Seoul Station Japanese restaurant Set 3 with yolk steak-don: Ichigyu

Today I went for a Seoul Station date with my mom and had a really good lunch. Since it was a mom-daughter lunch day, I wanted something a bit more special than our usual go-to dishes. This time we visited Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch, a spot for gyukatsu (breaded fried beef cutlet) and steak.

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch: location and hours

• Address: 98 Huam-ro, B1 B116, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00 – 21:30
• Break time: 15:00 – 17:00
• Last order: 14:00, 20:30
• Parking: Underground parking at LG Seoul Station Building (98 Huam-ro, Jung-gu)

How to walk there from Seoul Station exit 10

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch is about a 5-minute walk from Seoul Station exit 10. It's in the basement level of LG Seoul Station Building, and the entrance can be a little confusing the first time you visit.

As you approach the building, there's a staircase down to the basement level at the spot I photographed.

Follow the stairs down and you'll hit a revolving door — Ichigyu is right in front of it, so it was easier to find than I expected.

There's a menu sign outside the restaurant so you can check the menu before going in, and a waitlist machine was also set up out front.

An interior that felt like a trip to Japan

Walking in, the restaurant was bigger than I expected.

The overall vibe felt like stepping into a restaurant in Japan, which brought back memories of a trip my mom and I took there together haha.

There was also a meat model displayed on one side of the restaurant.

I looked at it and asked my mom, totally seriously, "Wait, is that real meat actually aging?" lol. When I went closer I realized it was just a model.

Every table had a mini brazier so you could grill the meat yourself, which was a fun touch too. It's more entertaining than food just showing up already cooked, so I thought it would make a good Seoul Station date spot as well.

Set 3: gyukatsu and steak-don in one order

The menu had gyukatsu and steak along with a variety of single dishes and noodle options. Since we wanted to try a few different things together, we ordered Set 3.

It came with sirloin gyukatsu, sirloin steak-don, and two drinks. I went with cola, and my mom picked sikhye — I mean cider (Korean-style lemon-lime soda) haha.

After we ordered, the staff lit the brazier on our table.

Butter comes out with the food — you melt a bit on the brazier, then grill the meat to your liking. As the butter melted and the smell of grilling meat rose up, my mouth was watering before I'd even taken a bite.

Juicy, mild sirloin gyukatsu and the sauces we tried

The gyukatsu had a crisp breaded coating outside with juicy sirloin inside. I usually prefer meat cooked a bit more rather than very rare, so I grilled it thoroughly on both sides on the brazier.

Personally, it was much more tender and to my taste when cooked a bit more rather than just lightly seared. The sauces that came with it were: a basic sauce, chili sauce, salt, and wasabi. Mixing a little wasabi into the basic sauce was my favorite combination — the meat itself was mild, so the wasabi kept it clean and not greasy.

The yolk steak-don my mom loved

The steak-don ended up being even better than I expected. The meat wasn't tough at all — really tender with a great bite — and the rice already had a good amount of sauce on it, so it was tasty even on its own. Then I popped the separate egg yolk and mixed it into the rice, which made it even richer and nuttier.

Looking at the dishes, my mom said it reminded her of the food we ate on our trip to Japan haha. She doesn't often eat gyukatsu or steak-don, so it felt a little unfamiliar to her at first, but once she tried it, she said it wasn't too heavy and the texture of the meat was good, so she liked it.

There was no gamey smell at all, and the meat was so tender — we ate it all up happily.

Next time: a Seoul Station date with my husband

Chatting away over a good meal with my mom, I kept thinking of my husband, who loves meat. Grilling the meat yourself right at the table is fun, and the restaurant has that Japan-trip feel to it, so it seems like a good pick for a Seoul Station date course if you and your partner want something a bit special. It would also suit anyone near Seoul Station looking for something different from the usual, like gyukatsu or steak.

Next time I'd like to come back with my husband and try the other menu items I didn't get to this time. :) It was a great visit to Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch — good food with my mom, and some fond travel memories along the way.