Noryangjin donburi restaurant with a 10-minute lunch wait: Gyudongjip

I have to tell you about a place I really want to recommend as a budget-friendly restaurant near Noryangjin — Gyudongjip! I'd actually already reviewed this place once before as a repeat customer haha, and this time I got to visit again as part of a sponsored campaign.

Location and hours of Gyudongjip Noryangjin Main Branch

Gyudongjip Noryangjin Main Branch is about a 7-minute walk from Noryangjin Station. It's open daily from 11:00 to 21:00.

Daily 11:00–21:00

Since it's open every day, you can drop by anytime~

Reservations are possible for groups of 3–6, so keep that in mind if you're visiting with a group. Gyudongjip Noryangjin Main Branch only has one group table, so booking ahead seems essential.

How long is the lunch wait? In-store tablet registration

This lunch spot near Noryangjin can have a wait at lunchtime. Still, there's a waiting area where you can sit while you wait.

I got in within 10 minutes of registering for the wait haha. The turnover is faster than you'd expect.

At this donburi spot near Noryangjin, you can only register for the wait on the in-store tablet :)

Gyudongjip's menu lineup — à la carte, sets, and sides

At this donburi spot near Noryangjin, you can order gyudon or chashu-don à la carte, but you can also add buckwheat noodles or udon to turn it into a set-style full meal. I liked that you could check the menu composition along with photos~

They also sell yukhoe-don (raw beef rice bowl) and curry, so there's plenty of variety to choose from. The curry even has a discount going on haha. Gyudongjip has solo bar seats for eating alone, but also 2-person and 6-person tables, so if you're visiting with several people, it's nice to order a few different dishes :)

You can also choose side dishes! It was nice being able to check the menu while waiting, and once you're inside, every table has its own tablet, so ordering is hassle-free.

Inside the restaurant, the restroom, and even hand cream

Once inside, you get to read through the instructions on how to enjoy the food while you wait~ And the wifi is done just by scanning a QR code!!

The restroom is inside the restaurant and it's really clean!! Honestly, a restaurant's restroom really matters to me.. it's kind of inconvenient when it's outside the building ㅠㅡㅠ

This budget-friendly spot near Noryangjin even has hand cream and mouthwash stocked, which really shows how thoughtful they are haha.

What's in the chashu-don set and gyudon set

The chashu-don set comes with chashu-don and mini mobil! You can choose between buckwheat noodles and udon — since it was summer, I went with the buckwheat noodles~

The gyudon set comes with gyudon, mini mobil, and even karaage! The karaage can be swapped for a different side haha. Salad refills are available too, so just ask the staff — no need to be shy about it.

How does the chashu-don taste?

You can tell just by looking that the bowl is packed full of chashu-don. It was so tender it cut easily with scissors!

The chashu-don is tasty as is, but if you want it spicy, you can add the karai sauce that comes on the side. The meat has no gamey smell and is really tender~

The portion of rice is really, really generous — if you finish the whole bowl, your stomach will burst!! The rice is already seasoned too, so it's never bland.

Mix the gyudon with the poached egg

For the gyudon, you pop the poached egg and mix it all together. The gyudon itself is saltier than the chashu-don, but once mixed with the rice and egg, it pairs really well with the savory rice~ As Gyudongjip's signature menu, it really lives up to the name. If you want beef, go for the gyudon; if you want pork, go for the chashu-don lol. Whichever suits your taste, you won't regret it.

When the gyudon starts to feel a little rich, just add the karai sauce on top!

Karaage and mini mobil

I wasn't expecting much from the karaage, but it was more crispy than expected, and it's seasoned with a slightly spicy kick so it never gets boring haha.

The mini mobil has a nice chewy noodle texture, and with bits of ice floating in it, you can eat it nice and cool haha. Wrapping the meat and noodles together made for the best combo👍

Why I recommend it for a solo lunch near Noryangjin

Even though it's called 'mini' mobil, the portion is generous, which I liked. Noryangjin has a lot of students around, and there's clearly a reason so many of them come here. The prices are affordable, but it's also tasty, the portions are big, and the interior is clean, so it's a great place to visit.

A budget-friendly favorite near Noryangjin — I strongly recommend Gyudongjip for a solo lunch.