Gyukatsu grilled in Isigny butter at Ichigyu, a Wonju restaurant

I was craving gyukatsu in Wonju, so I found Ichigyu Wonju. It's known for its sirloin gyukatsu that you grill yourself at the table, and this time I tried the jumbo sirloin gyukatsu and the steki set :)

Location and hours at Ichigyu Wonju

[ Hours: daily 11:00 – 21:30, last order 20:30 ] [ Break time: 15:00 – 17:00 ]

Ichigyu Wonju is located in Musil-dong, Wonju. It's right in the main commercial area of Musil-dong, so it's easy to combine with a café or other sightseeing before or after your meal. It's on the first floor of the building, so I found it without any trouble even on my first visit. Whether you're looking for a lunch or dinner spot in Wonju, or a date restaurant in Musil-dong, the location is great.

Gyukatsu is a menu you can enjoy comfortably even alone, so it's a good option if you're looking for a solo dining spot in Musil-dong, and it's also nice for two people to each order a different dish and share. If you visit on weekends or at mealtimes like I did, there may be a wait.

🅿️ You can park in the Lotte Cinema building!

The interior and the special gyukatsu grill plate

Stepping inside, the vibe is clean and calm. With its wood-toned Japanese restaurant feel, it wasn't too casual but was still comfortable for a meal.

Best of all, true to a gyukatsu specialty restaurant, each table has a grill plate so you can cook the meat yourself. This isn't just any ordinary grill plate — apparently it's specially made so you can enjoy gyukatsu at its best.

As the name suggests, Ichigyu is a brand that specializes in gyukatsu! Alongside their signature gyukatsu, they offer a variety of meat-centered dishes like the steki set, so you can pick according to your taste.

What we ordered — jumbo sirloin gyukatsu & steki set

The two dishes I chose that day were the jumbo sirloin gyukatsu and the steki set! Ordering one of each and eating them together turned out to be a great combo — even though they're both beef dishes, the cooking method and texture were completely different.

Jumbo sirloin gyukatsu

True to its jumbo name, the gyukatsu arrived neatly arranged and filling the plate — the portion alone looked pretty hearty. The outside is coated in crispy breading while the inside still has a reddish color, meaning you cook it yourself on the tabletop grill to your preferred doneness.

Gyukatsu grilled in Isigny butter

What especially stood out at Ichigyu was the butter. Apparently they provide Isigny butter, a premium French butter, for grilling the gyukatsu.

Put the butter on the grill plate to melt it slightly, then lay a piece of gyukatsu on top — the sizzle of the meat cooking along with the nutty aroma of the butter rising up was a serious appetite trigger! Compared to just grilling plain, the added butter flavor made the sirloin taste even richer.

One piece at a time, to your preferred doneness

Rather than putting several pieces on at once, I'd recommend grilling just one or two pieces at a time, eating them right away. I cooked mine lightly on both sides rather than well done, and the texture was great — crispy outside, juicy inside.

The juiciness of the sirloin, the crispy breading, and the nutty richness of the Isigny butter went really well together. I tried it plain first, and then added sauce or wasabi depending on my mood for a different experience each time. If you're looking for a gyukatsu spot in Wonju, this signature dish is worth trying first!

The rice served is Japanese Ichino rice. Placing a well-grilled piece of gyukatsu on top of the warm rice with a bit of wasabi worked really well together.

Steki set

If gyukatsu is about the combo of crispy breading and juicy meat, steki lets you enjoy the flavor and juiciness of the meat itself a bit more simply. It was great for a filling meal with rice, and I also liked that it was cut into easy, bite-sized pieces.

Comparing the two dishes and my recommendation

Sirloin gyukatsu → crispy + rich butter flavor Steki → clean + the natural flavor of the meat itself

If you're looking for a slightly different meat dish in Wonju, Ichigyu Wonju is worth a visit. From the fun of grilling gyukatsu yourself to the steki set, you can enjoy both together for a hearty meal. The attention to detail — the special gyukatsu grill plate and even the Isigny butter — was especially impressive! If you're searching for a good restaurant in Wonju, a good spot in Musil-dong, or a gyukatsu specialty restaurant in Wonju, this one's worth checking out :)

✔ Recommended for

• Anyone who enjoys grilling their own gyukatsu
• Anyone looking for a good restaurant in Musil-dong, Wonju
• Meat-loving couples on a date
• Anyone wanting a hearty lunch or dinner
• Anyone who wants to enjoy gyukatsu and steki together