Seoul Station Japanese restaurant, pre-meeting steki lunch: Furato
In short
Furato Shokudo Seoul Square Direct Store is a Japanese restaurant with one grill per person, on basement level 1 of Seoul Square, across from Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. Over lunch before a meeting with a junior colleague, the writer cooked a steki jeongsik (steak set meal) and gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) on individual tabletop grills, and the zero-sugar yuzu cider was an unexpected hit. Furato Shokudo has long waits even at weekday lunch, so a reservation is a must.
Good to know
- Address
- B1F-4, 416 Hangang-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul (Seoul Square, basement level 1)
- Hours
- 11:00–20:50 (break time 15:00–17:00)
- Parking
- Available at the Seoul Square parking lot
- What we ordered
- Steki jeongsik (steak set meal), gyukatsu, zero-sugar yuzu cider
- What makes it different
- One grill per person; meat arrives rare and you finish cooking it yourself
- Tip
- Reservations recommended — there's a wait even at weekday lunch
as written by the visitor on Aug 8, 2026
How close is Furato Shokudo Seoul Square Direct Store to Seoul Station, really?
Furato Shokudo Seoul Square Direct Store sits on the basement floor of Seoul Square, visible the moment you cross the street from Seoul Station. I had a Seoul schedule that day and went with a junior colleague. Since we had a meeting right after lunch, I booked ahead so we wouldn't be rushed, and headed straight to the restaurant as soon as we got off at Seoul Station. This time's spot: "Furato Seoul Square Direct Store."🥰🎵🎶
Just cross the street from Seoul Station and Seoul Square is right there, so access was genuinely great. It was also close to our meeting spot, so the whole route made perfect sense. I got why it's famous as a Seoul Station go-to.👏👏👏 We arrived slightly before the usual weekday lunch rush, and even then the place was already full of people eating.
Weekday lunch waits and reservations
The inside was almost completely full, with a long waiting line stretching outside. If we hadn't booked ahead, we would have waited quite a while.
It really drove home how packed a famous Seoul Station spot gets even on weekdays. Thanks to our reservation, we were seated right on time, which was very satisfying. Staff checked our booking and kindly showed us to our table — a great first impression to start the meal on.
One grill per person, cook it yourself
🎀 Furato's biggest feature is one grill per person. Each of us had a small grill set right in front of us, so we could cook the meat exactly to our own taste.
🎵 A lot of the trendy Japanese restaurants in Seoul these days do this style, and being able to grill to your own preferred doneness feels like a real advantage.
The menu
Our order
The moment we sat down we opened the menu, and there was so much I wanted to eat that I agonized for a while.
- Me: steki jeongsik (steak set)
- My colleague: their signature gyukatsu
Aged gyukatsu, the fun of grilling it yourself over the fire
The 🎀 gyukatsu my colleague ordered is made using Furato's own aging method and comes out rare, so the fun part was grilling it yourself over the tabletop fire to whatever doneness you wanted.
Crispy on the outside, moist inside — it was genuinely tender with the juices still intact.
I finally understood why so many people recommend the gyukatsu as a Seoul Square go-to. One bite and I was nodding along~~~🥳👏👏👏
How was the steki jeongsik?
🎀 The steki jeongsik I ordered was also really satisfying.
The beef came yakiniku-style, seared only lightly on the outside, and grilling it piece by piece over the fire kept the juices perfectly intact.
🎵 Since it stays rare and I only grilled it briefly instead of overcooking it, the tender texture and rich flavor were truly excellent. 🫶🩷 🍋 I'm a wasabi fan so I kept piling it on~ the meat really melted in my mouth🥳
Personally, this menu suited my taste perfectly. As you eat, you naturally end up adjusting the doneness in front of your own grill, and that process itself adds to the fun of the meal.
My colleague grilled their gyukatsu a bit more well-done, their own style, and kept exclaiming how good it was.
An unexpected discovery: zero-sugar yuzu cider
🎀 The biggest surprise of this meal was actually the drink. We ordered the zero-sugar yuzu cider without much expectation, and the first sip surprised both of us at once.
Instead of the usual flat, watery taste you'd expect from a zero-sugar soda, a bright yuzu aroma filled our mouths and completely woke up our appetite. I barely drink carbonated drinks normally, but I genuinely enjoyed this one, and my colleague finished a whole can in no time saying how good it was. 🍋🍊🍐 It paired really well with the meat too.
By the end of the meal I fully understood why this place has such a word-of-mouth reputation as a "Seoul Japanese restaurant go-to." 🎶 The food quality was great, and 🎶 the fun of grilling it yourself made satisfaction levels really high. On top of that, being right in front of Seoul Station made it super accessible and a great spot to visit before or after a meeting or appointment. My colleague said they'd want to come to Seoul with me every single day~~ㅋㅋㅋ🥰
Final thoughts
If you're looking for proper Japanese food near Seoul Station, I'd recommend Furato Seoul Square Direct Store.
- Anyone looking for a Seoul Station go-to restaurant
- Anyone looking for a good-atmosphere Japanese restaurant in Seoul
- Anyone looking for a hearty lunch spot near Namdaemun
Grilling it yourself over the fire, the tender aged gyukatsu, and the juicy steki jeongsik — the whole meal was satisfying. Next time I'm near Seoul Station, I definitely want to try other menu items too.
✔️ Reservations are essential!! It's a popular spot, so if you're planning to visit, I'd recommend booking ahead.
Where it is
416 Hangang-daero, B1F-4, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 중구 한강대로 416 지하1층 B1F-4
