Jongno weekend lunch, no wait: steki set and omurice at Ichigyu

A stop for a Jongno stroll and a protein reload near Gwanghwamun and Jonggak Station. The hamburg omurice pairs a fluffy egg blanket with a thick hamburg steak, and the sirloin steki set is grilled at your own tabletop grill, generously coated in Isigny butter flavor.

• 🗓️ Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30
• Break time 15:00–17:00
• Last order 20:30
• 🅿️ Free parking (2 hours)
• ✔️ Naver reservations available

I was back in Jongno today because a bracelet I'd been given broke and needed repairs. Since I was already out in Seoul, I ended up walking all around Gwanghwamun and Jongno. To refuel with some protein, I decided to have lunch at Ichigyu, a well-known Gwanghwamun restaurant.

5 minutes from Jonggak and Gwanghwamun stations — any wait at 1pm on a weekend?

Ichigyu sits about a 5-minute walk from Jonggak Station Exit 1 and Gwanghwamun Station Exit 4. I visited at 1pm on a Saturday, and luckily there was no wait. On weekdays it must be hugely popular with office workers nearby. The notice posted at the Catch Table stand made it clear just how many people come to eat at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch. ✔️ Free parking (2 hours).

No wait, but the place was buzzing — families eating together, solo diners too. Honestly, people who come here alone for a weekend lunch look pretty romantic. Like they've got life figured out, relaxed and happy.

From your seat you can watch the cooking happen right in front of you. The staff might find it a little embarrassing, but for customers it's reassuring, haha. It's a busy Gwanghwamun spot, but the turnover is quick, so any wait is manageable.

What we ordered and the prices

• Steki set ₩19,500
• Extra butter ₩1,000
• Hamburg omurice ₩17,000
• Mini curry ₩5,000
• Drink ₩3,000

Kudos to the fast-handed chef. The visuals are seriously impressive — like eating food straight out of a Japanese anime. Big Japan energy. Basically world traveling through lunch.

Hamburg omurice: a hamburg steak hiding under fluffy egg

Pat on the back for myself for ordering the hamburg omurice. Haven't been this excited about a dish arriving in a while. The visuals are overwhelming — how did they make it so smooth, fluffy, and pretty?

A thick hamburg steak was hiding underneath the omurice. I poured on plenty of the pleasantly tangy omurice sauce and dug in.

They say pretty food tastes better, and my ancestors weren't wrong. A crisp-outside, juicy-inside hamburg steak, omurice with zero fishy smell, and vegetable fried rice — a legendary combo.

Steki set, with an extra Isigny butter added

The steki set was gorgeous too. The sirloin, sliced to just the right thickness, was really appealing.

There was already one pat of premium French Isigny butter included, but I added another to max out the butter flavor. The grill's heat was so strong that the butter melted the moment it hit the pan, and the whole table filled with the smell of butter.

The sirloin practically bathed in butter. They say 7–8 seconds per side is the sweet spot for grilling — perfectly done steki. There were three sauces to choose from — salt, wasabi, and chili — and my personal favorite was the wasabi.

The sirloin is delicious plain, but with the butter flavor upgrade from the strong tabletop grill, the meat turns soft and out-of-this-world good.

Free rice refills and mini curry

Free rice refills! Carb lovers, sound off. ✔️ Free rice refills.

I also tried the mini curry as a side, though next time I want to try the full Japanese-style curry. I ordered it without much expectation, but it was actually really good, haha. Imagine mixing it with karaage and white rice — that's how good it is.

From a Jongno stroll to a hearty meat-fueled lunch, today was such a perfect day! If you're looking for a great atmosphere and a satisfying meal near Gwanghwamun, how about giving Ichigyu a try?