Isigny butter gyukatsu at Ichigyu, a Gwanghwamun Japanese restaurant

Where is Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch? 2-3 minutes from Gwanghwamun Station Exit 4

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is a gyukatsu specialty restaurant on the basement level of Le Meilleur Jongno Town. I made plans here with a friend who recently changed jobs, and honestly, when you need somewhere easy to reach near Gwanghwamun for a clean, satisfying meal, this place is a huge recommendation — so I'm typing this up again today..!

First off, the location is absolutely perfect. It's on the basement 1st floor of Le Meilleur Jongno Town, about a 2-3 minute walk from Gwanghwamun Station Exit 4, and about 3 minutes from Jonggak Station Exit 1. Being just 200-300m from both subway stations makes it great for a Gwanghwamun lunch spot or an after-work meal!!

Ah..!! Such a rookie blogger mistake!!! (Guilty.) I forgot to take a photo of the outside!!! But right as you get off the escalator, there it is — Ichigyu, the Japanese restaurant near Jonggak Station!!!!!

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch menu and what we ordered: gyukatsu and Kirin draft beer

The menu at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is packed, from the signature gyukatsu (sirloin/tenderloin) to various steki (steak) dishes, udon, and soba. The moment I sat down, dutiful blogger mode switched on!!!! Snap, snap — here's the menu I photographed.

After much deliberation, we went with the signature gyukatsu options and also ordered a cold Kirin draft beer to wet our whistles haha. Kirin draft!!! yay

Inside Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch: two-seat tables with a grill on each one

The interior of Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is cozy and clean overall, with a nice atmosphere. Looking around, there were so many couples clearly here for a cute Gwanghwamun gyukatsu date.

Even the 2-person tables have a good amount of space, which makes it fine for dates, small gatherings, or eating solo.

Each table comes set up with one mini grill! It looks cute but the flame is strong. If it goes out, just tell the staff — they'll relight it in a flash.

What comes with the set at Ichigyu, and how much rice you get

Next came the basic meal spread! The rice portion was so generous and hearty it was honestly touching lol. Plenty for two of us to share alongside the meat, and it seemed like refills were possible..? True to form for a Japanese restaurant near Jonggak Station — such generous hospitality.

The draft beer arrives!!!! Ahh, so refreshing! I looked up and saw the cutest lighting fixture... sorry to the cow for enjoying this so much.

An Isigny butter cup served with the gyukatsu?

Da-da-dum! Today's star finally arrives — the gyukatsu! Served with a slice showing off the bright red interior. That radish pickle tossed in... sesame oil?? was seriously delicious.

Ta-daa, we ordered the same thing. But wait..!!! Here's the shocking part. They give you butter..? And it's an Isigny butter cup!! This is the first gyukatsu place I've seen give out butter. And Isigny, no less!!! There's a generous pile of wasabi, which I love, plus several sauces — I especially went for the chili sauce. It just worked so well..

Good things deserve a bigger look, so here's one more close-up shot! The thickness of the meat and the gorgeous marbling are insane.

How to melt the butter on the grill and match the sauces at Ichigyu

Slide a bit of the Isigny butter onto the heated mini grill and it melts smoothly. Then lay the gyukatsu pieces down one at a time! As the butter melts, that savory aroma drifts up!!! And I get hungrier and hungrier!!

Cook it to your preferred doneness, then round one: plain gyukatsu, round two: with wasabi or salt, round three: with sauce, round four: chili sauce, round five: with cabbage — and before you know it, it's all gone... It doesn't feel too greasy, probably because of all the sauce variety! The gyukatsu itself can be a bit rich, but the cabbage salad and radish pickle help balance it out... and of course, there was beer too haha...

The sizzling sound as it cooks really deserves to be watched on video..! ASMR (?) — beautiful gyukatsu sizzling away in Isigny butter.

Final take: is Ichigyu Gwanghwamun worth a Jongno office lunch or a date?

From the clean interior to the neat table spread and the butter-scented gyukatsu, Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is great for a clean, satisfying meal! You can easily book through Naver Reservation. Recommended if you're near Gwanghwamun or Jonggak looking for a workday lunch spot or a nice but not overly fancy date location!