Lunch for two at Sinnonhyeon gyukatsu restaurant Ichigyu: added sides

I had some errands in Gangnam and was trying to figure out lunch when I suddenly craved gyukatsu for the first time in a while, so I stopped by Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch near Sinnonhyeon Station.

Where is Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch, and is there parking?

• 📍 19 Bongeunsa-ro 4-gil, 2nd floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏰ Daily 11:00 - 21:30
• Break time 15:00 - 17:00 / Last order 20:30
• 🚗 No parking (use nearby paid lots)
• Le Meridien Parking Lot 2 (615-4 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)
• Le Meridien Parking Lot 3 (615 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)
• Semyeong Parking (25 Gangnam-daero 106-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)

The restaurant is located between exits 4 and 5 of Sinnonhyeon Station. There's no dedicated parking space, so if you're driving you'll need to use a nearby paid lot. Parking around Gangnam isn't easy in general, so I'd recommend taking public transit if you can.

Waitlist kiosk and what the dining room is like

Once you go up to the 2nd floor at Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch, there's a kiosk near the entrance where you can register for the waitlist. The sign said that if you don't show up within 3 minutes of being called, you get marked as a no-show. If there's a wait, it seems best to keep an eye on the KakaoTalk notification and stand by near the entrance once your turn is getting close. I visited a bit after the weekday lunch rush, so luckily I got seated right away without any wait.

Inside, the place was clean overall and quieter than I expected, which made it a nice spot to eat.

There was also a sink set up on one side where you could wash your hands before and after eating.

Ichigyu Sinnonhyeon menu and how ordering works

Ordering is done via the QR code on the table. Ichigyu has a variety of menu items besides gyukatsu, including steki set, cold soba, and steak.

What we ordered that day: the Ichigyu gyukatsu set (₩19,500), a fried egg (₩2,000), and karaage & fried shrimp (₩7,000). Since we were eating as a pair, we added a side dish too and finished up the order.

After ordering, they first light up the mini brazier for you, and a bit later the warm rice arrives 🍚 Rice refills are available too, which made for a very filling meal.

The 19,500-won gyukatsu set, grilled in Isigny butter

After a short wait, the gyukatsu set came out first. It arrives with rice, a savory soup, salad and more alongside the gyukatsu, which comes out fried crispy on the outside but still juicy inside.

You can put it on the mini brazier and cook it to whatever doneness you like.

Ichigyu also gives you Isigny butter to use. Rather than putting it all on the grill at once, we were told it's better to melt it in small amounts, so that's what we did.

You melt the Isigny butter on the hot stone plate, then place the gyukatsu on top to grill — as the butter melts, this nutty aroma rises up and the gyukatsu grills right in it, which was delicious. I didn't cook it too long, just gave it a light sear and took a bite, and the juices came through so moist — this really is how gyukatsu should be eaten, haha.

The batter wasn't too thick either, so the crispy texture when you bite in was great.

Crispy outside, juicy inside — that classic gyukatsu texture...

Dipped lightly in the sauce with a bit of wasabi, it was so good.

Karaage and fried shrimp side for 7,000 won

Next came the karaage and fried shrimp! The fried shrimp came with two plump shrimp, so my partner and I split them evenly, one each. With the karaage added in too, we had more variety than just gyukatsu alone, which made it a nice meal to share as a pair.

Is Ichigyu worth it for lunch for two?

I'd stopped by after running errands in Gangnam that day, and I left feeling completely satisfied after properly digging into the gyukatsu plus sides — a solid lunch. If you're craving gyukatsu near Sinnonhyeon Station, I'd recommend Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch, a great Sinnonhyeon restaurant 😋💕