Gongdeok Station gyukatsu & yakiniku for two: mini hearth, Gyudo

I heard there's a great gyukatsu and yakiniku place really close to Mapo Station, so I went to check it out. Let me introduce Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch, where I had delicious gyukatsu and ochazuke (rice with broth poured over) in one hearty meal.

Where is Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch and how do you get there?

Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch is in the B1 arcade by Mapo Station Exits 1 and 2 (Obelisk APT shopping arcade, B1 Unit 138), just 29 m from Mapo Station Exit 1. If you come out of Gongdeok Station Exit 1 or 8, it's about a 5-minute walk.

Since Gyudo is in the B1 arcade by Mapo Station Exits 1 and 2, it's really easy to reach. Because of our schedule we walked from Gongdeok Station, and it took about 5 minutes from Exit 1 or 8, so it wasn't too far at all. Hours are daily 11:30-21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last orders at 14:20 / 20:00. You can also use the Obelisk apartment underground parking lot.

Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok atmosphere and self-serve bar

The interior feels like a clean, upscale Japanese restaurant! It's spacious, so it works for group meals, and I saw lots of tourists too. Some people were eating solo at the bar table, so it seems easy to drop in anytime.

Pot rice refills and 3 ochazuke broths

Gyudo has a special self-serve bar where you can refill your cauldron pot rice 🍚 And for ochazuke, which goes so well with pot rice, there are a whole 3 kinds of broth, so it's fun to pick your own.

The broths were Solomon's seal tea, tonkotsu broth, and katsuobushi broth. The Solomon's seal tea is basically the scorched-rice tea (sungnyung) we all know, so I skipped it, but I heard the tonkotsu broth tastes a bit like pork soup with rice (dwaeji gukbap), so I went for it right away haha.

The tableware is also set out hygienically in drawers, which gave the whole meal a really upscale feel!!

What comes in Gyudo's yakiniku set for two?

The yakiniku set, No. 2 of the 2-person sets at Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch, comes with 1 smoked gyukatsu set meal, 1 smoked yakiniku set meal, gamtae myeongran (seaweed with pollock roe), and 1 drink of your choice. I came with my boyfriend and ordered this yakiniku set.

• 1 smoked gyukatsu set meal
• 1 smoked yakiniku set meal
• Gamtae myeongran (seaweed with pollock roe)
• 1 drink of your choice

With this lineup, two people can eat well and get good value.

As befits a set meal, everything was neatly plated, and I was in a good mood before even eating. There were also sauces, soy-marinated egg, a clear soup, and glossy, shiny pot rice to go with it all! It was a generous spread.

Smoked yakiniku set meal: how much meat do you get?

I ordered the yakiniku, and I was surprised by how much meat there was. They say the sirloin is aged for a whole 20 hours, and it looks delicious just from the color, doesn't it haha.

The gamtae myeongran that comes with the set was a great match with the ochazuke, and the special sauce served with the yakiniku and gyukatsu deepened the flavor of the meat, so I kept reaching for more.

Gyudo's signature smoked gyukatsu

The gyukatsu is made from sirloin aged for 20 hours and then smoked, they say. As Gyudo's signature menu, the look of it is insane, right? Wow.

Grilling on a mini hearth to your own doneness

At Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch, you put the gyukatsu and yakiniku on the mini hearth in the middle of the table and grill them however you like. Personally I think grilling on a mini hearth like this is the charm of gyukatsu and yakiniku, and being able to cook each piece to your own doneness was so nice. When the fire went out, the staff refilled it on their own without being asked, so we could eat comfortably.

I like my meat medium-rare, but my boyfriend eats his well done because of stomach issues. Since you grill it piece by piece on the hearth however you want, we each ate it our own way, peacefully haha.

As befits a set meal, the pot rice that comes with it was really good too, so it was perfect for someone like me who loves the meat-and-carbs combo!

Is one Gyudo set meal filling enough?

The set meals at Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch are far more generous than I expected, so I think an adult man would be full with just one. Plus, you still have to have ochazuke after the meat haha.

We ordered one gyukatsu set and one yakiniku set and shared them, so we never got sick of either and got to enjoy both. If you're visiting as a pair, I recommend ordering this way.

Finishing with ochazuke: don't forget the toppings

Sharing happily, we cleaned out all the meat and finished with ochazuke too! I was so busy eating that I forgot the ochazuke toppings by the spoon-and-chopstick drawer, so please don't forget to add the toppings yourselves.

Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo, a Gongdeok Station and Mapo Station favorite, gave me a rich, tasty meal where I could enjoy high-quality gyukatsu, yakiniku, and ochazuke all in one :)