Sunday lunch wait at a Gwanghwamun gyukatsu spot: Ichigyu Gwanghwamun
In short
Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is a Japanese gyukatsu restaurant on the first basement floor of Lemeilleur Jongno Town in Jongno, Seoul. On a Sunday lunch visit, after a few parties ahead in line, the writer grilled gyukatsu (sirloin) and the steki set (sirloin) at 19,500 won each on the tabletop brazier, then added a 200ml mini draft beer for 4,000 won and a mini curry for 5,000 won. Ordering one gyukatsu and one steki and grilling them in turns was the most satisfying combination at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch.
Good to know
- Address
- B123, B1, Lemeilleur Jongno Town, 19 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul
- Hours
- Mon–Sun 11:00–21:30
- Break time
- 15:00–17:00
- Last order
- 20:30
- Gyukatsu (sirloin), standard
- 19,500 won
- Steki set (sirloin), standard
- 19,500 won
- Kirin mini draft beer, 200ml
- 4,000 won
- Mini curry
- 5,000 won
- Seating
- Many tables for two, 4–5 tables for four
- Ordering
- QR code ordering at every table
- Price reference
- ₩19,500 ≈ $14.5 · ₩4,000 ≈ $3 · ₩5,000 ≈ $3.7 (2026-09-15)
as written by the visitor on Sep 15, 2026
I went to Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch, located in the Lemeilleur building in Gwanghwamun!!
Where is Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch, and what are its hours?
Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is at 19 Jongno, B1 B123, Lemeilleur Jongno Town, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Hours are Mon–Sun 11:00–21:30, with a break time from 15:00–17:00, and last order at 20:30.
When I was on assignment in Gwanghwamun last year, I basically visited this Lemeilleur building once a day — did you know the basement of this building is packed with real hidden gems haha. Take the escalator down to B1 and Ichigyu is right there.
This area is mostly office workers, so I figured most restaurants here would only open on weekdays, but Ichigyu is open on weekends too, Saturday and Sunday~
How long was the Sunday lunch wait at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun?
I visited on a Sunday for lunch, and since it was lunchtime there were a few parties waiting. If you're looking for a Gwanghwamun lunch spot, I'd recommend booking ahead through Naver Reservations.
Seating and mood inside the basement restaurant
There are a lot of 2-person tables and about 4–5 tables for four, so it looked good for a group lunch too~~ The spacing between tables was fairly wide, so I could eat comfortably without feeling crowded~
The interior was completely clean and comfortable
What is on the menu at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch?
Besides the main gyukatsu, Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch's à la carte menu also has Napolitan and cold soba, so it looks like you can pick according to your taste. I want to try the Napolitan sometime.
They were also running an event where you could get extra thin-sliced mochi and cheese added on.
I looked it up and heard that the owner learned to make gyukatsu directly in Japan, and that really raised my expectations. How good could it be, right?
I wanted to try a variety, so I ordered the gyukatsu (sirloin) and the steki set (sirloin). You order through the QR code at each table, and one grill comes out per 2-person table. The grill totally gives off Japanese vibes 🙏
The rice comes out first after ordering, and maybe because the plating was so thoughtfully done, even the rice somehow tasted better haha.
Gyukatsu (sirloin), 19,500 won: 6–7 seconds on the brazier
The gyukatsu (sirloin) is ₩19,500 as a basic order. It comes with four sauces — salt, wasabi, meat sauce, chili sauce — plus Isigny butter to go with the grilled meat.
Ugh — it looks so good... I haven't had gyukatsu in years, so it was truly a while since I'd had this.
I was amazed at how the inside still looked so tender no matter how it was fried — with gyukatsu you get to grill it yourself to your taste, which was also fun.
Watching just the surface lightly cook on the grill made my mouth water. It said grilling for about 6–7 seconds tastes best, so I tried it that way first, soft as it was. Dipping it in wasabi was seriously delicious, ㅜㅜ
Next time I grilled it a bit longer, and the meat was still soft even then, ㅠㅠ completely juicy. Being sirloin, it was surprising that it didn't get tough even at that level of grilling.
How was the steki set (sirloin) at 19,500 won?
The steki set (sirloin) is also ₩19,500 as a basic order, and comes with the same setup as the gyukatsu set. If you visit Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch, I really recommend ordering one gyukatsu and one steki.
Since gyukatsu is the main dish, I didn't expect much from the steak, but this was just as good in its own way. The wasabi was good, but for me, dipping it in salt suited my taste better!!
Taking a bite of gyukatsu and then grilling and alternating with the steak — it was so good I wanted more.
Adding the 200ml mini draft beer and mini curry
The Kirin draft mini beer, 200ml, is ₩4,000. Tada~~~~ Such a great thing about this place — they also sell draft beer... Having a smaller size just right for cleansing your palate between bites was really nice.
Mini curry, ₩5,000. You can't not order curry with gyukatsu — I love curry to begin with, and it pairs so well with gyukatsu that I had to try it. It was delicious with rice, and also great dipped in the gyukatsu sauce. The bits of crunchy garlic flakes inside were exactly my kind of thing — I really recommend everyone order the curry too...
If you're looking for a good lunch spot near Gwanghwamun, I definitely recommend giving Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch a try~~~~
Where it is
19 Jongno, B1 B123, Lemeilleur Jongno Town, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 종로구 종로 19 르메이에르종로타운 지하1층 B123호
