Yeouido gyukatsu restaurant with a 6pm walk-in dinner: Izawa

Today I'm sharing my review of Izawa, a great spot for a Yeouido date over gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet). I go so often that there are already quite a few posts about it on my blog haha. It's perfect for grabbing dinner with my boyfriend right after work, so we end up here a lot.

Izawa Yeouido Direct Store

How long is the wait at Izawa, and where do you park?

Being a Yeouido spot, Izawa naturally has waits — very much a Yeouido thing. Go after lunch hours and there's no wait, but during lunch there's definitely a line. I always visit after work, and going around 6pm means no wait, but by 6:30pm there's always a queue. Looking again, even Im Young-woong has apparently stopped by haha.

Parking is free for 1 hour at the ground-level lot; the underground lot is paid. Keep in mind that on weekdays after 6pm, you should assume there are basically no parking spots left.

Seating and entry rules at Izawa — can you eat alone?

Since Izawa has waits, keep in mind that your whole party needs to be there before you can be seated. That said, the indoor seating is quite spacious and the vibe works well for solo dining too — I've eaten alone here before. There are even seats set up almost like a dedicated solo-dining spot. That day those seats were full of customers so I didn't get a separate photo of them.

Gyukatsu set at 18,000 won vs the steak set at Izawa

Whenever I come to Izawa, this great Yeouido date spot, I always order the gyukatsu set at 18,000 won per person. There's a steak set too, but that one has no breading on the outside, so it feels too plain and I never end up ordering it haha. Honestly the breading is the whole point of gyukatsu — the poster child of crispy-outside, tender-inside.

Crispy breading on the outside, genuinely quality beef inside — that's Izawa, a great Yeouido date spot. I eat gyukatsu pretty often, and I'd say Izawa is up there among the tastier options. First of all, it's not chewy at all, it's tender. Need I say more.

First bite with salt and wasabi, plus the side dishes served

Salad and jangguk (clear soup) come out along with two kinds of kimchi and two kinds of sauce. There's salt at every table too, and I always eat my first bite as a salt-and-wasabi combo. Put salt and wasabi on white rice and it's ridiculously good 🥹 As I always say, quality meat tastes amazing with just a dip in salt.

I'm telling you, even the good beef I grill at home doesn't have marbling like this — how good is the beef Izawa, this great Yeouido date spot, is actually using?! The atmosphere is nice too, so it's really great for a date. Most of the other customers were clearly on dates too — us included haha.

How filling is the Izawa gyukatsu set?

With wasabi on hand, the beef just keeps going in endlessly. I'm not usually a big eater, but the portion is just right. You'll be full by the time you finish.

Well-grilled gyukatsu on white rice is pure bliss. The kimchi is delicious too, and piling it on top means zero greasiness.

Ordering a grill-plate swap and salad refill from the kiosk

Izawa, this great Yeouido date spot, has a kiosk at every table, so you can request whatever you need right away. We swapped our grill plate once and refilled the salad too. If you're looking for a gyukatsu spot near Yeouido Station, I recommend Izawa — it also makes a great Yeouido date course.