Medium-rare gyukatsu with wasabi at a Samsan, Ulsan restaurant: Izawa

Ulsan's go-to gyukatsu spot, Izawa Ulsan The Terrace Garden branch

• Izawa Ulsan The Terrace Garden branch
• 📍231 Samsan-ro, Nam-gu, Ulsan
• ⏱️Daily 11:30–21:00 (last order 20:25)
• Parking available at The Terrace Garden underground lot

I wanted something different to eat in Samsan, Ulsan today, so I went to Izawa Samsan, Ulsan's well-known gyukatsu restaurant. Izawa is the first place that comes to mind when I think gyukatsu in Ulsan — it's a Terrace Garden spot I've been going to for a while, so let me introduce it quickly.

Where is Izawa The Terrace Garden branch, and where do you park?

Izawa, the gyukatsu restaurant in Samsan, Ulsan, sits inside The Terrace Garden, between Hyundai Department Store and NC Outlet, so it wasn't hard to find. For parking, you can use the underground lot dedicated to the Terrace Garden shopping complex! Both Hyundai and Lotte department stores are about a 10-minute walk away, so accessibility is quite good.

The Japanese vibe hit right from the entrance. The wood-toned exterior set the mood before I even walked in! There were menu photos posted by the entrance too, so I could check what was on offer beforehand.

Inside Izawa: atmosphere and seating

Stepping inside Izawa in Samsan, Ulsan, the space felt clean and cozy, with wood-toned interiors throughout giving it a warm feel, and soft lighting adding to the Japanese-restaurant atmosphere.

There were 2-person and 4-person tables as well as bar seating, so it looked good for family, friends, or couples — and also for eating solo! The spacing between tables was pretty generous too.

What's on the menu at Izawa Ulsan

The main menu at Izawa The Terrace Garden branch is centered on the gyukatsu set, alongside steak, noodle, rice, and cutlet dishes. There were also several combo set options, all including a soft drink.

• Main dishes: gyukatsu set, gyukatsu double set, gyukatsu curry set, steak set, steak-don
• Noodles/rice/cutlets: basil ramen, mazesoba, hanmomil (buckwheat noodles)/double, dontoro-don, whole mozzarella cutlet, loin cutlet
• Set: gyukatsu set + steak-don + soft drink
• Set: gyukatsu set + gyukatsu set + soft drink
• Set: gyukatsu set + mazesoba + soft drink
• Set: gyukatsu set + basil ramen + soft drink
• Set: gyukatsu set + steak-don + dontoro-don + soft drink

The gyukatsu apparently uses carefully selected top-grade beef with flower-like marbling, low-temperature aged the way it's done in Japan. It's coated in a thin layer of batter and fried at high heat for only about 60 seconds, leaving the outside crispy and the inside cooked medium-rare, so you can really taste the beef itself.

There was also a Naver review event. Leave a receipt review on Naver and you get a free drink.

Ordering was done by scanning a QR code, which made it easy and convenient.

The menu at Izawa, the gyukatsu spot in Samsan, Ulsan, included the gyukatsu set, gyukatsu double set, gyukatsu curry set, basil ramen, steak-don, dontoro-don, and more — we went with the gyukatsu set!

How to grill gyukatsu medium-rare at your table

Each table had its own mini grill, which immediately made it clear that you cook the meat yourself right there!

• 1. Once the mini grill's stone plate is preheated, place the gyukatsu on it
• 2. Flip it front and back, grilling to your preferred doneness without burning it
• 3. Once cooked, dab a little wasabi on top
• 4. Dip the gyukatsu into Izawa's special sauce for the best flavor

What the gyukatsu set tastes like with wasabi and house sauce

We ordered the gyukatsu set and it came out pretty quickly. The moment the gyukatsu arrived, the first thing that caught my eye was how good it looked.

The crispy-fried meat came neatly arranged, along with cabbage salad, wasabi, rice, soup, and the special sauce — a solid setup for a full meal. And the little grill sitting in front of the gyukatsu was the highlight 🔥

The gyukatsu at Izawa in Samsan, Ulsan isn't meant to be eaten straight away — you grill it yourself on the mini grill set on the table.

Once you put the gyukatsu on the grill, it starts sizzling as the meat cooks, and you get to grill it to exactly the doneness you like — that's probably the biggest difference from a regular pork cutlet.

The crispy batter on the outside stayed intact while the inside kept the moist texture of the beef — really tasty. Not overcooking the meat, in particular, let that tender texture really come through.

The cross-section of the gyukatsu looked seriously appetizing. You could grill it lightly for medium-rare, or cook it a bit more depending on your taste.

For me, adding a little wasabi on top was tastier than just dipping it in the sauce alone!! The savory flavor of the beef combined with the sharp kick of wasabi cut through the richness and kept it clean.

Personally, I'd recommend grilling the gyukatsu to a medium doneness, adding wasabi to taste, and dipping it lightly in the sauce! There were also cute illustrated instructions at every table showing how to enjoy the gyukatsu, so it wasn't hard to figure out.

I thought gyukatsu alone might not be enough, but with rice, soup, and cabbage salad included, it turned into a filling meal. The cabbage salad paired with the gyukatsu was great for keeping the palate clean.

Dipping it lightly in the special sauce and putting it over rice was also so good!! Truly a rice-thief-worthy gyukatsu.

Izawa, the gyukatsu spot in Ulsan, tasted even better since it had been a while since I'd had gyukatsu! If you're looking for a good-atmosphere gyukatsu restaurant in Ulsan, I recommend Izawa The Terrace Garden branch in Samsan, Ulsan :)