Salt and fresh wasabi gyukatsu shared for two: Ichigyu Balsan Station

Today I want to introduce a restaurant I visited a few days ago that left me really satisfied. We decided to have lunch during a date near Balsan Station and searched hard for a place with good vibes and great taste. After carefully reading through a ton of reviews, we finally landed on 'Ichigyu.'

Ichigyu Balsan Station Branch: location, hours, parking

Ichigyu Balsan Station Branch Location: 269-15 Gonghang-daero, 2nd floor, Room 211, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea Hours: 11:30 AM–9:30 PM (break time 3:00 PM–5:00 PM) Parking: Basement parking in the building (free for 2 hours, then paid)

The exterior alone gave off a cozy, warm feeling like stepping into a small Japanese eatery. Walking in, the friendly staff greeted us cheerfully, and the neatly arranged interior caught my eye right away.

A personal mini brazier at every table

Even though it was a bit past the usual lunch hour, plenty of tables were already filled with people chatting and eating happily — it made me think this really is a word-of-mouth favorite near Balsan Station. I was also really struck by how each table had its own cute personal mini brazier!

One gyukatsu set, one steki set

Sitting down, I looked over the menu with excitement. Since we wanted to try a good variety of the signature dishes, we decided to order one of the best-selling 'gyukatsu set' and one 'steki (steak) set,' which lets you fully enjoy the texture of thick-cut meat, and share both!

Not long after ordering, they brought the rice first! They said refills are available too. And then the main dishes arrived~

Two neatly arranged wooden trays were served at the table. Along with the main meat, there was a warm miso-style soup, fresh salad, and sauce, salt, and wasabi to enhance the meat's flavor — all beautifully and neatly plated, looking delicious even before the first bite!

Gyukatsu set: butter on the brazier, two pieces at a time

The first thing that instantly captured my heart was, without a doubt, the gyukatsu set. The sight of fresh, high-quality beef with a vivid red hue wrapped in a thin, crispy coating alone was mouthwatering.

We spread butter on the well-heated mini brazier first, then placed two pieces of meat on it, grilling them to our liking with a satisfying sizzle. After browning the outside a bit more and taking a big first bite — the thin coating was incredibly crispy, while the meat inside was packed with juice and melted softly in the mouth. It truly showed the textbook definition of crispy outside, tender inside. I finally understood why people think of Ichigyu without hesitation when it comes to gyukatsu near Balsan Station~

Salt first, then fresh wasabi

At first we dipped it lightly in just salt to deeply enjoy the meat's natural savoriness, and then tried topping it with a bit of sharp fresh wasabi. The wasabi cut through the meat's fattiness completely, so there was no chance of getting tired of it even down to the last piece.

How was the steki set?

Next we dug into the steki set we'd ordered. Cut into thick, easy-to-eat pieces, the beef steak showed off a completely different charm from the gyukatsu. Without the crispy coating, it had a clean, savory meat flavor that melted in the mouth the more we chewed! We lightly brushed butter on the heated brazier plate, letting it melt fragrantly, then placed the steak on top and grilled it golden brown on both sides.

Dipping a well-cooked piece of meat deep in the sauce made a bowl of fluffy rice disappear in no time — a true rice thief. Alternating between a bite of crispy-outside-juicy-inside gyukatsu and a bite of clean, chewy steki meant we never got tired of eating!

Overall verdict, shared between two

True to its reputation as a great gyukatsu specialist near Balsan Station, the overall quality of the beef used in the steki set was excellent too, not just the gyukatsu! The quality of the main dishes was outstanding without question, and there was nothing lacking in cleanliness or atmosphere either — it was an all-around enjoyable meal!

I don't think there's a more satisfying place to chat away over food with a partner, friends, or family. I strongly recommend visiting Ichigyu, the gyukatsu spot near Balsan Station, without hesitation.