Sinnonhyeon solo dining: basic gyukatsu plus mini curry at Ichigyu

I had some business in Seoul a few days ago and ended up eating alone 🍚 While looking for a good solo-dining spot nearby, I found Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch 🥩 Their main menu is gyukatsu!! I'd been craving gyukatsu for a while so I went for it haha. The taste rivaled what I had in Japan, so I wanted to recommend it as a Gangnam Station favorite and write this review 😊

Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch: hours and how to find it

⏰ Hours: 11:00-21:30 Break time: 15:00-17:00 Last order 20:30 🅿️ No parking ⭐️ Naver Reservation available

It's really accessible since it's close to Sinnonhyeon Station haha. It's on the 2nd floor of the building and there's an elevator too, so I got up there easily.

Is there a wait at opening, and how many diners come alone?

I did an open run so I didn't wait — lucky! Even though I arrived right after opening, there were already customers eating, and right after I sat down, people kept streaming in..! Quite a few of them were solo diners too, and the place filled up fast!!

The interior has a wood-tone look that's totally my style. Since so many solo diners come here, there were quite a lot of two-person tables too.

Nice and clean feel 👍👍

Being a proper gyukatsu place, each table comes with its own personal grill.

Ichigyu menu and set options

They have gyukatsu, steki (steak), omurice, chapsteak, cold soba, yakisoba, draft beer, drinks, and sides like fried egg, karaage and shrimp tempura, mini curry, and more — so many choices! Gyukatsu and steki come in jumbo sizes too, which is perfect for a big eater like me haha. You can also add extra meat to both gyukatsu and steki!!

And they also have great-value set menus!

They give out shrimp tempura 🍤 if you leave a receipt review — definitely have to do that.

What 19,500 won gyukatsu plus 5,000 won mini curry brings to the table

I got the basic gyukatsu (₩19,500) plus a mini curry add-on (₩5,000)~~

The rice comes out first — the bowl is so pretty, and so is the rice paddle!! They said rice is refillable 😮😮😮 love that.

Ta-da, here's the full spread: gyukatsu, rice, clear soup, sauce, side dishes, butter, plus the mini curry.

The color looked amazing — apparently the owner's parents ran a butcher shop, so they've had a sharp eye for meat since childhood..!

The mini curry I added had that distinct Japanese curry flavor!! I love the garlic flakes ❤️ Highly recommend adding the curry!

You're supposed to melt a little butter and grill the gyukatsu with it. Looking at it now, it was actually Isigny butter..? Even the butter was high-end.

How to grill Ichigyu's gyukatsu with Isigny butter

Pair it with Ichigyu's special sauce for extra flavor. Along with the special sauce, we provide 3 different sauces so you can enjoy a variety of tastes. Divide the premium French Isigny butter into three portions to enjoy its aroma for longer. The gyukatsu comes out medium-rare, so grill it further to your taste. [Ichigyu TIP!] Grilling for about 7-8 seconds is Best

Melt the Isigny butter on the cast-iron plate and grill for 7-8 seconds!!

They grilled it well on both sides, and I had the first bite with salt and wasabi. Even at that medium-rare-ish doneness, it wasn't chewy at all — totally tender!! Went perfectly with the rice.

Curry rice plus gyukatsu is also a great combo 🍛🍛 Recommend it.

The cabbage salad was really good too, and dipping the gyukatsu in the sauce on the side was also tasty.

While eating, I tried one piece grilled longer, more like medium-well, and it was cooked warm all the way through — even that well-done was still delicious 👍👍👍

Better for solo dining or a date?

• Clean wood-tone interior
• A tidy, well-composed gyukatsu spread
• Gyukatsu you cook to your own taste
• High-quality meat 💯🥩
• A great restaurant for solo dining in Sinnonhyeon
• Also great for a date in Sinnonhyeon!!

Highly recommend Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch, a Sinnonhyeon favorite!!