Hongdae izakaya for sukiyaki and garlic butter rice: Gusa Yeonnam

Where is Gusa Yeonnam in Yeonnam-dong?

Gusa Yeonnam is a teppan izakaya on the basement floor of Yeontral Tower, tucked in a Yeonnam-dong alley close to Hongik University Station. My friends and I finally set a date for a Hongdae outing haha. After going back and forth on where to go, we heard there was a place in Yeonnam-dong with great vibes and tasty teppan dishes, so we headed over.

Since it's inside a Yeonnam-dong alley, there's no parking here. I'd recommend parking nearby and walking over.

• Hours: Daily 12:00–01:00
• Parking info: Use nearby paid parking lots

Inside Gusa Yeonnam: atmosphere and seating

From the moment you step down toward Gusa Yeonnam's entrance, there's a cute, charming vibe. Once inside, the lighting felt cozy, like walking into an actual izakaya in Japan.

The tables inside were spacious, mostly set up for 4 people. The spacing between tables wasn't cramped at all, so it was really comfortable to sit side by side with my friends and chat away the time.

What's on the menu at Gusa Yeonnam?

Gusa Yeonnam had a huge lineup of teppan dishes! Everything from beef teppan to grilled and stir-fried beef intestines, butter-grilled scallops, and more. On top of the teppan menu, they also sell warming soup dishes, so it seemed like a great spot for anyone looking for good drinking food.

Especially since the vibe is so comfortable and the menu range is so wide, I felt like this would be a place I could bring a whole group for a Yeonnam-dong company dinner without any worry about the menu haha.

Sukiyaki: enough for three to share

The first thing to arrive at Gusa Yeonnam was the sukiyaki, and the deep, rich broth flavor was truly excellent. After letting it bubble away and then fishing out the tender meat and vegetables, it felt like the warmth spread all the way through me. We simmered it up and ate the meat with the vegetables inside haha.

The meat had no unpleasant smell at all and there was way more than I expected, so the three of us could enjoy it generously, and the broth was so refreshing that my spoon kept going back in. The seasoning was just right, so we ate it all up happily haha. There was no egg served on the side.

How was the yakisoba?

Gusa Yeonnam's yakisoba (stir-fried noodles) had chewy noodles in a sweet soy-based sauce that kept pulling my chopsticks back. There was plenty of seafood mixed in too, which made for fun chewy bites. The seasoning was a little mild for my taste, but the overall balance of flavors was good, so we cleaned the plate!!

Okonomiyaki, loaded with sauce

Next up was the okonomiyaki (savory pancake) I'd been looking forward to, and it came out freshly cooked and hot off the teppan, which made it even better. Since I'm normally a huge sauce lover, having the sauce generously slathered on top was exactly my type haha. Crispy outside, moist inside — it was genuinely delicious.

I'm a total sauce person, so having it piled on so generously was just so good haha.

Finishing with garlic butter fried rice

We ordered the garlic butter fried rice to fill up on carbs, and the moment we lifted the lid, a mild garlic aroma spread out along with a savory, toasty smell. One bite and the savoriness filled my whole mouth, so the spoon really didn't stop moving. Everyone in the group agreed it was delicious and we all cleaned the plate — it was that satisfying.

This is a great spot for a hearty meal while on a date in Yeonnam-dong. The portions overall were generous, so even split three ways, we ended up completely stuffed. It works well as a solid dinner spot like we used it, but it's also definitely worth recommending as a Hongdae bar for a light drink alongside good food.

If you're enjoying a rare date in Yeonnam-dong and want to fill up on a hearty meal in a place with great atmosphere, this is somewhere worth stopping by.