Gwanghwamun gyukatsu lunch with cold soba for two, 50,000 won: Ichigyu

Today I was having lunch in Gwanghwamun and craving something a little different, so I went to Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch, on the basement floor of Lemeilleur Jongno Town.

This is a place where the gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) comes out medium-rare and you grill it yourself at a mini brazier on the table. What made it extra fun was pairing it with Isigny butter — a twist on the usual gyukatsu experience. On this visit I tried three dishes: the gyukatsu set, steki-don, and cold soba with shrimp tempura.

Where is Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch? Between Gwanghwamun and Jonggak stations

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is at 19 Jong-ro, basement floor of Lemeilleur Jongno Town, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

Sitting between Gwanghwamun and Jonggak stations, it should be pretty easy to reach if you're hunting for a lunch spot near Gwanghwamun station.

Once you head into the building and down to the basement, you'll spot the Ichigyu sign. The interior had a warm wood-tone vibe, calm overall, and comfortable for a relaxed meal.

And here's the little brazier sitting on every table. Today's gyukatsu would be grilled right here, by me.

Ordering by QR code: three dishes for two people, 50,000 won

Ordering was simple via QR code. Here's what we got:

Ichigyu gyukatsu set ₩19,500 Steki-don ₩19,500 Cold soba & shrimp tempura ₩11,000 Total ₩50,000

Since there were two of us, we decided to try a few different dishes rather than just gyukatsu alone.

How to eat gyukatsu at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun

While waiting for the food, I read through the instructions first — how to dip the gyukatsu in the special sauce, and how to use all three sauces provided.

I was curious what gyukatsu with Isigny butter would taste like. The gyukatsu arrives medium-rare, and the instructions said the best way to grill it is about 7–8 seconds per side.

Ichigyu gyukatsu set, 19,500 won

The gyukatsu set finally arrived. Golden-fried gyukatsu came neatly plated with rice, soup, cabbage, and sauces.

Slicing into it revealed a vivid pink center. The first time you see this you might think, "wait, is this actually cooked properly?" But Ichigyu's gyukatsu is meant to come out medium-rare — you finish cooking it yourself at the table brazier.

I put a little Isigny butter on first. As it melted, a nutty aroma started rising.

I laid a piece of gyukatsu on the brazier. With a sizzle, the meat started cooking — suddenly it felt like there was a tiny meat restaurant right on the table, haha.

At first I grilled it for about 7–8 seconds, then tried a piece cooked a bit longer. Since you grill it yourself, you can really dial in the doneness you like — that part was definitely great.

Alternating between Ichigyu's special sauce and wasabi

First bite: dipped in the special sauce. Then I tried it with a touch of wasabi on top, along with rice.

The savory gyukatsu paired really well with the sharp kick of wasabi. Grilling piece by piece was genuinely fun. Personally, I preferred grilling just enough for one bite at a time rather than cooking it all at once — that way it's hot right when you eat it, and you can adjust the doneness as you go.

Second dish: steki-don, 19,500 won

The second dish was steki-don — sirloin beef arranged neatly over rice, topped with crispy garlic chips and an egg yolk.

There was no way I was leaving that yolk untouched. I mixed it into the meat and rice.

A bite of yolk with garlic chips together — the yolk made the beef soft and rich, while the garlic chips added crunch.

If gyukatsu is fun because you grill it yourself, steki-don was the easy, filling one-bowl option.

Cold soba and shrimp tempura, 11,000 won: a break between the meat dishes

And then there's cold soba, which I love. The moment I spotted it on the menu, there was no way I wasn't ordering it.

After eating gyukatsu and steki-don, a bite of cold soba was such a refreshing match. The shrimp tempura that came with it was crispy too, and went well with the soba. Pairing cold soba in between the meat dishes made the whole meal so much more enjoyable than just eating meat dish after meat dish.

All three dishes together — laid out like this, it's a pretty hearty spread for two.

Grill the gyukatsu yourself, break the yolk into the steki-don, and finish it off cleanly with cold soba.

Receipt review and Naver save freebies at Ichigyu

The restaurant was also running a receipt review event — write a review after paying and get free shrimp tempura. Worth checking before you order if you're visiting.

There was also a Naver save event offering grilled cheese and thin-sliced mochi.

Is Ichigyu worth it for a different lunch near Gwanghwamun?

Grilling medium-rare meat yourself at a table brazier made the whole process different from ordinary tonkatsu or pork cutlet.

Adding Isigny butter especially brought a rich, melty flavor that made it feel novel. If you prefer meat well-done, just grill it a bit longer at the brazier; if you like medium-rare, stick to the suggested timing.

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch: hours, parking and address

Address 19 Jong-ro, Lemeilleur Jongno Town B1 B123, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea Hours Daily 11:00 ~ 21:30 Break time 15:00 ~ 17:00 Last order 20:30

Parking is available in the building's basement lot, free for 2 hours with registration.

If you're having lunch around Gwanghwamun or Jonggak and want something a little different, Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch — where you grill your own gyukatsu with Isigny butter — is worth a try. Getting to try three dishes made for a fun, satisfying meal.