Seoul Station Japanese restaurant where steki beat gyukatsu: Ichigyu

I take the train from Seoul Station pretty often, and every time I do, I end up eating at Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch. It's close to the station so it's super convenient, and the food is genuinely good too. Ichigyu's signature dish is gyukatsu, but you actually grill the meat yourself on a personal brazier — so from the moment I ordered, I was quietly looking forward to it. Let me give you a quick rundown of the place.

Where is Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch, and what are its hours?

Mon–Sun 11:00–32:30 Break time 15:00–17:00 Last order 14:00, 20:30

It's right in front of Seoul Station, so accessibility is really good. It's a solid spot whether you're grabbing dinner near Seoul Station after work or have an appointment nearby. Once you're inside, you grill your ordered meat yourself on a personal brazier, which gives it a different vibe from a typical Korean BBQ spot. What stood out especially was that they put butter on the brazier before you start grilling. Honestly, with that combination it's hard for it not to taste good. The meat's own flavor plus the nutty richness of the butter meant the smell was already great from the moment I started grilling.

How long is the wait at 7pm on a Friday, and what's on the menu?

There was no wait as of 7pm on a Friday. Only about half the seats were occupied, so you probably don't need to worry too much about waiting. That said, this area has a lot of office workers, so keep in mind lunch could get crowded.

Ichigyu's signature dishes are gyukatsu and steki. We ordered one of each plus a draft beer.

The beer arrived first, and while we were drinking it they set up the brazier. Grilling the meat little by little on the brazier ourselves actually paired really well with the beer. In particular, the beer cleanly cut through the rich, buttery flavor coming off the sirloin, making it a great companion for the meal. I also liked being able to grill small pieces bit by bit instead of cooking everything at once.

Then the rice came out. They serve two portions of rice together in one bowl.

Gyukatsu at 19,500 won: how fatty is the sirloin?

Gyukatsu, ₩19,500. First we tried the gyukatsu, which you could call Ichigyu's signature dish. It comes out crispy on the outside and relatively soft on the inside, so you can grill it a bit more on the brazier to your own taste. Personally, what I liked most was the distinct fattiness of the sirloin. Grill it a little longer on the brazier and the fat slowly melts, bringing out a rich, nutty flavor. Instead of just chewing dry lean meat, there was a nice richness from the fat melting just enough — I liked that. If you're a fan of gyukatsu, I think you'll find Ichigyu's approach pretty fun too. That said, of everything I ate that day, I actually leaned more toward the other dish than the gyukatsu.

It comes with the famously good Isigny butter. You melt the butter on the sizzling grill plate and then grill the sirloin in it — there's really no way that doesn't taste good!

Steki at 19,500 won: the best dish of the night

Steki, ₩19,500. The dish I enjoyed most that day was the steki. Honestly, I came for the gyukatsu, and I didn't expect the steki to leave more of an impression. The steki uses slightly thinner meat than the gyukatsu, and that actually suited my taste better. Grilled lightly on the brazier, it had a texture that felt more like it was melting than like chewing thick meat. Since it's sirloin, it has just the right amount of fat, and grilling it on the butter-topped brazier gave it a really rich, nutty flavor. Grill a piece, take a bite, then a sip of draft beer — that combination made for the perfect dinner. If gyukatsu is Ichigyu's signature dish, the steki is closer to what I'd order again if I came back.

With the brazier-grilling system, I found that grilling it longer than I expected — until the fat fully melted — made it incredibly tender and good. I'd recommend grilling it thoroughly!

It was so good we finished every last bite. It was such a great pairing with beer on a Friday evening.

Three things worth knowing about Ichigyu

• Sirloin steki and gyukatsu: sirloin's rich fat flavor really comes through when grilled
• Personal brazier grilling system: you can choose your own level of doneness
• Seoul Station accessibility: under 10 minutes on foot from Seoul Station, great for train travelers

Honest drawbacks at Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch

One thing to note is that because you grill the meat yourself on the brazier, eating pace can slow down a bit. Also, if you're visiting expecting to love the gyukatsu, in my case the steki actually turned out more delicious. Of course this is entirely personal preference, but if I had to pick just one of the two, I'd go with the steki.

Who should eat at Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch?

• Anyone looking for a place to eat near Seoul Station
• Anyone wanting gyukatsu near Seoul Station
• Anyone who enjoys pairing meat with a draft beer

Final verdict on Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch

This visit to Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch let me really taste the rich fattiness of the sirloin. The gyukatsu was plenty good, but for me the thin, tender, melting texture of the steki was far more memorable. On top of that, grilling the meat yourself with butter on the brazier made the meal fun, and pairing it with draft beer made for a pretty satisfying dinner. If you're looking for a good restaurant near Seoul Station, don't just go for the gyukatsu — order the steki too. If I go back, I think I'll actually reach for the steki first.

Overall ★★★☆☆ Taste ★★★☆☆ Sirloin grilled in melting butter Atmosphere ★★★☆☆ A quiet basement restaurant Price ★★★☆☆ Average price range for gyukatsu