Samsan, Ulsan gyukatsu spot: back to my first-ever gyukatsu, Izawa

I suddenly wanted gyukatsu so badly, so I headed to one of my favorite gyukatsu places in Ulsan, Izawa Ulsan The Terrace Garden branch (이자와)~

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

Izawa Ulsan The Terrace Garden branch is on the 2nd floor of The Terrace Garden at 231 Samsan-ro, Nam-gu, Ulsan (Dal-dong 1364-1), and the building's underground parking is supported. You can reserve by phone. It sits between Samsan-dong and Dal-dong.

It's inside the building, so it wasn't hard to find~ Just head to the end of the 2nd floor where the restrooms are and you'll see the shop! Izawa is also a great place for a solo meal in Samsan, with its one-person trays.

Parking in the building's lot was convenient. They register your parking after the meal, so don't forget!

Inside Izawa The Terrace Garden branch and the seating

Inside, the shop has a clean, warm wood-tone interior~ It's nicely decorated with an overall Japanese restaurant feel.

Besides table seats, there are bar-style seats that suit solo diners, so it's not awkward to come alone.

Izawa is said to be the brand that introduced gyukatsu to Korea in 2015. It sells a range of Japanese dishes centered on gyukatsu and suteki-don (steak rice bowl). Besides gyukatsu there's also pork katsu, rice bowls and noodles, so you can pick what suits you. I had my very first gyukatsu at Izawa, so maybe that's why, but this place tastes the best to me!

Izawa menu and prices

The signature item at Izawa The Terrace Garden branch is the gyukatsu at ₩17,000, and you can easily pick your menu with the ordering QR code on the table!

• Gyukatsu ₩17,000 – beef cutlet made from carefully selected fresh beef, grilled to your liking on a mini grill
• Gyukatsu Double ₩30,000
• Gyukatsu Curry ₩18,000 – gyukatsu with Izawa's special recipe curry (slightly spicy)
• Suteki set ₩17,000 – beef lightly seared on the outside and sliced, then grilled to your liking on a mini grill
• Whole mozzarella cheese katsu ₩13,000 – pork cutlet with a whole piece of savory, chewy mozzarella inside
• Basil ramen ₩10,000 – ramen in a richly simmered broth topped generously with basil pesto made with a special seasoning

The instructions on how to enjoy gyukatsu are explained well, so they were handy to refer to :)

What's in the gyukatsu set and how to grill it

What I ordered was the Izawa gyukatsu (₩17,000). It's a beef cutlet made from carefully selected fresh beef, and you grill it to your liking on a mini grill.

They light the mini grill for you~ and if you ask, they'll swap the grill plate midway too!

A neatly served gyukatsu tray ✨ The set comes out tidy, with rice, soup, two sauces, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and cabbage salad alongside the gyukatsu, which I love.

The signature gyukatsu is beef coated in batter and fried on the outside, then cooked to the doneness you like on your own grill, so it's perfect for eating your way.

You just put the gyukatsu on the mini grill one piece at a time and sear both sides. Being able to cook it as much as you want is what makes this the best gyukatsu place in Ulsan ❤

How did the lightly grilled Izawa gyukatsu taste?

If you only sear Izawa's gyukatsu lightly on the mini grill, it turns into gyukatsu that melts in your mouth ..✨ I prefer eating it lightly cooked!

The outer coating is savory and the beef inside is sooo tender,,, the beef flavor is really good! The meat isn't tough at all and it's really delicious.

It's also good dipped in wasabi or sauce. I ordered the mini curry, and it was spicy and went really well with the gyukatsu!

Since you grill it yourself, it's definitely nice for enjoying a slow meal. It's also a good Samsan, Ulsan spot for a date where you can chat as you eat :)

The portion is generous too, just right as a set for one! The biggest plus is being able to enjoy steaming hot gyukatsu on the grill to the very end,, and there's the fun of grilling it yourself too haha

Izawa special sauce and paying with Ulsan Pay

My absolute favorite is this Izawa special sauce! It had a sweet-salty taste that I loved. Just what you'd expect from the original gyukatsu place~~ If you're looking for gyukatsu in Ulsan, I recommend Izawa ❤ Thanks for another delicious meal today!

Izawa Ulsan The Terrace Garden branch accepts Ulsan Pay!