Karai ramen and gyukatsu dinner at Seoul National Univ Station: Izawa

I recently went to a gyukatsu place near Gangnam Station, and my sister apparently loved it so much she kept saying she wanted gyukatsu again... so I actually thought about it for a while, haha.

Seoul National University Station area is kind of close to my house, but it's so crowded that I don't go there often. After searching around other spots, I decided to try Izawa Sharosugil Branch this time! Bang bang ⭐️

This time we visited Izawa Sharosugil Branch.

Where is Izawa Sharosugil Branch, and what are its hours?

Izawa Sharosugil Branch is at 28 Gwanak-ro 14-gil, 2F, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, about a 3–4 minute walk from Seoul National University Station. Hours are Mon–Fri 11:30–21:00 (break 15:00–17:00, last order 20:00), Sat–Sun 11:30–21:30 (last order 20:30).

• Reservations available / group-friendly
• Pets welcome
• No parking — use the nearby Gwanak-gu Office parking lot

Apparently Izawa was the first restaurant in Korea to introduce gyukatsu, back in 2015, and they say they've added delicate Korean flavors to traditional Japanese methods to make a premium gyukatsu... 🤤 I got so excited thinking about how good it might be 🖤

It's a 3–4 minute walk from Seoul National University Station, and there are lots of cafés nearby too, so it's great for a simple meal followed by a café stop.

I went in for a late dinner after work!! Since it's a neighborhood with a lot of students coming and going, it seemed comfortable to visit for either lunch or dinner.

You go into the building and head up the stairs...

The place was cleaner than I expected!! I'm kind of particular about cleanliness, and it seemed like they manage the space really carefully 🥺

Izawa menu and prices: gyukatsu, steki and ramen

At Izawa Sharosugil Branch, the gyukatsu set (sirloin) is ₩18,000, and the steki-don (sirloin) is also ₩18,000. The ramen dishes — karai ramen and basil ramen — are each ₩12,000, and Asahi draft beer (420ml) is ₩8,000.

• Gyukatsu set (sirloin) 18.0
• Gyukatsu double (sirloin) 32.0
• Steki set (sirloin) 18.0
• Curry gyukatsu (sirloin) 20.0
• Steki-don (sirloin) 18.0
• Pork belly don 13.0
• Gyu-don 12.0
• Karai ramen 12.0
• Basil ramen 12.0
• Asahi draft beer 420ml 8.0
• Highball (Evan Williams) 5.0
• Highball (Suntory) 5.0
• * Grill plate swap, extra salad, and ice cup can all be ordered via the tablet.

What two people ordered at Izawa

That day at Izawa Sharosugil Branch, we ordered the gyukatsu set with extra steki beef, steki-don, karai ramen, and one draft beer. It was my sister's treat day?!! (Doesn't it look so good... I ordered like a pro!)

First, water and a mini charcoal stove were set up... and as soon as we ordered, they lit the grill plate on the mini stove for us 🔥

The Asahi draft beer came out nice and cold. Whenever I have one after work, it makes me think of it constantly during busy moments 😚

A full spread shot 〰️ I kept wanting to take one of these... hehe, I've been doing it more often lately. Is this too late a trend for me? 💦

The gyukatsu set: about 15 pieces, grilled piece by piece

Gyukatsu set 18.0 — carefully selected fresh beef cutlet that you grill yourself on the mini stove to your liking.

It came out neatly on one plate with wasabi, pickled ginger, cabbage salad, and the gyukatsu itself, with about 15 pieces of gyukatsu!! You grill it on the mini stove, but it takes longer than I expected, so I'd recommend eating without rushing ⭐️

Steki-don at Izawa, served with plenty of wasabi

Steki-don 18.0 — a steak rice bowl piled high with medium-rare steak.

The steki on top of the steki-don is seasoned fairly saltily, so it's delicious with a good pile of wasabi on top!!

Once it's sizzling away on the mini stove, take a big bite of the freshly grilled gyukatsu, hehe.

Is the karai ramen at Izawa very spicy?

Karai ramen 12.0 — a spicy ramen made with a rich, deeply-brewed broth and a special seasoning blend, but it was milder than I expected... I'm not great with spicy food, more of a moderate eater, so I'm not sure about people who really can't handle spice, but if you're an average spice-tolerant person, you should be able to enjoy it 🍜

As soon as it arrived, I quickly wound the noodles around my chopsticks, and steam swirled up in a hazy cloud... 💦 The ramen seemed pretty approachable and easy to eat! If gyukatsu feels too heavy for lunch, this kind of ramen seems like a good option — honestly I wanted mapo-style noodles but they weren't on the menu ㅠㅜㅠㅜ

Ta-da!! My sister grilled the gyukatsu and we each stole pieces off each other's plates, which made it even more delicious, hehe. I really love sharing one bite of everything, and nothing beats ramen for taking little bites of other dishes 🖤

We tried grilling the steki from the steki-don too — but honestly, it's best just eaten with wasabi straight over rice ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Of course it's most delicious served exactly the way it comes out?!!

We tried the grilled meat together with the steki-don... so full 🐽 (I was hungry when writing other posts, but seeing this now, I'm getting full just from the memory 💦)

Does Izawa Sharosugil Branch work for solo diners?

If you want a filling lunch or dinner near Seoul National University Station, I'd recommend Izawa Sharosugil Branch..! It also seemed fine for solo dining, so if I get the chance, I think I'll come back on my own too ⭐️