Mapo Station gyukatsu at 5pm, no wait: regular vs fillet set, Gyudo

I visited Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch (프리미엄 규카츠 규도 마포공덕 본점), a gyukatsu place in Gongdeok, the holy ground of office workers. Even on a weekend people kept streaming in, so it's not just an office-worker favorite in Mapo, it's a genuinely great gyukatsu spot..! I heard there's even a wait on weekdays, so I went with expectations x100.

How do you find Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch?

Gyudo is right in front of Exit 1 of Mapo Station, so it's very easy to find. Go into the Hanwha Obelisk building in front of Exit 1, head down to B1, turn the corner at the blue eyeglasses shop, and way at the end, huh?! There's a gyukatsu place with a total Japan vibe.

A cute cat god(?) greets you right at the entrance of this Gongdeok office-worker favorite! We did the 17:00 opening run and got in without a wait, hehe (though 2 groups were already inside).

What are the interior and seats at Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok like?

Step inside and a gyukatsu spot full of Japanese shrine atmosphere awaits, haha. The fox? cat? shrine figure holding a piece of straw in its mouth was so cute too...

There are 2-person and 4-person seats, and the little charcoal hearths come already set up! I love this kind of thing.

True to a Mapo-Gongdeok office-worker spot, there are solo seats too, so eating alone is totally doable.

The key point here: there's a separate cabinet for storing clothes, so your precious outerwear won't pick up the smell of gyukatsu >_< Our clothes are precious, so in they go.

What are the 3 self-serve broths at Gyudo, and which tastes best?

Gyudo has a broth zone with three options: tonkotsu (pork bone) broth, solomon's seal tea (dungulle-cha) and bonito broth. While looking around I wondered what this soup(?) zone was, and it turns out you pour it into the pot rice that comes with the gyukatsu and make sungnyung (scorched-rice tea)!! Pick whatever suits your taste :) (My top pick is the bonito broth.)

• Solomon's seal tea: nutty, mild, with a faint solomon's seal aroma
• Bonito: savory umami, the deep flavor of the sea
• Tonkotsu: deep meaty aroma and umami from simmered pork bones

Next to the broth zone there are pots, so you fill one and carry it back to your seat. My husband had the bonito broth and I had the tonkotsu, and we both agreed the bonito was tastier, haha.

Also, Gyudo's cauldron pot rice is made with premium Sindongjin rice and is free, so it's perfect if you've ever found the rice portion at a gyukatsu place too small. (My husband already got a refill.)

What's the difference between the gyukatsu set and the fillet gyukatsu set?

Each seat has its own drawer, and inside are a rice paddle for the pot rice, tableware, wet wipes and furikake (rice seasoning) topping. I was so impressed by how carefully every little thing is thought out!

What I ordered was the gyukatsu set!

My husband's fillet (hire) gyukatsu set was something I hadn't seen at many gyukatsu places, so we tried it. The cut is different, and you can see the color is different too, right?!

The set included seaweed pollock roe (gamtae myeongran, ₩3,000), plus a poached egg and side dishes that come by default. Try the poached egg first and order more if you need it.

I really, truly wanted gyukatsu..

My husband's fillet gyukatsu looks tastier, but that's just the grass-is-greener effect, right? T_T

We shared happily, grilling a piece at a time and eating together.

The 2 on the left are the fillet gyukatsu, the 2 on the right are the regular gyukatsu!

The fat distribution differs, so the two tasted different, and the regular gyukatsu was delicious and so was the fillet!!

Dipping it in a little salt and taking a big bite is totally my style.

How do you finish the pot rice at Gyudo?

Gyudo's pot rice comes cooked with pumpkin. Scoop it into your bowl with the paddle, pour the broth you like into the pot, and set it aside to keep warm~

My husband added bonito, I added tonkotsu broth, sprinkled on the furikake, and that was the finish! If you're looking for a real office-worker favorite or a gyukatsu spot in Hongdae, Gongdeok or Mapo, I totally recommend Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch.