Suwon gyukatsu restaurant with charcoal grilling: Gyuen-dang

I went out for a delicious meal for the first time in a while. I visited Gyuen-dang Avenue France Gwanggyo Branch (규엔당 아브뉴프랑 광교점). I already like gyukatsu, so I had been curious about this place, and getting a discount this time made the visit even nicer. Haha. Once I tried it, the food was tastier than I expected, and I had such a satisfying meal because grilling it myself over the brazier was so much fun.

The sirloin gyukatsu and tsukune rice bowl I ordered at Gyuen-dang

Gyuen-dang is in Avenue France Gwanggyo, so it was easy to find. This time, I ordered the sirloin gyukatsu and a tsukune rice bowl. Since I had come for gyukatsu, of course I had to choose one gyukatsu dish. The tsukune rice bowl is made with chicken, and as someone who likes chicken, I was curious and decided to try it. In the end, I really loved this combination.

How long I grilled the sirloin gyukatsu

The sirloin gyukatsu came out first. The meat arrives in easy-to-eat pieces, and you grill it yourself on the small brazier at the table. Grilling it myself was fun, too. When you put the meat on the brazier, it makes that sizzle—somehow, even that sound feels delicious. Haha.

I was told to grill the gyukatsu for about 15 to 20 seconds before eating it. But after trying it, I personally found it tastier at around 30 seconds.

Everyone has a different preferred doneness, so I think it would be good to try it at the recommended time first, then grill it a little more to suit your own taste. I preferred mine a bit more cooked. Grilling the meat myself on the brazier meant I could have it lightly cooked on the outside and moist inside, which was great. The meat itself also seemed fresh, so I enjoyed it.

More than anything, grilling it little by little myself made the meal more fun than simply having the food served ready to eat. As I put on one piece at a time and listened to it sizzle away, time passed much faster than I expected.

You can change the grill plate midway through

As you eat, the grill plate on the brazier can naturally get messy. We asked for ours to be changed midway through, and they replaced it right away. I think you can feel free to ask about things like that. At first, I wondered whether we had to keep using the same grill plate, but they changed it, so we could grill neatly until the end.

The tsukune rice bowl was better than expected

Another dish I really enjoyed was the tsukune rice bowl. I like chicken, and since tsukune is a chicken dish, I ordered it thinking I would give it a try—but once I tasted it, it was exactly my kind of food!

I usually like spicy food, so it did not taste spicy to me. The chicken was tasty, and it went really well with the rice. Honestly, there were not many reviews when I ordered it, so I did not have high expectations. But after eating it, I thought, “This is really good, though?” If I had to choose the dish from this meal that suited my taste best, I think I would choose the tsukune rice bowl. If you like chicken, it might be worth ordering.

Naver Review event mini okonomiyaki

I also received a mini okonomiyaki through the Naver Review event. Because it was called “mini,” I expected a truly tiny portion, but it was bigger than I thought. So I enjoyed this one too.

I first ate it on its own, then tried it with the tsukune rice bowl. Placing a little okonomiyaki over the rice bowl worked really well, too. It was an unexpected combination, but it was delicious this way. Haha. With the rice and chicken in the tsukune rice bowl plus the okonomiyaki, it made for quite a filling meal.

If you are looking for brazier-grilled gyukatsu in Gwanggyo

Unlike a typical tonkatsu that comes fully cooked, gyukatsu is fun because you grill it yourself, so I think even first-timers could enjoy it. Especially if you already like gyukatsu, it is nice that you can cook it little by little to your preferred doneness. Like me, you may prefer it cooked a little longer than the recommended time, so it could be nice to try a few different grilling times.

More than anything, I loved the combination of the fun of grilling it myself and a delicious rice bowl. It was fun to grill the meat with all that sizzling, too. Once I had finished, I thought, “I would be happy to come back next time.” I especially want to try other menu items next time. If you are looking for gyukatsu in Gwanggyo, or searching for a good gyukatsu spot near Ajou University and wondering where to eat, this brazier-grilling style could be worth experiencing. I was satisfied with both the sirloin gyukatsu and tsukune rice bowl I tried this time, and I left after a very pleasant meal for the first time in a while. :) I am already a little curious about what I will try next time.