# Personal-grill gyukatsu and karaage in Gwanghwamun: Hurato Sikdang

- By Jiwon Cheon (https://superchart.com/en/@mullae-plain-bowl/)
- Written Sep 16, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written as part of a paid store visit sponsorship.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@mullae-plain-bowl/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-d883/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@mullae-plain-bowl/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-d883/index.md)

## In short

Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch is a Japanese gyukatsu (beef cutlet) restaurant in the basement of the Royal Building near Gwanghwamun Station in Jongno, Seoul. The sirloin gyukatsu arrives medium-rare and you grill it one piece at a time on a personal tabletop grill, with karaage (Japanese fried chicken) ordered as a side. Hurato Sikdang suits anyone who prefers beef just seared on the outside rather than cooked all the way through.

## Good to know

- **Location**: Room 63, B1 Arcade, Royal Building, 19 Saemunan-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
- **Ordered**: Gyukatsu (sirloin), karaage
- **Seating**: A mix of 2-person and 4-person tables, from solo diners to groups of four
- **How it's cooked**: Served medium-rare, grilled yourself on a personal tabletop grill

*as written by the visitor on Sep 16, 2026*

It's been a while, but I went out for gyukatsu today! I visited Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch, a Japanese-style gyukatsu (beef cutlet) restaurant.

![Entrance view of Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-01-5al0u-900.webp)

![Vertical shot of Hurato Sikdang, a gyukatsu restaurant near Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-02-1qxx8-900.webp)

![Signboard at Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-03-1h6ea-900.webp)

If you're into gyukatsu, you've probably heard of this place before. The whole point is that you grill it yourself on a personal tabletop grill, so you can enjoy it piping hot exactly the way you like it. While I was digging around before my visit, I found out there are some fun stories behind this spot too.👀 Apparently Lee Youngji shouted this place out, and the currently popular group Corteiz also used to come here every weekend as trainees. Once I found that out, I got even more curious about it!

## Where is Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch, and what is the seating like?

Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch is on the basement level of the Royal Building arcade on Saemunan-ro 5-gil, close to Gwanghwamun Station. There's a good mix of 2-person and 4-person tables, so the atmosphere felt comfortable whether you're dining solo or with a group of four.

![Interior with 2-person and 4-person tables](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-04-1xv1a-m-900.webp)

![Seating and tables at Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-05-17caa-900.webp)

## What is gyukatsu, and how is it served at Hurato Sikdang?

Hurato Sikdang specializes in Japanese-style gyukatsu, and of course it's the signature menu item. Gyukatsu is fried like donkatsu, but instead of pork, it's made with beef.

![Table setting of fried Japanese-style beef gyukatsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-06-9qja8-900.webp)

At Hurato Sikdang, the gyukatsu is first fried to about medium-rare, then you grill it yourself as much as you like on the personal tabletop grill. I loved that this style adds to the fun of eating gyukatsu, haha.

![Personal tabletop grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-07-1pdcm-900.webp)

![Guide on how to best enjoy gyukatsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-08-1tboe-900.webp)

The point is that it doesn't come out fully cooked from the start — you can grill it little by little to whatever doneness you prefer. There's even a guide on the best way to eat it, worth checking out.

## Sirloin gyukatsu grilled on the tabletop grill: how it tasted

![Cross-section of sirloin gyukatsu served medium-rare](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-09-19b8q-900.webp)

Looks delicious just from the visuals, right? 🤤 The sirloin comes out medium-rare, with just a hint of pink showing inside, so it looks fantastic too. You just place it on the personal grill and cook it as much as you like.

![A piece of gyukatsu being grilled on the fire](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-10-1jlh5-900.webp)

![Sirloin gyukatsu sizzling on the personal grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-11-bpmla-1200.webp)

I first tried it as-is, medium-rare, and honestly it just melts in your mouth ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Maybe because it's sirloin, the meat felt tender and the juices came through moist, which made it really tasty. And when you grill it lightly on the fire, the surface warms up and the savory flavor comes alive even more.

There's a certain satisfaction in placing each piece on the grill one by one and sizzling it up. I found it tastiest when I didn't grill it too long — just searing the surface lightly. This is really the way to enjoy gyukatsu!

## Karaage as a side dish at Hurato Sikdang

![Karaage ordered as a side dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato/gwanghwamun-gyukatsu-charcoal-grill-hurato-12-1puzo-900.webp)

🍗 Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) we had alongside. We also ordered karaage as a side dish. I figured just gyukatsu alone might leave something to be desired, so we added this, and it turned out better than expected. Crispy on the outside, moist inside — perfect for popping a piece in between bites of gyukatsu. It's savory and a little salty, so I'd recommend ordering it as a side too. Alternating between gyukatsu and karaage gave a totally different feel each time, and I kept reaching for more.🤤

## Verdict: is grill-it-yourself gyukatsu in Gwanghwamun worth it?

I think Hurato Sikdang's biggest appeal is the gyukatsu you grill yourself on the personal tabletop grill. Since the gyukatsu is served medium-rare, you can cook it little by little to your own taste. It's especially great for people like me who prefer meat lightly seared rather than cooked all the way through.

I also liked that you can place each piece on the grill, cook it exactly as much as you want, and eat it right away, so you get to enjoy it hot all the way to the end. Watching the meat sizzle on the grill was oddly fun too, haha.

Overall, this visit to Hurato Sikdang was satisfying. Above all, the gyukatsu was really tender, and I loved the moist, soft texture unique to sirloin. The way the medium-rare gyukatsu is grilled bit by bit on the personal grill made it fun too. Personally, gyukatsu tends to get dry when overcooked, so this style of grilling it just as much as you want suited me perfectly. The karaage we ordered as a side was tasty too and went well alongside the gyukatsu.

If you're looking for a good gyukatsu restaurant near Gwanghwamun or Gyeongbokgung, Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch is worth a visit. If you're searching for gyukatsu near Gwanghwamun especially, I'd recommend it for the added fun of grilling it yourself at the table.🥩🔥 I think I'll order gyukatsu again next time I visit!!!

## Where it is

- Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch (후라토식당 경복궁 본점)
- Room 63, B1, Arcade, Royal Building, 19 Saemunan-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 종로구 새문안로5길 19 로얄빌딩 아케이드 B1 63호 후라토식당
- 37.5720853, 126.9740978
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%9B%84%EB%9D%BC%ED%86%A0%EC%8B%9D%EB%8B%B9%20%EA%B2%BD%EB%B3%B5%EA%B6%81%20%EB%B3%B8%EC%A0%90/@37.5720853,126.9740978,17z

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