Seoul Japanese restaurant near Sejong Center: gyusteki set, Hurato
In short
Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch is a Japanese restaurant in the basement arcade of the Royal Building in Jongno, Seoul, across from the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts at Exit 1 of Gwanghwamun Station. Before a performance, the writer ordered gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet), the gyusteki (grilled beef) set and Isigny butter, grilling the meat at the table on a mini brazier, and preferred the chewy gyusteki over the crisp-outside, juicy-inside gyukatsu that day. Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch is an easy pick for a meal before or after a Sejong Center show.
Good to know
- Hours
- 11:00–21:30 (break 15:00–17:00)
- Last order
- 14:30 / 20:30
- Waiting
- Can be full at weekday lunch; expect a possible wait
- Reservations
- Available via Naver Place and Catch Table
- Parking
- Paid (Royal Building, 1,000 won per 10 minutes)
- Location
- Basement 1 arcade, Royal Building, across from Sejong Center, Gwanghwamun Station Exit 1 (420m from Gyeongbokgung Station)
- What we ordered
- Gyukatsu, gyusteki set, Isigny butter
- Price reference
- ₩1,000 ≈ $0.7 (2026-09-15)
as written by the visitor on Sep 13, 2026
A restaurant near Sejong Center in Gwanghwamun — my review of Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch ♪
Before watching Ozone's performance at the Art Garden of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, I stopped by nearby Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch.
Hurato Sikdang is a place singer Lee Youngji shouted out, and members of the group CORTIS are also said to have frequented it back in their trainee days. I was curious what the Gyeongbokgung branch would taste like, so I visited.
The sound of meat sizzling on the mini braziers at every table and the savory smell filling the place really got my appetite going, haha.
Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch: hours, reservations and parking
Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch is open 11:00–21:30, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00. Last orders are at 14:30 and 20:30, and parking is paid parking at the Royal Building (₩1,000 per 10 minutes).
- ⏰ Hours 11:00–21:30 / Break time 15:00–17:00 / Last order 14:30, 20:30
- 📢 Waiting: weekday lunch can be full, waiting possible
- 📅 Reservations: via Naver Place or Catch Table
- 🅿️ Parking: paid (Royal Building, ₩1,000 per 10 minutes)
It's a well-known gyukatsu spot in Gwanghwamun, and since reservations are available, a lot of people seemed to be visiting after booking ahead.
How to find Hurato Sikdang from Gwanghwamun Station
🚇 Head down into the basement 1 arcade of the Royal Building across from the Sejong Center, at Exit 1 of Gwanghwamun Station, and you'll find this cozy Japanese restaurant. (420m from Gyeongbokgung Station)
Inside Hurato Sikdang: space and atmosphere
Inside, Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch is a basement space with a retro feel and a pleasant buzz to it. (*Since the place was busy, I grabbed shots of the interior whenever I got a chance.)
Hurato Sikdang is said to be a brand started by three young founders who fell for the cozy vibe of a small back-alley restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. Maybe that's why the space feels both retro and lively at once.
The lighting was a bit dim, giving it a cozy atmosphere, and looking around I saw a lot of couples on dates. There were also plenty of friend groups chatting over a casual beer. Besides the gyusteki and gyukatsu sets, there are dishes like donburi (rice bowls) or curry that work well for solo dining, so there were solo diners too.
Hurato Sikdang menu and what we ordered
At Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch, you can enjoy a variety of Japanese dishes. What we ordered that day was gyukatsu, the gyusteki set, and Isigny butter.
The side dishes that come with the beef
💡 Shall we try it together? 🤗
- Pickled radish & cabbage salad
- Pickled fresh chili peppers, ginger, mustard
- Soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, salt
- Rice & warm miso-style soup
What does the gyukatsu taste like, grilled on your own brazier?
Hurato Sikdang's signature dish, gyukatsu, is aged beef cutlet served rare so you grill it yourself on the brazier. It came out thinly and crisply fried on the outside, with a moist, rare center.
You place the meat on the heated stone plate over the mini brazier and grill it to your liking. The moment it hit my mouth, the crisp edge plus soft texture underneath was great. Adding the Isigny butter brought out an even richer, savory flavor.
Gyusteki set or gyukatsu: which was better?
The gyusteki set is a beef set done yakiniku-style, where the surface is lightly seared so you can enjoy tender juices and a savory flavor. It comes plated neatly with fresh, red-hued beef striploin.
If gyukatsu is the textbook definition of crispy-outside-tender-inside, the gyusteki set let me enjoy the meat's own chewy yet tender bite along with rich juices. Maybe that's why, that day, I found myself drawn to the gyusteki more than the gyukatsu, haha.
The gyusteki in particular cooked faster on the grill plate than the gyukatsu, so it was easier to eat. It was a dish I fell for, with its savory flavor filling my whole mouth.
Hurato Sikdang for a meal before or after a Sejong Center show
Juicy meat sizzling away on mini braziers with the vibe of a Tokyo back-alley restaurant — Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch, a Gwanghwamun spot known for gyukatsu and gyusteki! 🎵◠‿◠ It was a great Japanese restaurant in Gwanghwamun to stop by before or after a show at the Sejong Center.
Where it is
19 Saemunan-ro 5-gil, Royal Building Arcade B1 No. 63, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 종로구 새문안로5길 19 로얄빌딩 아케이드 B1 63호 후라토식당
