Yeouido date-night dinner: double pan-momil and steki add-on at Izawa

SponsoredBy YeowonWritten Sep 8, 2026Updated Sep 14, 2026

In short

Izawa Yeouido Direct Store is a gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) specialty restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul, run directly by the brand that first introduced gyukatsu to Korea in 2015. The gyukatsu set (₩18,000) came with a double pan-momil (chilled buckwheat noodles, ₩14,000) grilled at the table over a mini charcoal brazier, plus an added steki (steak) cut of beef (₩15,000) cooked medium rare. With mostly two-person tables it's a great date spot, and the building offers one hour of free ground-level parking.

Gyukatsu set spread at Izawa Yeouido Direct Store

Good to know

Hours: 11:00–21:00, open daily
Break time: 15:00–17:00
Last order: 20:30
Gyukatsu set: ₩18,000
Double pan-momil: ₩14,000
Added steki (steak): ₩15,000 (only with a set order)
Seating: Mostly two-person tables rather than group seating
Parking: 1 hour free at the 1st-floor ground parking lot; underground parking is paid
Entry: No reservation app — sign-in sheet; the whole party must arrive before being seated
Restrooms: Separate for men/women, located in the same building but outside the restaurant

as written by the visitor on Sep 8, 2026

Cool autumn breezes are starting to blow in. I recently had a special Japanese-food date in Yeouido.

What is Izawa Yeouido Direct Store?

Izawa is so famous for gyukatsu that as soon as I heard about the opening, I didn't hesitate to visit.

Business hours signage at Izawa Yeouido Direct Store

Open daily 11:00–21:00
Break time 15:00–17:00
Last order 20:30
Free parking available

Izawa is the brand that first introduced gyukatsu to Korea in 2015, kicking off the country's gyukatsu culture.

Izawa Yeouido Direct Store entrance set back inside the building

Izawa Yeouido Direct Store was set further inside the building than I expected. There's no reservation app — you sign in by hand. One thing to note: you can't be seated until your whole party has arrived!

Atmosphere and seating

The restaurant was more spacious and comfortable than I expected, with more two-person tables than group seating. That's probably why so many couples were visiting — the vibe was really nice. The tables were spaced well enough for a relaxed meal.

Restaurant interior with green scenery visible through the window

You could see lush greenery through the window, which added to the charm of the meal.

Menu board listing steki, ramen, and mazesoba

Page introducing the signature menu items

Besides gyukatsu, the menu features various signature dishes like steki, ramen, and mazesoba. We ordered the gyukatsu set and the double pan-momil (₩18,000 / ₩14,000).

As soon as we ordered, they set up the mini brazier and the food came out quickly too — no long wait, which I liked.

The gyukatsu set, grilled yourself on a mini brazier

Full gyukatsu set with cross-section visible

Side dishes and rice served with the gyukatsu set

The gyukatsu looked delicious from the color alone — it's lightly salted so you can enjoy the flavor even without extra seasoning.

Gyukatsu piece placed on the mini brazier

You only need to grill the part that's not already fried on the mini brazier, which made it easy, haha.

Close-up of gyukatsu grilled over the brazier

Cross-section of gyukatsu showing the crisp exterior

Crisp outside and moist inside, the gyukatsu really melted in my mouth. 😍

What's different about the double pan-momil?

Double pan-momil served with two sauce bowls

True to its name, the double pan-momil came with double the sauce and two separate dipping bowls — a nice touch from the staff, haha.

Pan-momil noodles topped with scallions and radish

The pan-momil noodles were chewy and springy, with a great texture. The radish added a refreshing taste, and the finely sliced scallions gave it a crunchy bite. Eating a bite of the cold noodles between bites of warm gyukatsu cleared the palate and made me want to go right back to the gyukatsu — a kind of addictive charm. Hehe.

Adding meat: steki striploin

We finished the gyukatsu in no time, so we added a steki cut of beef (₩15,000).

Adding meat is only possible with a set order, but they said you're free to switch which meat cut you get.

Raw striploin steki served before grilling

We got the striploin served raw and grilled it to our own preference.

Cross-section of striploin grilled medium rare

I grilled mine medium rare, and it really melted in my mouth. Lightly seared outside, soft inside — the flavor of the striploin was excellent.

Izawa offers two kinds of special sauces. Both were tasty, but personally, I felt that just topping it with wasabi felt the most classic and delicious. When the mini brazier got messy, the staff swapped it out for a fresh one, so we could finish the meal cleanly!

What I thought after eating

This was probably the most satisfying Japanese restaurant I've eaten at recently.

In particular, the experience of grilling your own food on the mini brazier is a unique strength of Izawa.

The staff's friendly service also left an impression.

Signage about the free drink review event

If you join their review event, you can even get a free drink, so I recommend anyone visiting to take part.

Restrooms and parking info

Izawa Yeouido Direct Store, a popular Yeouido restaurant, has separate restrooms for men and women, which is convenient. (Though note they're located in the same building, not inside the restaurant itself.)

Parking is also available, so those driving can visit comfortably. Using the 1st-floor ground parking lot gets you 1 hour free. Keep in mind that the underground parking lot is paid.

Izawa believes that good food starts with good ingredients, sticking to carefully selected beef and a cooking method perfected through long research. They say they still cook today with the same dedication and standards as when they first introduced gyukatsu. It's a place where you can hold onto great taste, atmosphere, and good memories together — if you're ever in Yeouido, be sure to stop by ❤️