Sinnonhyeon gyukatsu basic set for two with dokkuri rice pot: Ichigyu

I went on a date with a friend to Gangnam recently. There are so many good restaurants in Gangnam that it was hard to decide what to eat, but this time we decided to go for gyukatsu (fried beef cutlet), which I love anyway. While looking for a good gyukatsu spot, I came across [Ichigyu] and decided to check it out.

📍 2F, 19 Bongeunsa-ro 4-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul / 3-minute walk from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 4 🕖 Daily 11:00 – 21:30 / Break time 15:00 – 17:00 / Last order 20:30

How to walk from Sinnonhyeon Station to Ichigyu

Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch is about a 3-minute walk from Exit 4 of Sinnonhyeon Station, so it was convenient to get to by public transportation.

It's located on the 2nd floor of a building, and there was an elevator to take you right up, so it was easy to access.

Inside Ichigyu: a gyukatsu specialist from the entrance on

As soon as I stepped off the elevator, a mock gyukatsu brazier and a meat fridge caught my eye, and the whole entrance had such a strong gyukatsu-specialty-shop vibe that it made me hungrier haha. Thanks to these little props, you could tell exactly what kind of food they served even before sitting down, which I thought was fun.

Once inside, the space had a clean, tidy overall feel, and it seemed like a comfortable place to eat with a friend. If you have plans in Gangnam or are looking for somewhere to eat near Sinnonhyeon Station, this place has decent accessibility, so it's worth keeping in mind.

Two basic set gyukatsu meals and the dokkuri-shaped rice pot

We ordered two gyukatsu set meals from the basic set.

What especially caught my eye was the cute rice pot shaped like a dokkuri (a Japanese sake flask). Opening the lid revealed warm rice inside, so we could enjoy it warm throughout the meal.

Grilling the gyukatsu yourself with Isigny butter

Ichigyu's gyukatsu is grilled right there using premium Isigny butter, cooked to your own preference.

You place the cutlet on the grill plate and cook it to whatever doneness you like, and watching the outside turn golden brown while being able to eat it right away was fun. It's better not to grill too much at once but to cook small portions as you go. Depending on your preference, you can grill the outside crispy or keep the inside moist, so everyone can enjoy their own preferred doneness.

Salt with wasabi was the best combination

Once nicely grilled, the gyukatsu can be dipped in a variety of sauces. There were so many sauce options that you could try multiple combinations instead of sticking to just one. Personally, I thought salt with a bit of wasabi was the tastiest haha. Adding the saltiness of salt and the sharp kick of wasabi to the savory flavor of the gyukatsu itself made it taste clean and not greasy at all.

It went well eaten with rice, and it was also delicious dipped in sauce, so you can enjoy it in different ways depending on your taste. Trying different combinations with my friend to see which one tasted best made the meal even more fun. Even for people trying gyukatsu for the first time, the self-grilling style makes for a unique dining experience.

Mochi rice cake or cheese from Ichigyu's review event

One more thing worth noting! Apparently if you leave a review, you get either mochi rice cake or cheese haha. You can quickly join the review event after your meal and take home a little dessert too, so it's worth keeping in mind if you visit.

A separate hand-washing area inside Ichigyu

Another thing I personally found convenient was that there was a hand-washing space right inside the restaurant. When you grill gyukatsu yourself, your hands can end up smelling like food, or you might want to wash up after eating, and being able to do that right inside was really convenient.

Was Ichigyu worth it for a Gangnam date?

Spending time on a date with my friend in Gangnam, eating delicious gyukatsu and enjoying the fun of grilling it ourselves, made for a really pleasant meal. If you're looking for a good gyukatsu spot near Sinnonhyeon Station or want something a bit special in Gangnam, this place is worth a visit.

In particular, eating gyukatsu with warm rice and being able to grill it yourself to your own taste felt like Ichigyu's biggest appeal. It was a gyukatsu restaurant I really enjoyed, and if I come back to Gangnam again, I'd definitely visit again haha. I hope today's review helps a little if you're looking for a good spot for a Gangnam date or near Sinnonhyeon Station.