Gyukatsu at Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch, main photo

Why we chose Seoul Station for dinner with a friend from Busan

A friend was coming up from Busan, so we planned to meet at Seoul Station. We'd originally agreed on Namdaemun, but while I was on my way, my friend texted that she'd already finished shopping and wanted to meet somewhere else... Every time she comes up with her kid, she wants to meet at a department store, and even without the kid this time she still suggested a department store, so I flat-out said no. We went back and forth between Yongsan and Namdaemun before finally settling on Seoul Station, since it'd be easy for catching a train. So I rushed over, googling Seoul Station restaurants along the way.

Street view walking from Seoul Station toward Ichigyu

Street near Seoul Station with Namsan Tower in view

Where is Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch? Basement 1 of the LG Seoul Station Building

Looking for a good spot for a Seoul Station date with a friend I hadn't seen in ages, I found Ichigyu. Facing Namsan Tower, it was in the basement level of the LG Seoul Station Building on the left. I misread the map and crossed to the right side first, then had to backtrack. But the weather was great and Namsan Tower was in view, so the walk over was pleasant.

Basement corridor of the LG Seoul Station Building

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch was right next to the GS25 on the basement floor of the LG Seoul Station Building.

What the entrance to Ichigyu looks like

Exterior of Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch — Exterior

I arrived right as break time ended, so it was still fairly quiet. The location was convenient for a Seoul Station evening meetup, and the clean interior made it a nice spot to eat slowly with a friend.

View outside the entrance of Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch

Catch Table waiting kiosk outside the restaurant

True to a popular Seoul Station spot, there was a Catch Table waiting kiosk out front. It seemed like there'd be a real wait during lunch or on weekends.

Warmly lit interior of Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch

Inside Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch: seating and the tabletop braziers

Maybe it was the lighting, but Ichigyu had a warm atmosphere. Every table had its own mini cast-iron brazier.

Mini cast-iron brazier placed at every table

Sofa seating lined both ends, with tables arranged in three rows.

Sofa seating and three rows of tables in the restaurant

Large model of a meat chunk displayed outside the restaurant

There was a huge chunk of meat on display out front — until I actually walked in, I genuinely thought it was real. Hahaha.

Table setting while deciding what to order

My friend told me to go ahead and order first, but I honestly couldn't decide. Everything looked delicious 😭 The moment I finally managed to order, she showed up.

À la carte menu board at Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch

I came looking specifically for gyukatsu, so naturally that's all I had in mind at first — but seeing the menu, the à la carte options like hamburg omurice (₩17,000), steki-don (₩19,500), and iron plate chop steak (₩18,000) also looked amazing, so I agonized over it for a while.

Set menu price list at Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch

And then I agonized over the set menus too.

Set 1 (₩42,000) gyukatsu + gyukatsu + 2 drinks
Set 2 (₩39,500) gyukatsu + hamburg omurice + 2 drinks
Set 3 (₩42,000) gyukatsu + steki-don + 2 drinks
Set 4 (₩40,500) gyukatsu + iron plate chop steak + 2 drinks

After a lot of back and forth, I got curious about the steki set too, so I gave up on the set menus and just ordered gyukatsu and steki separately.

Ordering rice for two

Two portions of rice served together in a wooden bowl — Rice for two

The rice came out as two portions together in a wooden bowl. Dishing out just what you want to eat each time was half the fun~

Gyukatsu set (sirloin, サーロイン), 19,500 won

Medium-rare sirloin gyukatsu set table spread — Gyukatsu (sirloin) (サーロイン)

The gyukatsu set (₩19,500) came out served medium rare. This is the go-to first order if you're coming to Seoul Station for gyukatsu! There's fun in grilling it yourself on your own brazier to your preferred doneness. It came with kimchi that I thought was aged kimchi but tasted uniquely different and delicious, plus chili sauce, salt, butter, miso soup, salad, house sauce, and wasabi. And even a separate rice bowl to portion out rice into! The gyukatsu portion was generous and looked so good it felt almost a shame to eat.

I meant to grill it little by little myself, but there was so much slicing to do that while I was busy talking, my friend grilled it all. I could've done it myself but,,, she just took over completely! No wonder it took her so long. Turns out she thought it was pork. By the time she realized it was beef, there wasn't much meat left! Haha. I should've shown her the proper way to eat Ichigyu's gyukatsu, haha. The tip says 7–8 seconds is best, but even grilled way longer than that, it was so tender and delicious ㅇㅅㅇ How much more tender and delicious would it be at 7–8 seconds?!

Steki set (sirloin, サーロイン), 19,500 won

The steki set (₩19,500) — the difference from gyukatsu is that there's no breading. Aside from the meat, everything else, side dishes and sauces, was exactly the same.

Unbreaded sirloin steki set table spread — Steki set (sirloin) (サーロイン)

This one I really wanted to grill little by little myself, but again my friend took it all and grilled it for me. Hahaha, she was doing me a favor so I couldn't really complain! I worried it might get tough, but nope ㅇㅅㅇ even grilled that long it was still tender and delicious! Honestly that's part of why I just let her keep going, haha. My friend loved it too and complimented me on finding such a good Seoul Station spot.

Grilling the sirloin with butter

Butter and sauce plate served alongside the meal — With butter~

Between all the chatting and my friend doing all the grilling, we completely forgot about the butter. I wanted to eat half plain and half grilled in butter, but by the time we remembered, there wasn't much meat left to add it to.

Last piece of meat finished with a buttery flavor

Adding butter took the flavor up another notch~ a completely different kind of delicious~ Both the steki and the gyukatsu were great, but maybe because it's literally in the name Ichi'gyu', gyukatsu felt like more of the restaurant's identity, and honestly it suited my taste better too.

Is Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch a good spot for a dinner meetup?

An evening catching up and eating well with a friend visiting from Busan 😆 The location was great for stopping by before or after catching a train at Seoul Station, and it worked well as a spot for meeting friends or a Seoul Station date. We had it for dinner, but it'd be just as good for lunch. What stood out most was how tender and delicious the beef stayed even after being grilled way longer than recommended. Next time I'm looking for a Seoul Station restaurant, I want to come back and try the gyukatsu properly grilled for just 7–8 seconds!

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch location, hours and parking

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch
Address: 98 Huam-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul (LG Seoul Station Building, B1, Unit B116), South Korea
Daily 11:00–21:30 (break time 15:00–17:00)
Paid parking available: ₩1,000 for first 10 minutes, ₩1,000 per additional 10 minutes, max ₩144,000
Wi-Fi: Yes
No pets allowed

Seoul Station Japanese restaurant right at the 5pm reopening: Ichigyu

Good to know

Why we chose Seoul Station for dinner with a friend from Busan