rich, clean aroma and deep juices. The meat is chewy yet melts apart tenderly in your mouth, so dipping it lightly in salt or the special sauce lets you enjoy the meat's flavor fully on its own!

Look at this thick-cut steki. How could anyone resist? You can't.

Dip it lightly in wasabi and pink salt like this and it just melts in your mouth 😂😂😂

I also dug into the gyukatsu my boyfriend shared with me, grilling it up eagerly. Hehe... honestly it was so hard to pick a winner, both the steki and gyukatsu were amazing!

Fat burning onto the grill plate? Ask for a new one

Because it's beef, fat tends to stick to the grill plate quite a bit! Since you keep grilling gyukatsu or steki on it, at some point the plate gets covered in fat. But don't worry :) just ask a staff member and they'll swap in a fresh grill plate for you. Ours got swapped partway through, and we were able to keep eating comfortably and deliciously the rest of the way. ><

Looking at this photo makes me want to eat it all over again... the magic is real.

The best move: garlic slices with the tasting curry

This tasting curry was the hidden gem you couldn't skip on this visit! They gave it to us to try on the house — a Japanese curry base with crispy, savory garlic slice chips mixed in.

One spoonful in, the curry's subtly spicy yet deep aroma balanced perfectly with the richness of the fried cutlet or the beef. Dipping the well-cooked gyukatsu straight into the curry is a real treat, and mixing the spicy curry into the rice with a piece of grilled steki on top is an absolutely dreamy combination that makes you gasp out loud. If you visit, you have to try the curry pairing! 🍛👍

Final verdict on Izawa Sharosugil Branch

Thanks to my boyfriend's one line, "let's go eat gyukatsu!", we made it back to Izawa Sharosugil Branch after a while. Grilling meat together at the table while chatting away made the date so much richer and happier.

The excellent quality of the beef itself, the neat set-up, and the friendly atmosphere all left us very satisfied! If you're looking for a great-vibe restaurant date with your partner in Sharosu-gil, or want to experience proper, authentic Japanese gyukatsu and steki with that crispy-outside, juicy-inside bite, I highly recommend stopping by! ❤️