Sinnonhyeon beef cutlet restaurant, gyukatsu from rare: Ichigyu

I was looking for something delicious to eat near Sinnonhyeon and ended up craving gyukatsu, so I went to Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch 🤍

Where is Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch and how do you get there?

Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch is on Bongeunsa-ro 4-gil near Sinnonhyeon Station, so it was pretty easy to get to. I've always liked gyukatsu, so I went looking for a good gyukatsu spot in Gangnam and ended up here.

What to order for two: Set 1 with cold soba and shrimp tempura

What I ordered that day was the Ichigyu gyukatsu and cold soba & shrimp tempura. Since we were two people, we each got a gyukatsu, and ordering Set 1 meant two drinks came along with it. With two gyukatsu and two drinks together, it was a convenient combo to order when visiting as a pair.

Grilling Ichigyu's gyukatsu from rare on your own tabletop grill

After a short wait, the gyukatsu came out looking delicious. It arrives with the outside lightly browned, and you use a personal tabletop grill to cook it to whatever doneness you like. I think this is the most fun part of gyukatsu. Instead of coming out fully cooked from the start, you grill it bit by bit to your own taste, so you get to enjoy it warm the whole time you're eating. Personally I prefer meat grilled just enough to stay tender rather than cooked too hard, so I tried adding a piece at a time.

Grilling the surface a little more brings up a savory aroma, giving you a crisp outside and a moist inside. Grilling a piece at a time and dipping it in sauce, the tender meat and sauce went really well together, and eating it with rice made it a satisfying meal too.

Gyukatsu is tasty even eaten plain, but for me the most fun part was grilling it little by little. I ate it almost rare at first, then a bit more done as I went along, and it felt like the texture changed even though it was the same meat haha 🤭 We also tried the cold soba & shrimp tempura we'd ordered alongside the gyukatsu.

How do the cold soba and shrimp tempura taste alongside gyukatsu?

Eating meat dishes can get a bit rich after a while, so having the cool cold soba (buckwheat noodles) alongside was great for cleansing the palate. Eating the noodles with the cold, clean soba broth and then going back to the gyukatsu, the combination worked better than I expected. Pairing in cold soba here and there was much easier on the palate than eating gyukatsu nonstop.

We also ordered shrimp tempura, which was fried up nice and crispy, making it a good side dish. Where the gyukatsu is all soft, savory meat, the shrimp tempura added a crunchy texture, so switching between the two was fun. Having both the cold soba and shrimp tempura together let us enjoy a variety of flavors rather than sticking to just one dish 🫧 With the drinks included too, it was nice for taking our time over the meal.

Is Ichigyu a good date meal in Gangnam and Sinnonhyeon?

The atmosphere of the restaurant was really nice too 🤍 Overall, grilling the gyukatsu to your own doneness is fun, and adding the cold soba and shrimp tempura gave the meal enough variety that it was a good choice for two people. I especially thought this would be a good spot to visit when you're on a date in Gangnam or Sinnonhyeon and craving gyukatsu. Being near Sinnonhyeon Station also makes it easy to plan a meetup, and the menu suits both a visit with a gyukatsu-loving friend or a Gangnam date.

When I eat meat, I find it a bit disappointing if it's overcooked, so I liked that grilling it yourself at the table lets you adjust the doneness however you want in the moment. Putting on a piece of meat, grilling it lightly, dipping it in sauce, and then taking a bite of cold soba in between was my favorite combination personally 🥰

If you're looking for a good gyukatsu spot in Gangnam Sinnonhyeon, or a place for a clean meal near Sinnonhyeon Station, give Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch a try. Ordering the cold soba and shrimp tempura along with the gyukatsu lets you enjoy a wider variety of flavors for a more satisfying meal. If you like gyukatsu like I do, I think you'll enjoy grilling it to your own preferred doneness too 🤍