Yeouido gyukatsu restaurant with four dipping sauces: Izawa in Seoul

Hi everyone, it's Ttohi 💖

Do you all love authentic Japanese gyukatsu — crispy breading wrapped around juicy, tender beef? Today I'm bringing you an honest review of Izawa Yeouido Direct Store, which sits right in front of Yeouido Station on Line 5, so it's super accessible, plus you get the fun of grilling it yourself on a mini charcoal grill to your own taste! ✨

🕒 Hours: daily 11:00–21:00 / break time 15:00–17:00 / last order 20:30

Where is Izawa Yeouido Direct Store? 2nd floor at Yeouido Station Exit 5

This spot is on the 2nd floor of the building right in front of Exit 5 of Yeouido Station (Lines 5 and 9), so you can walk straight there the moment you come out of the station — very accessible. The building layout is a little maze-like, but once you get off the elevator in the middle and go right, the restaurant appears right away!!

Sunday 1pm wait at Izawa, and why underground parking is out

We visited around 1pm on a Sunday, and since they were clearing a table for us we waited a bit before being seated!! While waiting we browsed the menu~ They said underground parking isn't supported, so keep that in mind if you're driving!

Window seats for two at Izawa — groups of 4 or more should call ahead

There were more tables inside than I expected. We got lucky and were seated by the window! Seating is mostly tables for two, so if you're a group of four or more, it's a good idea to contact the store in advance.

Izawa's menu: ordering the gyukatsu set for two

Even though this is a gyukatsu specialty restaurant, they also sell rice bowl dishes like gyudon, and even a steki set without the breading! But since we'd come to the restaurant famous as the originator of grilled gyukatsu, we didn't hesitate and ordered the signature gyukatsu set for two haha.

After you order, they bring a small charcoal grill for each table for you to grill on. You can grill it piece by piece at your own pace!

What comes with the gyukatsu set, and the four sauces

Quite a generous spread! Along with the gyukatsu, you get cabbage salad, white rice, and doenjang (soybean paste) soup. The sauces are also quite varied — wasabi, salt, and two more make four in total!! Personally, I found wasabi and salt the cleanest and tastiest way to eat gyukatsu.

Grilling gyukatsu to medium rare, two pieces at a time

The gyukatsu arrives on a tray, sliced beautifully into a bright pinkish medium-rare.

The real appeal of gyukatsu is being able to adjust the doneness to your own taste!! Just put about two pieces on the grill and control the cooking as you like.

The moment it hit the grill, that sizzling sound and amazing smell had me almost eating it right away 🥹 The downside(?) of gyukatsu is how hard it is to wait!!!

How the Izawa gyukatsu tasted: juicy, tender beef

Pick up a nicely grilled piece of gyukatsu, add a touch of sharp wasabi, dip it in the special soy sauce or chili sauce, and the savory beef juices burst out from inside that crispy breading!

It wasn't dry or tough at all — it was tender along the grain, almost melting in my mouth.

It was so delicious we practically cleared the plate at this Yeouido restaurant..!! I'll definitely be back whenever I'm craving gyukatsu again ><

If you want to enjoy juicy gyukatsu over a warm charcoal grill, I strongly recommend making your way to Izawa Yeouido Direct Store, one of Yeouido's top Japanese restaurant hotspots! 🤍