Wonju gyukatsu restaurant, weekend wait and jumbo set: Ichigyu Wonju

I visited Ichigyu Wonju, famous as a local favorite in Wonju that reportedly gets a wait on weekends. Search for gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) restaurants in Wonju and this place always comes up, so I was curious how good it really was. I'd even seen reviews saying it beats gyukatsu they'd had in Japan, so I went in with high expectations. Here's my honest review.

• Address: 51 Neungna-dong-gil, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea, units 135 and 136
• Hours: Daily 11:00-21:30
• Break time: 15:00-17:00
• Last order: 14:30, 20:30
• Parking: Basement parking at the Lotte Cinema building
• Amenities: Groups welcome, baby chairs, Naver Reservation

Where is Ichigyu Wonju, and where do you park?

Ichigyu Wonju sits on the ground floor of the building that houses the Lotte Cinema in Musil-dong, so it's easy to find — just look for the Lotte Cinema. For parking, you can use the basement lot of the same building, so there's no need to hunt for a separate outside lot. When I paid after eating, staff asked whether I'd parked downstairs. I hadn't driven that day so I didn't register it myself, but per the visit info I could find, you can get 2 hours free parking registered if you use the building's basement lot.

How long is the Saturday lunch wait at Ichigyu Wonju?

I arrived around 1:30pm on a Saturday and there were about 3-4 parties ahead of me. It happened to be right when a batch of customers was leaving, so I wrote my name down and got seated almost immediately — but keep in mind there's usually at least a short wait during weekend lunch hours.

When I visited, there was no Catch Table or separate reservation system — it was a paper waitlist where you write your own name and party size on a sheet set up outside the store. When your turn comes, a staff member comes out and calls your name.

They also had water set out for waiting customers, a small touch that felt thoughtful.

On weekdays, other than weekends, you can also book ahead via Naver Reservation — good to know!

Inside Ichigyu Wonju: seating and baby chairs

The interior combines warm lighting with deep wood tones, giving it a feel similar to a restaurant you'd find in Japan.

Japanese lettering for gyukatsu, steki (steak), and donburi curry on the walls give Ichigyu its own distinct atmosphere.

Besides 2-person tables, there was also a 4-person table I didn't manage to photograph, and I heard tables can be combined for groups of 6 or 8. It seemed like a solid spot for dates as well as family meals or small gatherings.

There were 2 baby chairs available when I checked. Maybe because it was the weekend, there were a lot of families with young kids.

Ichigyu Wonju menu and prices

Per the menu board, the signature items are the striploin gyukatsu set and the striploin steki set. Beyond gyukatsu, there are plenty of other options: hamburg omurice ₩17,000, steak-don ₩19,500, hot plate chop steak ₩18,000, and Japanese curry ₩13,000. For noodles, there's yakisoba Napolitan ₩12,000 and cold soba with fried shrimp ₩11,000. Sides include fried egg ₩1,000, karaage and fried shrimp, mini curry ₩5,000, plus drinks and Kirin draft beer.

There are reasonably priced sets too: Set 1, with 2 gyukatsu and 2 drinks, is ₩42,000, and Set 2, with gyukatsu, hamburg omurice, and 2 drinks, is ₩39,500.

How to grill the double jumbo gyukatsu set, and how it tastes

Once you order, they set up a personal brazier at your table.

They also give you a bowl of rice, and it's free to refill, so keep that in mind!

The double set (jumbo) comes with special sauce, salt, wasabi soy dip, butter, and salad.

First you melt butter on the brazier, then grill the cutlet piece by piece. The gyukatsu comes out with a pink center inside, so you place each piece on the grill and cook it to your preferred doneness.

Rather than piling a lot on at once, grilling one or two pieces at a time and flipping often kept everything warm until the last bite. The guide says about 7-8 seconds of grilling is best, but you can adjust to your own taste.

Inside the thin, crispy breading was tender striploin, and the contrast in texture was great.

True to its name, the double set came with a generous amount of meat — a good fit for anyone who wants to eat their fill of gyukatsu.

Honest verdict: would I return to Ichigyu Wonju?

There was a wait for weekend lunch, but the timing worked out and I didn't wait long, and having water set out for waiting customers left a thoughtful impression. With basement parking, a 4-person table, and baby chairs available, it's a solid choice for anything from a date to a family meal. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm craving gyukatsu in Wonju!