Wonju gyukatsu restaurant: Set 3 dinner plus fried shrimp, Ichigyu

Hi everyone ˶˙ᵕ˙ )ﾉﾞ this is Maeng💛

While debating what to eat for dinner, I got curious about gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) that you grill piece by piece over a table brazier, so I headed to Ichigyu Wonju.

I ordered Set 3, which lets you try both crispy-outside, juicy-inside sirloin gyukatsu and steki-don (steak rice bowl) piled high with steak on rice, all in one order.

On top of that I added karaage (Japanese fried chicken) & fried shrimp as a side, so I ended up eating quite a feast.

It was a little different from an ordinary meal thanks to the fun of grilling it yourself, so let me walk you through the atmosphere and my full review of Set 3 at this Wonju restaurant, Ichigyu Wonju.

Where is Ichigyu Wonju? Hours and parking

Ichigyu Wonju is at 51 Neungna-dong-gil, Wonju, Gangwon, units 135 and 136 on the first floor of the building with the Lotte Cinema. It's open daily 11:00–21:30, with a break time of 15:00–17:00 and last order at 20:30.

• 📍 Location: 51 Neungna-dong-gil, units 135, 136, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• ⏰️ Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30 / Break time 15:00–17:00 / Last order 20:30
• ⭕️ Amenities: group-friendly, reservations, Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms, baby chairs, wheelchair-accessible restroom, wheelchair-accessible entrance, disabled parking
• 🚘 Free parking: park in the basement of the Lotte Cinema building

It sits on the first floor of the building with Wonju's Lotte Cinema, so it's a convenient stop if you're looking for a place to eat near the theater.

The Japanese-style exterior of Ichigyu Wonju

Ichigyu Wonju is tucked inside the building's shopping arcade, and as you walk down the corridor you can easily spot the storefront glowing with warm lighting.

The front is full-glass so you can see straight inside, and there was a standing signboard near the entrance with photos of signature dishes like gyukatsu, steki-don, hamburg omurice, and hot-plate chapsteak.

Above the entrance is a large sign written in both Japanese and Korean, and the wood-toned exterior paired with the Japanese lettering gave off the vibe of an actual restaurant in Japan.

Being able to browse the menu visually before even walking in made it easy to decide what to order on a first visit.

Inside Ichigyu Wonju: warm, tidy tables with mini braziers

Stepping inside Ichigyu Wonju, you're greeted by a clean space with wood-toned tables and warm lighting. The first thing I noticed was that every table had its own mini brazier for grilling the gyukatsu.

Small details like the origin-labeling sign, the wooden Ichigyu logo, and a light fixture engraved with the brand logo also stood out as nice touches to the atmosphere.

On one wall hung an object shaped like a large cut of meat, instantly conveying Ichigyu's butcher-shop-inspired concept.

There were tables good for 2–4 people plus bench-style seating along the wall, and baby chairs were also available.

We took a two-top table, which was neatly set, and with the brazier already sitting in the center, I was already looking forward to grilling before the food even arrived.

Ichigyu Wonju menu and prices

The menu is centered on Ichigyu's signature gyukatsu and steki, alongside a variety of Japanese dishes like hamburg omurice, steki-don, hot-plate chapsteak, and Japanese curry.

Basic gyukatsu is ₩19,500 and the basic steki set is ₩19,500, with fried egg, karaage & fried shrimp, and mini curry available as add-on sides.

The set menus are designed for two people to share, and the one we ordered, Set 3, was sirloin gyukatsu + sirloin steki-don + 2 drinks for ₩42,000.

How to grill gyukatsu at the table

The menu also kindly explained how to best enjoy the gyukatsu. You start with Ichigyu's special sauce as the base, then add wasabi, chili sauce, or salt to taste.

The French butter served alongside should be melted bit by bit on the hot plate before grilling the gyukatsu on it, adding a nutty richness — since the gyukatsu comes out medium-rare, you grill it yourself to your preferred doneness.

The store's guide also recommended grilling each side for about 7–8 seconds, so it was easy to enjoy even on a first visit.

What we ordered at Ichigyu Wonju: Set 3

What we ordered was Set 3 for ₩42,000.

It's made up of sirloin gyukatsu + sirloin steki-don + 2 drinks.

Since it lets you try one order each of gyukatsu and steki-don, it was a great combo for two people to taste-test Ichigyu's signature dishes across the board.

On top of that, we added a karaage & fried shrimp side for ₩7,000.

Once the table was fully set, the spread was more generous than expected — plenty filling for two.

The Set 3 spread at a two-person brazier table

Our two-top table came with a mini brazier ready for grilling the gyukatsu and steak right away.

The rice served with the gyukatsu came in its own pot, so you scoop out as much as you want, and you can get more if you run out — great for enjoying meat and rice together without holding back.

When you're eating meat, you keep craving another spoonful of rice, so I loved not having to worry about running out.

Sirloin gyukatsu, the signature dish at Ichigyu Wonju

At last, the gyukatsu I'd been waiting for arrived.

Unlike the golden, crispy exterior, the cross-section showed the vivid pinkish-red of the sirloin — the visual alone was impressive.

The meat was quite thick, and it came with cabbage, special sauce, and wasabi to pair with it.

You first drizzle a bit of butter on the heated hot plate, then lay each piece of gyukatsu on it to grill. As the butter melts, a nutty aroma rises, and the sizzle as the gyukatsu hits the plate stirs up your appetite before you've even taken a bite.

Ichigyu's gyukatsu isn't served fully cooked — instead you grill each piece further to your liking at the table brazier. This was honestly the most fun part of the whole meal!

The crispy breading and the juicy sirloin came together with the nutty richness of the butter, and the flavors matched really well.

Dipping it in the special sauce, or adding a touch of wasabi, gave the same gyukatsu a slightly different taste each time.

Grilling it yourself, cooking it to your preferred doneness, and pairing it with different sauces — the whole process itself was fun.

So if you're looking for something a bit different from ordinary tonkatsu in Wonju, gyukatsu is worth trying once.

Steki-don piled with sirloin steak

The other main dish in Set 3 is steki-don.

A large bowl of rice was topped with enough sirloin steak to nearly cover it entirely — generous from the very first look.

Steki-don can be eaten as is, but if you want it more cooked, you can grill each piece further on the table brazier. Grilling the steak on the same plate after the gyukatsu added another layer of fun.

If you like your meat a little rarer, enjoy it as served; if you prefer it well-done, just grill it to your liking.

Where gyukatsu is about the combo of crispy breading and sirloin, steki-don lets you enjoy the flavor of the steak itself more directly — the two dishes felt distinctly different.

Karaage & fried shrimp, the 7,000 won side

The karaage & fried shrimp side we added also came out more generous than expected.

Two long, chunky fried shrimp and bite-sized karaage shared one plate, perfect for splitting between two people.

The shrimp had crispy batter and springy, plump shrimp inside. It was good plain, but dipped generously in tartar sauce it got even richer and creamier.

The karaage was crispy outside and juicy inside, easy to pop one after another. Since the mains were both sirloin-focused, switching between fried shrimp and karaage added more variety to the meal.

The receipt review event during our visit

There was also a receipt review event sign on the table. At the time of our visit, writing a receipt review after ordering and showing it to staff got you a free extra fried shrimp.

Event details can change over time, so it's worth double-checking the table sign or asking staff when you visit.

Honest verdict on dinner at Ichigyu Wonju

From gyukatsu grilled piece by piece on the brazier, to steki-don piled high with sirloin, to crispy karaage and fried shrimp, it was a satisfying, filling meal.

What stuck with me the most was the fun of laying the gyukatsu on the butter-coated hot plate and grilling it to my own taste.

Even using the same sirloin, gyukatsu and steki-don had clearly different charms, so switching between the two was part of the fun too.

If you're visiting with one other person and want to try a variety of Ichigyu's signature dishes, Set 3 was a solid choice.

With its warm wood-toned Japanese atmosphere plus the fun of grilling it yourself, this Wonju restaurant, Ichigyu Wonju, offered something a bit different from an ordinary meal. If you're looking for gyukatsu in Wonju, a Musil-dong restaurant, Japanese food in Musil-dong, or somewhere to eat near Lotte Cinema, keep this one in mind :)