Dinner date sirloin and tenderloin gyukatsu set: Ichigyu Gangnam

I've had a lot of appointments around Gangnam lately, and this time I wanted something a bit different for a change. I wanted meat, but not the usual samgyeopsal or beef barbecue — and that's when gyukatsu (Japanese beef cutlet) came to mind!

Fried crispy on the outside and rare on the inside, gyukatsu lets you grill each piece yourself at the table, which has always made it one of my favorites. I heard there was a gyukatsu specialty restaurant near Sinnonhyeon Station, so I headed there for a dinner date at Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch.

Location and parking at Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch

It's close to Sinnonhyeon Station, so it's convenient to reach by public transit. You just turn slightly off the main street into an alley, and the restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the building. This area is popular as a meeting spot between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station, so it's also a good location for dinner followed by a second round or a café. However, since parking isn't available at the restaurant, I'd recommend taking the subway rather than driving.

• 📍 19 Bongeunsa-ro 4-gil, 2nd floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• 🚇 About 2 minutes on foot from Exit 4 of Sinnonhyeon Station
• 🚗 No parking available at the restaurant

Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch is tucked inside an alley. The white brick building with a wood-toned exterior made it easy to spot from a distance. Since the restaurant is on the 2nd floor, you check the Ichigyu sign next to the 1st floor entrance and head inside. There were also menu photos posted near the stairs up, so it was nice to get a quick look at the options before going in.

There was also a CatchTable waiting kiosk at the entrance — during busy hours you register there and wait.

What's the atmosphere like inside?

🏠 Interior

Going up to the 2nd floor and stepping inside, the interior was bigger than expected with quite a few tables. Wood-toned tables paired with warm lighting gave it a clean look that felt like an actual restaurant in Japan. Each table had its own personal grill for cooking the gyukatsu, and there was an open kitchen in the back where you could watch the cooking.

There were quite a few other diners when we visited, but the tables weren't packed too tightly together, so it was comfortable for the two of us :) Since you grill each piece yourself rather than just eating a quick meal, it's a place that lends itself to slow conversation, which made it a good spot for a Sinnonhyeon date.

Why we chose Set 1 with tenderloin and sirloin

Ichigyu offers not just gyukatsu but various beef dishes including steki (Japanese-style steak). If you're visiting as a pair, ordering separate à la carte items is fine, but the set menu that lets you try two cuts together made choosing easy. There were 4 sets total, ranging from gyukatsu combos to a set that let you enjoy both gyukatsu and steki.

We wanted to compare tenderloin and sirloin, so we chose Set 1 with gyukatsu tenderloin + sirloin! Rather than eating just one cut, being able to alternate between the soft tenderloin and the sirloin with more beefy flavor made the set a good pick if you're a first-timer unsure which cut to choose. We also added two 200ml draft beers to enjoy lightly alongside the gyukatsu :)

Oh right — ordering is done by QR code!

The full gyukatsu set spread

🥩 The gyukatsu set finally arrives

After ordering, the gyukatsu came out generously plated after a short wait. Along with the crispy-fried gyukatsu, cabbage salad, miso soup, sauces and side dishes were all neatly arranged, and a grill for cooking each piece was set up right beside it.

The gyukatsu comes out golden and crispy on the outside, but the cross-section shows a clearly red, rare interior. Rather than eating it as-is, you place as much as you like on the grill in front of you and cook it to your preferred doneness :)

Adjusting doneness on the personal grill

With Ichigyu's gyukatsu, you grill each piece yourself to your preferred doneness. At first the cross-section was a vivid red, and I could see it slowly change color as it cooked on the grill.

I put several pieces on and tried different levels of doneness. Some I cooked just lightly to keep the moisture, and others a bit more for a plainer taste. Personally, I found it tastiest when there was just a bit of red left in the center — that's when the juiciness and tender texture came through best.

Grilling with butter for extra richness

🧈 Grilling with butter makes it richer

You could also grill the gyukatsu with the butter that came alongside it, not just plain. You melt the butter slightly on the heated grill, then place the gyukatsu on top and cook both sides. As the butter soaks into the meat, the rich flavor deepens even more, and the surface browns up appetizingly — a different taste from just grilling it plain.

We enjoyed the natural flavor of the meat first with plain grilling, then switched to butter partway through, so one gyukatsu order gave us two different experiences :)

Is the portion enough for two?

🥩 Plenty for two people

Since the set comes with both tenderloin and sirloin, alternating between the two cuts made the portion feel quite generous. Beyond just the gyukatsu, it came with rice, miso soup, cabbage and side dishes, making it a filling meal. Grilling each piece slowly also seemed to fill us up faster than expected :) If you're visiting as a pair and want to try both tenderloin and sirloin, the set is a good way to order.

With the draft beer on top, it was a satisfying, filling way to finish 🍺

Taste, price and atmosphere summary

✔️ Taste — I liked being able to grill the gyukatsu — crispy outside, moist inside — to my own preferred doneness. The tenderloin was soft and mild, the sirloin had a bit more richness and beefy flavor, so alternating between them was fun, and grilling with butter partway through added extra richness.

✔️ Price — The tenderloin + sirloin set with two 200ml draft beers made for a satisfying meal for two. If you're unsure about ordering each cut à la carte, the set that lets you try both felt like good value.

✔️ Atmosphere — A cozy Japanese restaurant feel with wood-toned interior and warm lighting! With a personal grill at every table, it's a good spot for two to sit face-to-face and grill slowly, making it well suited as a Sinnonhyeon date spot.

✔️ Service — Each table had its grill neatly set up, and there was guidance on how to best enjoy the gyukatsu, so even first-timers could enjoy it without difficulty.

✔️ Would I return — Yes! Next time I'd like to try other menu items besides the tenderloin and sirloin we had this time. It's a good place to revisit in Sinnonhyeon whenever I'm craving gyukatsu :)

✔️ Who I'd recommend it to — People who like gyukatsu, those who want to compare tenderloin and sirloin in one visit, fans of grill-it-yourself dishes, and anyone looking for a date or dinner spot in Sinnonhyeon.