Gwanghwamun date dinner at gyukatsu restaurant Ichigyu: jumbo set

Today I'm introducing Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch, a gyukatsu (breaded, deep-fried beef cutlet) restaurant I'd recommend for a Gwanghwamun date. You can get delicious sirloin gyukatsu with full-on Japanese vibes right here in Korea. It's close to Jongno and Gwanghwamun, so I'd recommend it as a Gwanghwamun date restaurant.

Where is Ichigyu Gwanghwamun, and how long is the wait?

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is right in front of the escalator when you go down to the basement level of Le Meilleur Jongno Town.

You can join the waitlist through Catch Table, and there's a waiting sofa in front of the restaurant so you can wait comfortably. There was even Febreze there for getting rid of smells, but the place itself didn't smell much so I didn't need to use it. Thoughtful touch, that Febreze~!

Inside Ichigyu Gwanghwamun: seating and atmosphere

The interior was full of Japanese vibes with a cozy, comfortable atmosphere. It was easy to sit and chat with just the two of us, making it a great date spot.

What to order from the Ichigyu menu

Ichigyu has both a set menu and a combo menu, so you can eat well for a reasonable price. The jumbo gyukatsu comes with double the meat. I think adult men should go for the jumbo to actually feel full!

There's also an ongoing event where you get shrimp tempura for writing a Naver receipt review, so join in and try the shrimp tempura too! It came with the cold soba, and it was crispy and delicious. Apparently it's even better eaten together with the grilled cheese.

Ordering the jumbo gyukatsu set at Ichigyu

Hot, freshly cooked rice arrives! They serve two portions together in one bowl for you to scoop out yourselves, and the amount of rice was huge. The two of us ate until we were full and still had leftovers.

What comes with the Ichigyu gyukatsu set

The Ichigyu set includes gyukatsu, miso soup, salt, wasabi, a thin sauce, cabbage salad, and pickled cabbage.

The jumbo comes with double the gyukatsu compared to the regular set! The visual of the crispy fried gyukatsu is insane, ㅠㅠ

The texture of the sirloin is out of this world! The perfect ratio of fat to meat makes it completely tender.

Grilling Ichigyu's gyukatsu on the Isigny butter brazier

Ichigyu's kicker is the Isigny butter! Anything tastes twice as good grilled in delicious butter, right? Ichigyu uses Isigny butter, so the beef's clean flavor combines with the butter's richness for an even tastier bite.

You put the gyukatsu on top of the butter melting nicely on the hot stone plate and grill it until golden brown!

You grill it over the tabletop grill to your liking. The grill's flame goes out sooner than you'd expect, but if you tell the staff, they immediately pull out a candle from their apron and relight it ㅋㅋㅋ Thanks to that, we could keep grilling without interruption.

Dipping it in salt with a bit of wasabi on top is so good! Being sirloin, the fat-to-meat ratio is great and it was really tender.

Cold soba and the receipt-review shrimp tempura

Cold soba and shrimp tempura are both great menu items to pair with gyukatsu.

The big, plump shrimp tempura was crispy and delicious too.

Why Ichigyu Gwanghwamun works as a Gwanghwamun date course

Another satisfying visit to Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch, fully cleaned plate! Both the rice and gyukatsu came in generous portions, so we had a filling meal. And best of all, since it's known for gyukatsu, we got to enjoy high-quality sirloin gyukatsu.

With 2 hours of free parking in the building, parking was convenient, and being located between Gwanghwamun and Jonggak stations made it easy to get to by public transit too. After the meal, taking a walk and chatting along Cheonggyecheon stream made for the perfect date course. For anyone looking for a gyukatsu restaurant for a Gwanghwamun date, I recommend Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch!