Gwanghwamun gyukatsu lunch near D Tower: steki-don at Ichigyu

Gwanghwamun is a place many people visit for all sorts of reasons — office worker lunches, weekend dates, family outings. We were spending the day in Gwanghwamun and went looking for a good lunch spot near D Tower, which led us to Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch.

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Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is located on the basement level of Lemeilleur Jongno Town. Once you enter the building and head down, the restaurant isn't hard to find.

Even from outside, it had that gyukatsu-restaurant feel, but once inside, the space felt more spacious than expected, with high ceilings that kept it from feeling cramped.

Handling the Gwanghwamun lunch-hour wait with CatchTable

Lunch hours in Gwanghwamun draw a lot of office workers, so a wait can build up. Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch lets you register for a wait through CatchTable.

Especially during peak times like weekday lunch hours, it seems smarter to put your name down in advance and wander around nearby rather than just standing outside waiting :)

Atmosphere and seating — tables for 2 and 4, aprons provided

Inside, there was a good mix of 2-person and 4-person tables. It felt easygoing enough for a date, and looked comfortable for a family meal too.

Aprons were laid out on the tables too, which is handy if you're worried about oil splatters from meat or fried dishes getting on your clothes.

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch's menu lineup

Looking at the menu, beyond the signature gyukatsu, there was a wider range than expected — steki set meals, steki-don, hambagu omurice, hotplate chapsteak, Japanese curry, udon, and fried items.

Since we wanted to try a few things, we ordered hambagu omurice, steki-don, mini curry, and karaage & fried shrimp.

Hambagu omurice ₩17,000 and steki-don ₩19,500 review

First, the hambagu omurice (₩17,000) looked satisfying just to look at. The soft egg and hamburger patty served over rice made it feel like a good order especially when dining with a kid.

Even though it's primarily a gyukatsu restaurant, having familiar dishes like omurice or hambagu on the menu meant less stress deciding what to order when visiting with a child.

The steki-don (₩19,500) is a rice bowl topped with meat, so it made for a filling meal on its own. If you like meat-and-rice combos, this one should score well.

At Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch, you grill the gyukatsu yourself. Using a small charcoal grill to cook the meat right at the table means you can keep eating it hot until the very end — that's part of the appeal.

On the side: mini curry ₩5,000, karaage & fried shrimp ₩7,000

We also ordered the mini curry (₩5,000) as a side, and the portion was just right for pairing with other dishes — useful when you've already ordered a lot.

The karaage & fried shrimp (₩7,000) was crispy and good to snack on between bites of the main dishes. Especially with a group, it's a nice extra side to share.

We'd also read reviews saying the rice portions are generous, and that held true — it really was enough for a hearty meal. Office workers who like rice or want a proper lunch should be especially satisfied.

Receipt review event and restroom

They're running a receipt review event that gets you free fried shrimp, so be sure to take advantage of it :)

The restroom is a shared one for the building, so if you're visiting with a child, it might help to check where it is before you sit down to eat.

Wrap-up — who this is for

If you're looking for a Gwanghwamun Station lunch spot where you can share a variety of dishes, I'd recommend Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch.

It should especially suit anyone looking for a place to eat near D Tower, or a spot to grab a meal after a Gwanghwamun date or a trip to Kyobo Book Centre ❤︎