Jongno gyukatsu and Neapolitan at Ichigyu, a Seoul restaurant

Every time I went to the basement of Le Meilleur in Gwanghwamun, I had wondered about this restaurant, so this time I went with my partner. It was Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch!

It was always packed whenever I passed by, so I had been meaning to try it. We were able to make an evening reservation through Naver, though, and had a comfortable visit without waiting.

No reservations for groups of six or more ❌, and no same-day reservations ❌. Reservations are available from 1:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m. on weekends.

Getting to Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch and joining the waitlist

First, take the escalator down to Basement Level 1.

Ichigyu is the restaurant immediately on the left!! There are waiting chairs in front, too.

It is open on weekends and public holidays, so it seems like a nice option for people out exploring Gwanghwamun on the weekend.

You can register for the waitlist at the Catchtable machine, so you can wait comfortably without standing in front of the restaurant for ages.

Here is the interior. There were plenty of tables for two to four people, and the generous spacing made it a really comfortable place to eat. Highly recommended for a date restaurant, too!

Set menus come with a ₩3,000 discount, so if you are ordering cola or soda too, it is a better deal to get a set!!

A broad menu, from gyukatsu to noodle dishes

Gyukatsu served with Ichigyu’s special itame (stir-fry) sauce, featuring the nutty flavor of beef cuts, rich garlic aroma, and a tangy note.

Beyond gyukatsu, there were many à la carte choices including hamburger steak omurice, steak donburi, teppan chopped steak, and Japanese curry, so I loved having so many options.

Noodle dishes too!!

What we ordered

We ordered double gyukatsu, yakisoba Neapolitan, and Kirin draft beer. The total was ₩52,000. This was super filling for a man and a woman sharing it! Haha.

Each table has its own individual brazier, so we could grill everything warm. Whenever the flame went out, the staff came over and relit it for us.

Order from the QR code!

How to grill gyukatsu deliciously

• They say eating it with Ichigyu’s special sauce lets you enjoy even more flavor.
• The three sauces served with the special sauce let you try a variety of flavors.
• They say dividing the premium French Isigny butter into three portions lets you enjoy its buttery aroma for longer.
• The gyukatsu arrives medium rare, so grill it to your preference.

There are various events too, so it would be nice to join in and receive grilling cheese and rice cakes!

I put on my apron, and the mukbang began-!!

The beer my partner ordered 🍺 I am a total beer-no-no person, but I tried a sip and it was clean and refreshing.

This is how the rice comes. Refills available!! 🍚🍚

Such a strong flame 🔥🔥

Double gyukatsu and yakisoba Neapolitan: how they tasted

Ta-da ✨ The double gyukatsu and yakisoba Neapolitan arrived. There were plenty of sides too—wasabi, pickled ginger, cabbage salad, pickled cabbage, and soup—so it never felt greasy.

The Neapolitan was not heavily seasoned and had a subtly sweet flavor, so it was easy to eat without feeling overwhelming. Even I, with my kid-like palate, enjoyed it—it is the kind of flavor that few people would dislike! There were plenty of vegetable and sausage toppings too, which made it fun to pick through.

The gyukatsu was crisp outside and moist inside, making it tender and easy to eat. There was none of that distinctive beefy smell at all, and its clean, nutty flavor was so good 👍

Ahh, I want to eat it again~~~!! 🩵

Divide up this Isigny butter, place it on the brazier, and grill it.

Ichigyu TIP!! They say grilling it for about 7–8 seconds is best 😊 But my partner grilled it for about a minute.

Grilling it like this let us take our time over the meal, and above all, it was fun hahaha. I was so satisfied with everything, from the gyukatsu to the Neapolitan. Next time, I want to come back for omurice!