Gyukatsu restaurant in Musil-dong, Wonju with curry refills: Ichigyu

Where is Ichigyu Wonju?

Ichigyu Wonju is a gyukatsu (fried beef cutlet) restaurant on the first floor of the Lotte Cinema building in Musil-dong, Wonju. It's often recommended as a top Wonju restaurant, and it's a great spot to eat right after a movie 🎥

Looking through reviews, I noticed a lot of people follow the same course — watch a movie, then eat here ✔️ My daughter and I did exactly that this time, and the layout made it so convenient.

I've had plenty of tonkatsu, but this was my first time trying gyukatsu, so I was curious what it would taste like. From the gyukatsu sizzling on a mini brazier to the Japanese-style curry, here's my honest write-up of a delicious meal.

📍 Address: 1857-10 Musil-dong, Wonju, Gangwon / ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30, break time 15:00–17:00, last order 20:30 / 📌 Amenities: Reservations and group bookings available, kids' chairs, separate men's/women's restrooms, parking available

Inside Ichigyu Wonju: the mini brazier on every table

Walking into Ichigyu Wonju, I found a stylish yet clean wood-toned interior with accents that gave it its own distinct color. Quite a few people were already eating, confirming it really is a popular local spot — and luckily the timing worked out so we got a table right away without waiting 🍀

Every table had its own mini brazier, and the menu was laid out nicely. After some deliberation, we ordered Ichigyu's signature gyukatsu and Japanese-style curry. Since it was my first time trying the dish, I was even more excited to see how it would taste 😁

After we ordered, the staff lit the mini brazier and brought the rice out in its own small bowl 🍚 The dishes started arriving one by one, and the staff kindly explained how to eat them.

I thought I roughly knew how to eat it from other people's reviews, but once it was actually in front of me, I had a brief 'wait, how do I do this?' moment 😅 Thankfully the menu had detailed instructions too, and with another kind explanation from the staff, I could follow along step by step without worry 👏🏻

How to eat Ichigyu's gyukatsu: Isigny butter and 7-8 seconds a side

Ichigyu Wonju's gyukatsu is fried crisp on the outside while staying rare and moist inside, and the tender sirloin was clearly visible 👀

The Isigny butter that came with it is meant to be melted slightly on the mini brazier, then you place each slice of gyukatsu on top to sear it 🧈 I love Isigny butter so much that I got greedy and dropped it all on at once — which turned into a full-on butter party 🎊

Tip 💡 Instead of melting all the butter at once, split it into about three portions and melt it gradually as you sear ✔️ The menu spells this out in detail too, so don't get greedy like I did at first, haha.

As the meat hit the mini brazier, it sizzled away while the nutty aroma of the butter drifted up 😋 Ichigyu's tip for the best flavor is to sear it for about 7–8 seconds — rather than cooking it too long, keeping it brief lets the outside stay warm while the inside stays moist, which is apparently the best way 👍🏻

I tried a well-seared piece of gyukatsu straight off the brazier — crisp outside, really tender meat, and coated in butter so the nutty flavor came through even richer. It was my first time trying this dish, and it really is a different experience from tonkatsu!

The special sauce and assorted sides that came with it can be mixed and matched to taste; after comparing a few combinations, I personally liked wasabi with the special sauce best ✔️ It was clean and really brought out the nutty flavor of the meat.

My daughter was fascinated watching it sizzle right in front of her and kept staring for a while 🤩 After one bite she said 'It's delicious!' and happily dipped it in a generous amount of salt to eat with her rice.

Pickled cabbage and miso soup to cut the richness

As you eat, it can get a little rich at times, and that's when the pickled cabbage and miso soup side dishes come in handy for a clean palate cleanse ✔️ The pickled cabbage in particular had a nutty note from sesame oil along with a sharp hint of pepper, and its tangy, crunchy texture paired really well with the gyukatsu 👏🏻

Japanese-style curry for kids, with free refills

Ichigyu Wonju's Japanese-style curry came generously topped with chopped scallions, garlic flakes, shrimp tempura, and a fried egg.

The flavor was lighter than I expected — mild and smooth, easy to eat without feeling heavy 🍛

It's just the right flavor for kids too, and my daughter ate it happily. The staff also let us know that rice and curry can both be refilled 👏🏻 If you're searching for a Wonju restaurant and wondering what to order for kids, this curry is worth considering!

The shrimp tempura on top of the curry deserves a mention too — it's a whole shrimp fried up, so the crisp batter really let the shrimp's nutty flavor shine through, and the texture was great, so my daughter enjoyed it a lot 🍤 By the way, they said you can sometimes get shrimp tempura for free if you write a receipt review, so keep that in mind if you visit ✔️

A Musil-dong Japanese restaurant to hit right after a movie

Next time I'd love to bring my son along too, so he can enjoy the fun of grilling it himself 👦🏻👧🏻 From the buttery, crisp-outside-tender-inside gyukatsu that melts in your mouth, to the Japanese-style curry that's easy for everyone from kids to adults to enjoy — it was my first time trying gyukatsu, but I really enjoyed the meal 😋

If you're looking for a Wonju restaurant or want to try proper Musil-dong Japanese food, Ichigyu Wonju is worth a visit 🙌🏻 It's also a solid option for anyone searching for a Musil-dong restaurant in general. Since you can catch a movie at Lotte Cinema and follow it up with a great meal right there, I'd recommend it for a date or a family outing with kids ✔️