Gangnam Station lunch date at gyukatsu restaurant Ichigyu: Kirin beer

If you're looking for a good lunch date spot near Gangnam Station, save this one. Even toward the tail end of lunch hour, the place was packed — this is Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch, a gyukatsu restaurant famous around Gangnam Station.

It's known for long waits, but we got lucky and walked right in for a delicious lunch date with my husband. Their best-selling gyukatsu, steki-don, and a cold Kirin draft beer — here's my review of Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch, the Japanese restaurant we enjoyed for lunch near Gangnam Station!

Grilling gyukatsu in Isigny butter — pure joy ❤️

Where is Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch, and when is it open?

Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch is at 19 Bongeunsa-ro 4-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 2nd floor, open daily 11:00–21:30 with a break time from 15:00–17:00. It's a gyukatsu specialty restaurant located between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station, just a 2–3 minute walk from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 4, which makes it a popular pick for both lunch and dinner dates.

It's nice for conversation while grilling meat on your own little grill~

It's also famous for having a wait during Gangnam office workers' lunch hour.

Full house at 2 PM: inside Ichigyu

We visited Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch around 2 PM. I figured lunch hour would be over by then, but the place was nearly full inside. Luckily we got seated without waiting, but customers kept streaming in even while we ate.

There were solo diners, couples, and groups of friends all eating together. Clearly a popular Japanese restaurant near Gangnam Station.

A cozy vibe with strong Japanese atmosphere~ ❤️

Ichigyu menu and how QR ordering works

If it's your first time at Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch, I recommend their best sellers: the Ichigyu gyukatsu set and the Ichigyu steki set. They also have hamburg omurice, teppan chapsteak, Japanese curry, and yakisoba Napolitan.

Every table has a QR code, so you order with your phone. No need to call a server, and adding more items was easy too. Fitting for a Gangnam Station favorite — the system was really smooth.

What two people ordered at Ichigyu, and the total price

Here's what we ordered for this lunch date.

• Ichigyu gyukatsu (best menu item) ₩19,500
• Steki-don ₩19,500
• Kirin draft beer 420ml ₩8,000

Gyukatsu is Ichigyu's signature dish, and steki-don is also a popular item with great reviews, so we each ordered one and shared. 😊

Grilling Ichigyu gyukatsu in melted Isigny butter

My husband ordered the Ichigyu gyukatsu. Doesn't it look amazing just from the visual? The outside comes fried crispy while the inside is rare, so you grill it yourself on the personal grill to your liking.

You melt the Isigny butter on the grill first, then grill the gyukatsu in it. About 7–8 seconds of grilling is the sweet spot!

I think this is Ichigyu's biggest charm — the fun of grilling it yourself on a personal grill~ Every table gets its own little grill. Melt the butter first, then place the gyukatsu on top to lightly cook it. That's it. Looking at these photos makes me want to eat it again~~~ 🤤

As the butter aroma soaks into the meat, it gets even richer and nuttier~ I found it tastiest when I only lightly grilled the outside a bit more rather than cooking it too long. Crispy outside, juicy inside, with all the meat juices intact.

The rice was also good — plump texture and a nutty flavor, must be good quality rice. The crispy gyukatsu makes you want more rice, and even though the portion was generous, we finished it all haha.

Best sauce combinations for Ichigyu gyukatsu

Ichigyu gyukatsu comes with three condiments: chili sauce, wasabi, and salt. I liked dipping in wasabi with a little salt best, while my husband preferred the chili sauce.

Even though it's one dish, you can enjoy it in different ways, plus the fun of grilling it yourself made it a great dish for a gyukatsu date. 🥰

Why the steki-don was the top pick at Ichigyu

I ordered the steki-don. Honestly, since gyukatsu is the more famous dish, I didn't expect much — but it surprisingly ended up being my favorite. Thick slices of steak are piled generously on rice, topped with garlic chips.

I lightly grilled the steki-don too. It melted in my mouth, the texture was incredible~ The meat was so tender, and the sauce soaked into the rice was so delicious.

After the first bite, I just went quiet and savored it. Like, why is this so good... haha. If gyukatsu is all about the crispy texture, steki-don is the dish for rich, juicy meat flavor!

Dip it in the rich yolk, mix a little yolk into the rice — you have to try steki-don at least once! 😉

Why you should add the 420ml Kirin draft beer

Kirin draft beer 420ml at Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch is ₩8,000. It was a lunch date, but... I just couldn't pass up a Kirin draft.

The cold Kirin draft arrived and it was the perfect match with the gyukatsu! A bite of crispy gyukatsu, then a cold sip of beer~ It's insane~ haha. Gyukatsu and beer need no explanation 🍺

Verdict on Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon: highs and one letdown

It had been a while since my husband and I had a lunch date near Gangnam Station, and Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch was really satisfying.

What was good

• The fun of grilling the gyukatsu yourself.
• Juicy, flavorful gyukatsu.
• Steki-don was genuinely delicious too.
• The pairing with Kirin draft beer was excellent.
• Great access from both Gangnam and Sinnonhyeon Stations.

What was less great

• As a popular Gangnam spot with long waits, expect a line during peak hours.
• No dedicated parking lot.

This was the best Japanese restaurant we found near Gangnam Station. 100% going back to Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch.