Gyukatsu restaurant in Wonju with a table-top mini grill: Ichigyu

Where is Ichigyu Wonju, and its hours and parking

Ichigyu Wonju is at 51 Neungna-dong-gil, Units 135-136, Wonju, Gangwon, South Korea, on the first floor of the Wonju Lotte Cinema building. It's open daily 11:00–21:30, with break time 15:00–17:00 and last order at 20:30. Parking gets 2 hours free at the Lotte Cinema underground lot.

My first gyukatsu in Wonju

I'd been curious about Ichigyu in Musil-dong, Wonju ever since it opened. This is basically my first time eating gyukatsu in Wonju — I haven't even had it in Japan lol

Ichigyu, tucked inside the Wonju Lotte Cinema building! The place was clean and smaller than I expected, which gave it a cozy, snug feel. Actually a plus ♡

Inside Ichigyu Wonju: a mini grill on every table

Stepping inside, I felt a warm, calm wood-toned atmosphere, and the tables mostly seat 2–4, so it seemed good for a date, lunch, or a solo meal. Every table had its own mini grill.

How do you eat Ichigyu's sirloin gyukatsu?

Ichigyu's signature dish, sirloin gyukatsu, is savory sirloin fried, then grilled to your own taste on the small table-side grill.

We ordered gyukatsu x2, and they brought white rice in a wooden bowl with a wooden spoon. They said rice refills are unlimited.

Our gyukatsu arrived!! Looked amazing ♡ Clearly fried extra crispy on the outside. The inside was moist, almost a little rare.

Gyukatsu tonkatsu, a Musil-dong Wonju favorite — Ichigyu!! When it first arrived, the outside was crispy and the meat inside was still moist. It's great as is, but you can also put it on the grill and cook it as much as you like, which made grilling piece by piece a lot of fun.

Grilling the sirloin gyukatsu in butter on the mini grill

Butter came on the side, so I could add it to my personal mini grill and cook the meat exactly how I liked — really nice.

First I just tried a plain bite dipped in salt, and the flavor as-is was already great 😍

Then after grilling it lightly, the juices burst out and the flavor got even better! I especially liked that instead of grilling it all at once, you grill just as much as you're about to eat, so it stays warm until the very last bite.

A slice of gyukatsu lightly grilled in butter, topped with wasabi, ah❤️ delicious!! Even though the crust is super crispy, it doesn't feel harsh at all.

The mini curry you get for a Naver review

The mini curry you get for writing a Naver review!! Make sure you get this! Amazing with rice 🧡

What else is on the Ichigyu Wonju menu besides gyukatsu?

Ichigyu isn't just gyukatsu — they also have a wide range of Japanese dishes like sutekidon (steak rice bowl), hamburg omurice, hot-plate chapsteak, cold soba with fried shrimp, and karaage (Japanese fried chicken). A solid lineup even if someone in your group isn't into gyukatsu!

• Sutekidon (steak rice bowl)
• Hamburg omurice
• Hot-plate chapsteak
• Cold soba with fried shrimp
• Karaage

Worth it for a special meal in Wonju?

Juicy gyukatsu!! The kind of taste that keeps pulling you back!! I'm normally a slow eater, but it disappeared fast — magic 😉

Being right in the Lotte Cinema building makes it easy to visit by car, and it's a nice change from the usual tonkatsu you find around Wonju when you want something a bit more special! Grilling the meat yourself on the mini grill made the whole meal that much more fun — Ichigyu ♡ If you're in Musil-dong, Wonju craving gyukatsu, it's worth a visit!!

Ichigyu in Musil-dong, Wonju!! My first visit, and I loved the clean space and quiet vibe! Seems great for a solo meal, and also really good for a date! Want to come back ♡