Gangseo Japanese restaurant for tender sirloin steak: Ichigyu

Lately, when I’m craving meat, I’ve found that eating it Japanese-style like this can be just as delicious as simply grilling it. This time I tried gyukatsu (Japanese beef cutlet) and steak, and maybe because both used sirloin, the meat was seriously tender.

Ichigyu Balsan Station Branch 211, 2F, 269-15 Gonghang-daero, Gangseo-gu, Seoul 11:30–21:30 Break time 15:00–17:00 Building basement parking available, free for 2 hours

Ichigyu Balsan Station Branch near Exit 1 of Balsan Station

It was close to the Exit 1 side of Balsan Station, so it wasn’t hard to find. It’s on the second floor of the building, and you’ll spot it as soon as you go up. Parking is available too, so it looked like a fine place to visit by car.

Inside, it had a neat Japanese-style atmosphere. There were tables for two through four people, so it looked good for a meal for two, a date, or a casual lunch. And at Ichigyu, you grill the meat you order yourself over an individual brazier, which is quietly fun too.

The sirloin dishes and mini curry we ordered

Here’s what we ordered.

• Sirloin gyukatsu — ₩19,500
• Sirloin steak — ₩19,500
• Mini curry — ₩5,000

Each main comes to around ₩20,000, but considering you get to properly enjoy sirloin, I thought it was pretty reasonable.

Sirloin gyukatsu grilled to order

First up, the sirloin gyukatsu! The meat looked quite thick from the start, so I was excited, and grilling it myself made it really delicious. The outside is crisply fried, while tender sirloin is still inside. You can put a few pieces on the brazier at a time and cook them to your liking; I thought it tasted best cooked to a moderate doneness rather than too thoroughly.

Putting a piece of meat on and hearing it sizzle is quietly fun too, haha. It was good lightly dipped in salt, and eating it with wasabi helped cut through any richness, which I liked.

Most of all, the meat wasn’t tough and went down tenderly as I chewed, so I was satisfied. If you like sirloin, I think you’ll really enjoy this one.

The sirloin steak I liked even more

And the one I especially enjoyed was the sirloin steak. It costs the same as the gyukatsu at ₩19,500, but this is unfried sirloin that you grill yourself. You simply put it on the brazier and cook it to your preferred doneness, and it honestly felt like it melted away.

Sirloin can sometimes feel rich or fatty, but when I had it, it was not rich at all—more than I expected. Instead, it was clean-tasting and really let the flavor of the meat come through, so I kept reaching for it. Wow, this was seriously so good... Personally, I liked the sirloin steak more than the gyukatsu.

Grilling the meat yourself was fun, and above all, the sirloin itself was tender, so I was satisfied. I especially loved the sirloin steak. It wasn’t rich, the meat was tender, and with rice, it made for a very filling meal. It felt like the kind of place that would come to mind when you’re craving Japanese food or gyukatsu near Balsan Station.

A bite of meat with rice and a little wasabi is seriously delicious. The meat gently falls apart in your mouth, so I think even people who dislike tough meat would enjoy it. When you eat something like this, it kind of makes you think you should only eat good meat, lol.

Mini curry on the side

And then there was the ₩5,000 mini curry we ordered as a side. I thought meat alone might feel a little incomplete, so we got it too, and the portion wasn’t large, making it just right as a side. Meat, curry, and rice worked well together, and it was nice to have some curry here and there between bites of gyukatsu or steak.

After trying everything, I could see why gyukatsu is Ichigyu’s signature dish, haha.

If you’re looking for a meat dish around Balsan Station, I think Ichigyu Balsan Station Branch is worth trying. Fans of gyukatsu, of course, but also steak lovers like me should be satisfied.

If I go back, I think I’ll order the sirloin steak again. It really had that meltingly tender feel—a flavor that stayed on my mind even after the meal.