Yeouido gyukatsu restaurant, coworker's first try on a rainy day

What is Izawa Yeouido Direct Store like?

Izawa Yeouido Direct Store (이자와 여의도직영점) is a gyukatsu restaurant near Yeouido Station, at 42 Yeouinaru-ro, Units 203 and 204, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. It is open 11:00 - 21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last order at 20:30.

I commute to Yeouido for work, so I always eat lunch around here, and I'm slowly working my way through all the famous spots among Yeouido office workers, haha. Today I visited Izawa, a Yeouido Station gyukatsu place that is steadily packed every lunchtime.

How close is Izawa to Yeouido Station?

Izawa is right in front of Yeouido Station Exit 5, so access is the best. It was pouring that day, and although the building isn't connected underground, it's so close to the exit that I just dashed over without an umbrella. When it rains, distance matters for lunch, and this location is excellent!!!

What are the lunch wait and atmosphere like?

On a weekday lunch with record-breaking rain, we got in right away with no wait. The restaurant is bigger inside than I expected. There are lots of tables and the food comes out fast, so the lunchtime turnover is good!

How to order at Izawa and menu prices

You order on the tablet at your table. There were two of us, so we each got the signature gyukatsu set (striploin) at ₩18,000. They were also running a review event, so if you write a review you get a mini curry.

I came with a coworker from my company, and it turned out they had never had gyukatsu. ...You've never had this delicious thing?! So I excitedly dragged them to Izawa, my pick for Yeouido gyukatsu, haha.

Why it works as a Yeouido office lunch

The gyukatsu set came out in less than 5 minutes after ordering. At lunchtime even 5 minutes is golden, so for busy Yeouido office workers that's a huge plus...

How was the striploin gyukatsu set?

The gyukatsu set (striploin) passes on looks alone. The golden-fried cutlet comes sliced into bite-size pieces, and the middle is a juicy medium rare, so you can tell just by looking that the juices are intact. And the star of gyukatsu is the brazier! You can cook it lightly, just as much as you like, which makes eating it fun.

I like to sear only the outside for about 5 seconds, and that crispy-outside, juicy-inside texture is insane. The coating is thin and doesn't hide the beef at all. Bite in and the juices burst out, and maybe because it's striploin, the flavor is richly savory and the texture was incredibly tender!!!

Wasabi vs. sauce: how to eat it?

Putting a little of the wasabi that comes with it on top really brings out the beef's flavor, while dipping it in the sauce gives a different feel, so it's fun to switch up how you eat each piece. Personally, wasabi plus lightly grilled gyukatsu was the real kicker.

Is a gyukatsu lunch too heavy for the afternoon?

The good thing about gyukatsu is that you feel as satisfied as after a steak, but it isn't super heavy like pork belly. It's perfect for office workers who have to work in the afternoon!! It's not so heavy that you get sleepy back at the office, just a feeling of having eaten well, so I find myself coming back for lunch often :)

Inside Izawa there were lots of photos and autographs of the singer Lim Young-woong. Is the owner friends with him, haha? Anyway, it's definitely a place Lim Young-woong has visited!

What if the brazier flame goes out?

The brazier flame may go out once during your meal. Don't panic, just ask a staff member to relight it~!

Verdict: would I go back to Izawa Yeouido?

Working in Yeouido, I've tried lots of lunch spots, and true to its fame for gyukatsu near Yeouido Station, Izawa has easy access, fast service and satisfying flavor, so my revisit chance is 100%!!!

Want meat but nothing too heavy? Then run to Izawa Yeouido. I'll be back next time. To my fellow Yeouido office workers: eat a hearty lunch and let's keep fighting...!!