Seoul Station Japanese restaurant with gyukatsu and omurice combo

Today I wanted a special meal near Seoul Station, so I went to Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch.

This is a Japanese restaurant known for gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) that you grill yourself at your table — there's real fun in cooking the tender beef inside that crispy coating to exactly how you like it. It's close to Seoul Station, so it's easy to get to, and it works well for lunch, a date, or a meal right before or after catching a train.

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch location and hours

• Address: 98 Huam-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, basement 1st floor B116, South Korea
• Location: About 1 minute walk from Seoul Station exit 10, basement 1st floor of LG Seoul Station Building
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: 14:30 / 20:30
• Parking: LG Seoul Station Building parking lot available, paid

Exterior — heading down to the basement

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch is on the basement 1st floor of the LG Seoul Station Building, so you walk into the building and head downstairs. Being close to Seoul Station exit 10 made it easy to find.

Outside, there was a sign giving off a clean Japanese vibe along with a menu guide, and I could also see waiting and reservation info through Catch Table.

There was a fun little detail at the entrance that looked like meat hanging on display, which made it clear from the doorway that this was a gyukatsu specialty restaurant.

Interior mood and the personal brazier at every table

Inside, the reddish wood tones and Japanese-style interior blended together into a warm, cozy atmosphere. It was neatly kept overall, with tables for two and four, so it suited solo dining as well as dates or small get-togethers.

Ichigyu's signature feature is that every table comes with its own personal brazier!

You get to grill the gyukatsu to whatever doneness you like, which makes the meal fun, and melting butter on the brazier while grilling the meat added a nutty aroma too.

Menu lineup — beyond gyukatsu, noodles and curry too

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch had a wide variety of menu items alongside its signature gyukatsu, including a steak set, steak rice bowl, hamburg omurice, and hot-plate chapsteak. If meat feels like too much, there are also noodle and rice dishes like tantanmen, yakisoba Napolitan, cold soba with fried shrimp, and Japanese curry, so there are quite a few options. For sides, there was karaage with fried shrimp and mini curry, which paired nicely with the mains.

When I ordered a cola, it came with a glass full of ice. It was much more refreshing than just drinking straight from the can. A small detail, but it was satisfying to see even the drinks handled so carefully.

Why I ordered gyukatsu and omurice together

I ordered the signature gyukatsu along with omurice. The gyukatsu came out crispy on the outside while the inside kept a soft, moist texture, and I could grill it to my liking on the personal brazier at the table.

Grilling it piece by piece added a savory meaty aroma, and being able to enjoy it right at the doneness I wanted was especially nice. The brazier used for grilling the gyukatsu had a candle inside, and whenever the flame got weak, a staff member came and replaced it themselves, so I could keep eating without any hassle. Not having to manage the flame myself, with staff checking in periodically, felt like a thoughtful touch.

The omurice comes with a sauce in a small glass bottle that you pour over it yourself. The soft egg and fried rice came together for a dish that was light yet filling. Ordering it alongside the rich, meaty gyukatsu meant the flavors didn't clash, so it was easy to alternate between the two, and it made for a pretty satisfying meal overall.

Overall thoughts

• Being right near Seoul Station makes it easy to visit for meetups or meals
• The clean, cozy atmosphere suits everything from solo dining to dates to casual meals
• Getting to grill the signature gyukatsu yourself is a different kind of fun compared to regular tonkatsu
• Beyond gyukatsu, there's a wide range of menu items — omurice, noodles, rice bowls — so there's something for every taste
• Overall, both the food lineup and atmosphere feel clean and put-together, making it a good pick for a satisfying meal near Seoul Station