Solo kadaif shrimp and tenderloin gyukatsu at Mapo Station: Gyudo

I was out running errands in Mapo when a Mapo-native friend recommended a gyukatsu spot, so I stopped by Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch.

Where is Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok, and what does it look like from outside?

Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch is inside the Obelisk apartment shopping arcade. This arcade connects to Mapo Station Exit 1, so you can walk straight there underground!!

Climb up those stairs and the entrance is right there on your right. Just a heads-up: the wait gets long on busy weekends. I went on a weekday and walked straight in, no wait ✨

Inside Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok: counter seats and grills at every table

Inside there are plenty of table seats and counter (dachi) seats, and each spot already has a grill set up. The roof-tile, straw, and earthenware-jar concept gives it a unique feel 🪄 — it really feels like you've stepped into Japan.

The menu and the 15-a-day tenderloin gyukatsu

📍 Check the photos above for the full menu 📍 There's such a wide range of options that after some back and forth I went with the hire gyukatsu (tenderloin) set. This one's a limited item — only 15 servings a day.

The hire gyukatsu (tenderloin) set: how does it taste?

Absolutely melts in your mouth, incredible.

The gyukatsu set arrived not long after ordering. Unlike other places, this came with pot rice, and honestly — Koreans really do run on rice, because I completely fell for that pot rice..💛

They lay the tender tenderloin pieces one by one on the grill, and it sizzles with that satisfying chi-jik~~ sound as the meaty aroma fills the air. This place's personal touch is a custom-ordered bangjja yugi (traditional bronzeware) brazier the owner had made — an offset-smoker style, wood-smoked, apparently the only one of its kind in Korea, made to maximize the gyukatsu's flavor 💛

How to eat the pot rice at Gyudo (ochazuke and soy-sauce egg rice)

The pot rice served with the gyukatsu set is apparently a Korean-style take on Japanese ochazuke — pouring in broth at the end and eating it warm felt like finishing off a bowl of nurungji (scorched rice).

Open the lid on the pot rice and you find white rice with sweet pumpkin mixed in. Scoop it into an empty bowl, then pour in the broth. Close the lid again and — ta-da — you've got ochazuke-style pot rice ✨

On top of the scooped-out rice, they add an onsen tamago (soft-poached egg) to mix into soy egg rice. I already love soy egg rice normally, but this soft-yolk version had a whole different kind of flavor 🖤

The broth for the pot goes into it from the self-bar, where each type is laid out. Pick from Solomon's seal tea, tonkotsu, or bonito broth, pour it into a kettle, and add it to the pot — done!

The cauldron rice is refillable too. The best kind of service for anyone worried about not having enough rice!! It's made with Sindongjin rice from the Honam plain, considered top-grade rice.

Kadaif shrimp (2 pieces): is it worth adding as a side?

I was curious what a kadaif batter would taste like, so I ordered this. One bite in and you can immediately feel that crispy kadaif texture 🫢 crunchy on the outside, moist inside — perfect as a side. It pairs really well with the gyukatsu too, so give it a try as a side dish.

Solo dining at Gyudo with a Kirin Ichiban draft beer

Since I was solo dining, I kept it light with just one drink. Even that single drink was served with real care, which made me feel well looked after. Gyukatsu, fried shrimp, and beer — the perfect solo lunch.

I heard they've also just launched a takeout menu, so I'd recommend locals and office workers around Mapo Gongdeok try it via delivery or takeout too 🖤 As of today, I'm officially calling this my personal-best gyukatsu 🥺