Mapo Seoul gyukatsu restaurant with smoked beef cutlet: Gyudo

It had been a while since I’d been craving gyukatsu, so I went to Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch (프리미엄 규카츠 규도 마포공덕 본점), a great Mapo Station restaurant. The atmosphere is lovely, so I’d recommend it for a date or a blind date!

Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo connected to Mapo Station

The shopping arcade connects directly to Mapo Station without having to go outside, so it’s easy to find!

The address is 138, B1, Obelisk Shopping Mall, 33 Mapo-daero, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is open daily from 11:30 to 21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00. Parking is available in the building, with 2 hours supported.

The restaurant is really spacious and the interior feels upscale, so it would be great for a blind date or an important gathering! There are coat lockers, plus counter seats like these for dining alone.

Gyukatsu and yakiniku sets, plus the broth station

The gyukatsu set is ₩22,000 and the yakiniku set is ₩22,000. There is also a set for two, which comes with gamtae myeongran (seaweed and pollock roe) and drinks.

Maybe because it’s a premium restaurant, even the cutlery comes individually packed in pouches like this.

Since the set comes with pot rice, head to the broth station and pick up a broth. There are three types, so just choose whichever suits your taste.

• Dunggulle tea: Recommended if you want a nutty, light scorched-rice soup. It has a subtle aroma and a clean finish.
• Katsuobushi broth: Recommended if you want umami and a deep taste of the sea. This is a traditional broth that forms the basis of Japanese cooking.
• Tonkotsu broth: Simmered pork bones give it a deep meaty flavor and rich umami. It kind of reminds me of pork soup.

Smoked gyukatsu set ₩22,000 / smoked yakiniku set ₩22,000

The food arrives so neatly and elegantly presented.

My boyfriend ordered the gyukatsu set, and it was a pretty generous portion. I had the yakiniku set ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

How to eat the gyukatsu and yakiniku sets

• Transfer all the rice from the pot into your bowl.
• Pour the broth from the self-service station into the pot.
• When eating the scorched-rice soup, open the topping sachet and add it to the pot rice.

You transfer the rice from the pot and pour in the broth. I chose katsuobushi and my boyfriend chose tonkotsu. Then you put the gyukatsu and yakiniku on the brazier and grill them like this!

And apparently, Gyudo’s brazier is a custom-made bangjja yugi (traditional Korean brassware) brazier.

The heat is strong, so it cooks quickly! I loved being able to eat soon.

The yakiniku was incredibly tender, with no tough bits at all—it just melted in my mouth.

The gyukatsu was juicy and delicious too. Since it is smoked in an offset smoker, it has this woody aroma that gives it such great flavor. Both were tasty, but I preferred the gyukatsu.

A delicious finish with soft egg and scorched-rice soup

A soft-cooked egg comes with the set too, so mix it into the rice.

Top it with yakiniku or gyukatsu and it is seriously delicious.

If the heat seems to be weakening midway through, just ask a staff member to add more charcoal!

To finish, open this flake topping and add it when you eat the scorched-rice soup.

I used the katsuobushi broth, and the scorched-rice soup was seriously, seriously delicious. I also definitely recommend topping it with the spicy radish salad. Gyudo makes its wasabi, sauce, and radish salad in-house, and they were all tasty. The origin information says they use premium Sindongjin rice too, and maybe that’s why the rice was so glossy, chewy, and delicious.

My boyfriend had the tonkotsu broth, and that was wonderfully savory too! It felt like eating pork soup. One tip: when you transfer the rice from the pot, don’t scrape out every last grain. Leave some behind and slurp it with this broth—it’s insanely good.

I was so satisfied with Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo: the interior is upscale and the food comes out neat and beautifully presented. I recommend it if you are looking for a good restaurant near Mapo Station or Gongdeok Station, and also for important gatherings such as blind dates or pre-wedding family meetings.