Gyudon with mini curry at 7pm in Yeouido: Izawa Japanese restaurant

I've had more schedules in Yeouido lately, so I've been hunting down good restaurants around here! This time I visited Izawa Yeouido Direct Store, right in front of Yeouido Station.

Great access, tasty food, and honestly quite reasonable prices given how expensive Yeouido usually is these days — a satisfying find 😊

• 📍 Izawa Yeouido Direct Store · 2F, 42 Yeouinaru-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
• ⏰ 11:00 - 21:00
• B.T 15:00 - 17:00 / L.O 20:30
• 🚗 Parking available (ground lot, 1 hour)

Where is Izawa Yeouido Direct Store and how do you get there?

Izawa Yeouido Direct Store sits on the 2nd floor of Yeouido Jonghap Sangga (a general shopping arcade). The building is bigger than it looks, so it was a bit tricky finding Izawa the first time. Go in through the door near Mega Coffee, head up to the 2nd floor, and it's tucked at the far end! Worth noting if you're a first-timer.

Arriving at 7pm: was there a wait at Izawa?

I got to Izawa Yeouido Direct Store around 7pm, and luckily the after-work crowd had already thinned out. It's apparently popular with Yeouido office workers, so there's a wait during lunch.

Turnover seemed quick though, so I doubt you'd wait long even at busy times! Seems like a good spot for office workers with short lunch breaks too.

Inside Izawa: the room and tablet ordering

The interior of Izawa Yeouido Direct Store is clean overall with a subtle Japanese feel — good for a quiet meal.

Each table has its own ordering tablet, so you can take your time with the menu and order comfortably 🙋🏻‍♀️ Being so close to Yeouido Station, it'd also be a convenient meeting spot.

🥩 Gyukatsu set / 🍛 mini curry / 🍚 gyudon — that's what we ordered! The food came out way faster than expected, so the wait wasn't long at all.

Gyukatsu set, 18,000 won: searing the beef on a tabletop brazier

Gyukatsu set 18,000

It came with rice, miso soup, and side dishes neatly arranged, plenty for a full meal on its own. Gyukatsu alone would've been filling, but with the mini curry and gyudon on top, we got to try a nice variety haha.

The main dish, gyukatsu, looked thick and promising at first glance, and one bite in, it was even more tender than expected.

Crispy on the outside, moist and juicy on the inside — the texture was really nice.

Gyukatsu comes out rare on the inside, so you grill it yourself on the little brazier that comes alongside, to whatever doneness you like. It's fun being able to adjust it to your own taste!

I only lightly seared the outside, and the combo of golden-browned surface with the moist center hit the spot. Grill it too long and the meat can get a bit dry, so personally I'd recommend just searing the surface and eating right away!

You can dip it in salt, wasabi, or Izawa's special sauce — fun to try each piece a different way.

Gyudon at 12,000 won with a 4,000-won mini curry

Gyudon 12,000, mini curry add-on 4,000

Gyudon 🍚 is a Japanese-style beef bowl made with woo-samgyeop (thinly sliced beef belly) — the rice portion was pretty generous too.

Gyudon also came with miso soup, salad, and side dishes, making it a satisfying meal on its own. Mixed well, the sweetish sauce and tender beef soaked together beautifully.

The mini curry we ordered as a side exceeded expectations too. It's called "mini" but the portion was bigger than expected, plenty to pair with the gyukatsu. The curry had a subtle kick to it, which went really, really well with the gyudon! ⭐️🩷👍🏻

Is Izawa worth it for Japanese food near Yeouido Station?

Overall the food came out fast and the menu was well put together, so I get why office workers love this place. Being right in front of Yeouido Station also makes it convenient for a lunch or dinner spot.

If you love gyukatsu, this is a fun spot since you get to grill it to your own liking — a genuine gyukatsu gem. If you're hunting for a good Yeouido restaurant or craving thick, tender gyukatsu in Yeouido, Izawa Yeouido Direct Store is worth a visit 😊