Friday-night gyukatsu at Isu Station with chili radish pickle: Hurato

Trying Hurato Sikdang Isu Branch for the first time on a Friday night

On a Friday night, my husband and I went out for a nice dinner at Hurato Sikdang Isu Branch (후라토식당 이수직영점) at Isu Station. It was my first visit, but my husband said he'd eaten at another branch before.

I heard it was once a really hot gyukatsu spot, so I went in with high hopes. If you're stuck on dinner near Isu Station or looking for a good Japanese restaurant in Sadang, it's worth keeping on your radar.

Where is Hurato Sikdang Isu Branch, and what are the hours and parking?

Hurato Sikdang Isu Branch is on the 2nd floor at 6 Sadang-ro 28-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 142 m from Exit 9 of Isu Station (Lines 4 and 7). It's open daily from 11:30 to 22:00.

• Address: 6 Sadang-ro 28-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, 2nd floor
• Getting there: 142 m from Exit 9 of Isu Station, Lines 4 and 7
• Hours: daily 11:30-22:00
• Parking: Isu Xi Apartments (300 Sadang-ro) - first 20 minutes free, then ₩1,000 per 10 minutes

The atmosphere inside is so nice that I caught myself thinking, why did I wait this long to come?!

What comes in Hurato Sikdang's Set 2?

Set 2 at Hurato Sikdang comes with gyukatsu or steki (steak), a rice bowl and two drinks. That night we ordered Set 2, chose the gyukatsu, and swapped the rice bowl for Japanese-style omurice (rice omelet).

We also changed the drinks from the default: one Kirin draft beer and one ramune (Japanese soda). Getting gyukatsu, Japanese-style omurice and drinks all in one go felt better than picking each item separately. If you're two people who want to taste a bit of everything, the set menus are worth a look.

You can order on the tablet too!!!

Do you grill the gyukatsu yourself at Hurato Sikdang?

The gyukatsu at Hurato Sikdang arrives medium-rare, and you cook it to your liking on the personal grill at each table. I started with gyukatsu, the signature dish you could say, and this was the part I loved.

You put on a little meat at a time and grill it how you like, so even the last bite stays warm. At first I wondered whether you just eat the medium-rare meat as it is, but grilling it yourself turned out to be fun because you control the doneness. And if you like your meat cooked through, you can do that too, which I appreciated.

Gyukatsu sauces: wasabi, salt, chili and tonkatsu sauce

The gyukatsu comes with a choice of sauces: wasabi, salt, chili sauce and tonkatsu sauce. So even the same gyukatsu can be enjoyed in lots of different combinations.

Personally I think the fun of meat dishes is how the sauce changes the taste, and with this many options it never got boring.

The chili-pickled radish I mistook for kkakdugi

The gyukatsu comes with a cabbage salad and a side dish that looks like kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) but is actually danmuji (yellow pickled radish) tossed in chili powder. The cabbage salad went well with the meat, but the one I kept thinking about was this side dish.

I was sure it was kkakdugi, so finding out it was danmuji was a surprise, haha. It's tangy and a little spicy, great with the meat, and it cleans up your palate just when things might get heavy. A sneaky little highlight!

Is swapping the set's rice bowl for Japanese-style omurice worth it?

The dish I was happiest with this time was the Japanese-style omurice I swapped in for the set's rice bowl. It caught my eye right away: the fluffy egg sits on top like a little volcano, so it's fun just to look at.

Eating the soft egg together with the rice gave it a different charm from the gyukatsu.

Best of all, Lucky ate the omurice really well! When you eat out with a child, it matters whether there's something the kid can eat, not just adult dishes. I thought, good thing we ordered the omurice this time. My husband and I got to enjoy the gyukatsu and Lucky ate happily too, so I was really pleased with how we ordered.

Kirin draft beer and ramune with gyukatsu: how was the drink pairing?

We swapped the set drinks for Kirin draft beer and ramune, and the pairing worked. After one sip of the Kirin, my husband said it was really good. Gyukatsu and draft beer just go together.

I hadn't had ramune in ages, and that crisp, fizzy feeling was a welcome treat. Drinking ramune at a Japanese restaurant makes me feel like I'm on a trip, which made it extra fun. Ordering one Kirin and one ramune made it a meal that both the adults and the child could enjoy.

Is Hurato Sikdang Isu Branch worth going back to?

It was my first meal at Hurato Sikdang Isu Branch, and I was happy with all of it: the fun of grilling the gyukatsu yourself, the Japanese-style omurice, the variety of sauces and the drinks. The set menu lets you taste several things together, so I think it's a good option for two people or a family meal.

If you're looking for gyukatsu at Isu Station, or checking out Japanese food in Sadang or lunch in Isu, put Hurato Sikdang on your shortlist. It seems just as good as a hearty lunch or as a dinner with a glass of beer. Next time gyukatsu crosses my mind, I'd like to order the Japanese-style omurice along with it again.