Mapo Japanese teppanyaki restaurant: wagyu set at Gusa Yeonnam

I went to Gusa Yeonnam (구사 연남) in Hongdae for Japanese teppanyaki. I chose the wagyu set for two and had everything from steak to yakisoba and okonomiyaki.

Where is Gusa Yeonnam, and where can I park?

Gusa Yeonnam is on a back street near Yeonnam Police Substation, on B1 of Yeontral Tower at 6 Donggyo-ro 30-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. The hours listed in the original post are daily from 12:00 to 24:00, with last orders at 23:00. Break time is 15:00–17:00, except on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It is listed as open year-round unless there is a special circumstance.

If you visit by car, the nearby Urbanport Hongdae Entrance Station Yeonnam-dong Parking Lot is recommended.

What is the atmosphere like for a date?

The entrance sat slightly below street level. Although it is underground, it did not feel dark; the wood interior and yellow lighting worked well together, and I thought it would be nice for a date.

The bar tables look onto the open kitchen. In the evening, you can reportedly watch the flames rise as food is cooked from these seats.

There were also cute little figurines placed around the restaurant.

How much is the wagyu set for two, and what does it include?

The wagyu set for two that I chose was ₩66,000. Since it let me choose several dishes at once, I spent less time deciding what to order.

The set included butter-grilled black tiger shrimp and wagyu teppanyaki steak.

It also came with karai yakisoba (spicy fried noodles).

I also had Gusa okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake).

How spicy was the yakisoba, and what were the steak and shrimp like?

The karai yakisoba seemed as though it might be a little too spicy for people who do not handle spicy food well. It had enough heat to make beads of sweat form on my nose, but it was deliciously spicy to me, so I liked it.

The wagyu came with stir-fried mung bean sprouts. My steak was cooked medium rare and had a texture that melted softly in my mouth.

The black tiger shrimp were large and springy. They were difficult to handle with chopsticks alone.

There are disposable gloves in the drawer, so it is helpful to take a pair when eating the shrimp.

Which dish in the set did I like most?

I especially liked the Gusa okonomiyaki. It was full of cabbage and cheese under a sweet sauce, with a crisp exterior and a moist interior. It was a meal where I enjoyed several kinds of teppanyaki together for the first time in a while.