Solo dining at a Seoul Square gyukatsu restaurant: Furato Shokudo

This time I'm sharing a review of a gyukatsu spot near Seoul Station that I visited during a work trip in Seoul 😊

I go on work trips to Seoul pretty often, and the place I end up at most is Seoul Station lol. Kind of funny, right?

That day, after a tiring trip, I thought, "Should I get some light meat to recharge?" and searched around until I found Furato Shokudo Seoul Square store, a Japanese gyukatsu (beef cutlet) specialist!

How to reach Furato Shokudo Seoul Square from Seoul Station — take exit 8

Furato Shokudo Seoul Square Direct Store is on the basement level of the Seoul Square building, right across from Seoul Station. If you're looking for gyukatsu near Seoul Square, this is the answer.

Going via the crosswalk is a big detour, so I'd recommend taking subway exit 8 instead. Exit 8 connects straight into the Seoul Square building, so you can get there comfortably whether it's raining or hot 👍 And the Seoul Square building itself has lots of restaurants and cafés worth stopping by.

Waiting and getting a table: CatchTable reservations at Furato Shokudo

At Furato Shokudo Seoul Square, you can reserve a spot in the waitlist via CatchTable right in front of the store. I got lucky — a 2-person table was open, so I got seated right away!

There was also a long line outside a ramen shop right in front. I thought I might try it next time haha.

Inside Furato Shokudo Seoul Square and its NFC ordering

Furato Shokudo Seoul Square is a cozy space that seats around 30 people. There are several 4-person and 2-person tables.

The walls are covered with photos of highballs and various menu items, giving the whole place a classic Japanese restaurant feel, full of little decorative touches.

How NFC ordering works at the table ✨

You place your smartphone on a designated spot on the table, and a website automatically pops up with the ordering screen matched to your table number.

For a country bumpkin from Daejeon like me, this felt like cutting-edge technology lol. I ordered while trying my best to act like I wasn't surprised lol.

Tasting the gyukatsu, onsen tamago, butter and 200ml beer

I ordered gyukatsu + onsen tamago + butter + a 200ml beer!

🥩 Gyukatsu grilled on the tabletop brazier

When it arrived, it looked absolutely gorgeous.

Gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) is served rare and you grill it further yourself on a personal tabletop grill to your preferred doneness.

They kindly included a guide on the grill showing how long to cook it for each level of doneness, which made it much easier to eat. Dipped in salt, the gyukatsu was crispy outside and tender inside — really delicious.

🧈 Adding butter to the gyukatsu — the best move

Melting butter on the grill and cooking the gyukatsu in it made the crispiness even better while the buttery flavor soaked in — so good ㅠ Adding butter was a total masterstroke!

🍺 The 200ml beer

Right when the richness of the meat and butter starts to hit, a sip of beer — that combination is perfect. Beer after a hard day's work is truth haha.

🥚 Onsen tamago with the beef cutlet

The onsen tamago (soft-poached egg) wasn't too salty and had a nicely soft-boiled center, so I enjoyed it a lot 🥚 It paired really well with the gyukatsu 👍

Verdict: is Furato Shokudo worth a solo meal near Seoul Station?

If you're on a work trip near Seoul Station and want a light meal, if you're looking for a gyukatsu lunch near Namdaemun, or if you just want a really delicious, high-protein meal !! I strongly recommend Furato Shokudo Seoul Square 👍

I think I'll be back here again on my next work trip to Seoul 😊