Chashu-don and yukhoe-don set meals at Gyudongjip, a Noryangjin bowl

I was craving a clean, well-put-together Japanese rice bowl (donburi) meal, so let me introduce Gyudongjip!

Gyudongjip in Noryangjin — you can check the menu from outside

Gyudongjip was easy to spot even from a distance. You can check the menu from outside the store, so it's nice to plan what to order before you even walk in~

There are so many types of rice bowls that it's honestly hard to pick just one while looking at the menu.. From chashu-don to yukhoe-don, you can choose based on your taste, and ordering it as a set meal makes it even more filling — it looked like a solid choice for a proper meal!

A vibe that works for solo dining and dates alike

Walking inside, the place felt clean and tidy overall. There are seats where you can eat comfortably alone, plus tables good for sitting with a companion, so it works whether you're eating solo or on a date~ I liked the clean atmosphere typical of Japanese rice bowl restaurants, and since the place is well organized, it felt comfortable throughout the meal. Note: it was too crowded for me to take photos, haha, sorry!

Chashu-don set and yukhoe-don set, both with mini soba

The main dishes I ordered today were the chashu-don set and the yukhoe-don set! The set meal lets you choose between udon and soba noodles, and I chose soba for both!!

Chashu-don

First up, the chashu-don comes with a generous pile of chashu (braised pork belly) on top of the rice — just looking at it feels filling.

Scooping up the tender chashu together with the rice, the savory-salty flavor and umami went really well together — a combination anyone who loves meat would be satisfied with.

Yukhoe-don

This time I also ordered the yukhoe-don (Korean-style beef tartare bowl), which had a completely different appeal from the chashu-don~

Thanks to the soft texture of the yukhoe, it went down well with the rice, and it wasn't heavy — the kind of dish that goes down smoothly, haha.

Mini soba and side dishes added

Both set meals came with mini soba, and eating the cool soba in between bites of the rice bowl refreshed my palate — the combination worked pretty well.

Since the set meals alone felt slightly not enough, I also added a sweet potato cheese croquette and karaage! The sweet potato cheese croquette has sweet potato and cheese inside a crispy coating — a great match if you're into that sweet-and-salty combo. It's nice to pick at one between bites of the main rice bowls, and the added cheese brings even more savoriness :)

Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) is another side you can't skip. Crispy outside, moist inside, and pairs well with the rice bowls~ The chashu-don and yukhoe-don are filling enough on their own, but if you want to sample a few different flavors, I'd recommend adding at least one side!

What we ate this time

• Chashu-don set (mini soba)
• Yukhoe-don set (mini soba)
• Sweet potato cheese croquette
• Karaage

The chashu-don and yukhoe-don each had their own appeal, so it was hard to pick just one, and adding the mini soba made for a really filling spread~~

Adding the crispy sides on top made it a meal where I got to enjoy a wide variety, from mains to sides :) Gyudongjip is a great place to visit whenever you're craving clean Japanese rice bowls or want to eat a generous variety of dishes!!