Gwanghwamun Station Sunday dinner date: sirloin gyukatsu at Hurato

These days beef in Seoul runs ₩32,000 per 100g at grilled spots, right? You can drop ₩100,000 and still barely feel full.

But at Hurato Sikdang, the gyukatsu place near Gwanghwamun I went to with my partner on a Sunday evening, we grilled beef sirloin "katsu" (if you can call it that) to our heart's content for ₩19,500.

For a date dinner near Gwanghwamun Station, the softly dim interior nailed both mood and flavor, if I do say so myself.

The beef sirloin gyukatsu was crispy outside, tender inside, and melted savorily in the mouth, while the ₩14,500 mountain of beef belly rice bowl had that smoky, salty-sweet, rich, savory combo that's hard for any Korean to dislike, both in flavor and portion.

We had to wait, since there wasn't a single open seat at 5:30pm.

Hurato Sikdang, great for a date dinner near Gwanghwamun Station, seems like it would suit people like these

Why Hurato Sikdang works as a Gwanghwamun Station date spot

Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch is within walking distance of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Gwanghwamun Square, and Cheonggyecheon Stream. If you're looking for places to visit before or after eating at this atmospheric Gwanghwamun date spot

My partner and I actually had dinner at Hurato Sikdang first

Then, since the Seoul Art Goods Festival was happening at the Sejong Center, we listened to some free performances for a while

We took a short stroll around Gwanghwamun Square, where lots of people were relaxing in the autumn breeze

We walked over to Cheonggyecheon Stream, sat for a bit, and wrapped up the date there

How to find Hurato Sikdang, and where to park

Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch is in the underground arcade directly connected to Gwanghwamun Station Exit 1. Here's how to find this Gwanghwamun gyukatsu spot

Coming out of Gwanghwamun Station Exit 1, just head down the stairs directly in front of you

Then walk a bit further into the building's interior and you'll easily spot the restaurant

If you're driving to this Gwanghwamun date-dinner spot, parking is available within the building

What is the dining room at Hurato Sikdang like?

The interior isn't brightly lit — it's softly dim, which suited a date well. That said, around the 5:30pm mark when we visited there wasn't a free seat, so we waited until one group left before we could get in, and we barely managed to snap interior photos right after the staff cleared a just-vacated table and before the next waiting party sat down

Since the lighting isn't too bright and stays soft, as you can see in the photos, the space itself feels cozy and warm, which put me in a calm, relaxed mood for a date.

What we ordered at Hurato Sikdang and what it cost

At Hurato Sikdang, this Gwanghwamun gyukatsu spot, you order by scanning something like a QR code

There are also a few side dishes, of course

From the menu we ordered beef sirloin gyukatsu at ₩19,500, beef belly rice bowl at ₩14,500, and a Kirin Ichiban draft beer.

Personally, I picked the Kirin Ichiban draft because — isn't a draft beer basically required at dinner? It really goes well with the savory, rich gyukatsu

Beef sirloin gyukatsu, 19,500 won

When the beef sirloin gyukatsu first arrived, I thought, "Hmm, is this a bit small?" Having been to plenty of other gyukatsu places, it looked about 15% smaller

But after grilling and eating one piece, it all made sense. The inside was far more tender and the savoriness came through even stronger

The portion felt a bit small, but the meat here is the tastiest out of all the places I've been.

My partner said exactly that right away

Crispy outside, moist and tender inside, clean-tasting yet savory beef that melted away in the mouth

Honestly, the other gyukatsu places weren't bad either, but they had a slight toughness to them — here, even though the size is a touch smaller, the quality feels substantial

Dipped in the soy-based sauce, the gochujang chili sauce, or salt, and paired with the crisp, refreshing Kirin beer, it all added up to a very happy-mouth combination

Alongside it came furikake-topped rice, a salad with oriental dressing, pickled Vietnamese chili, pickled ginger, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), danmuji (pickled radish), and miso soup

In particular we added the tamago (egg?) topping and mixed it into the rice — salty-sweet and pretty good

"If you mix it without adding all the sauce, it's got great umami," my partner said too

Beef belly rice bowl, 14,500 won

And then there was the beef belly rice bowl, which was really solid for the price. Since gyukatsu is more of a beef-steak style dish, the portion alone might not be quite enough, so we ordered this to share the rice

Break the egg yolk and take a bite

A wave of smoky char comes through, along with a rich, sweet-salty seasoning that's hard for any Korean to dislike

The vegetables — green onion, bean sprouts and gochu (green chili peppers) stir-fried with that smoky char — added both texture and flavor that satisfied on both counts

And especially the beef belly, crispy on the outside and savory, rich underneath

My partner, who eats things pretty mild, said it was a little salty unless eaten together with rice. I found the seasoning fairly standard for most palates. If you're not a fan of saltiness, I'd recommend mixing it well with the rice all the way down to the bottom

As usual, the sides came with an oriental-style salad, pickled Vietnamese chili, pickled ginger, kkakdugi, danmuji, and soup. With those bright, tangy sides and the soup mixed in throughout, there was never a moment it felt too heavy

Is Hurato Sikdang worth it for a Sunday dinner date?

If you're looking for Gwanghwamun gyukatsu, my partner and I were both satisfied with the fun of grilling it ourselves and the tender beef flavor at Hurato Sikdang

Adding the beef belly rice bowl on top made sure we left full. Later, while walking around Gwanghwamun on our date, I asked her: out of all the gyukatsu places we've been to, if you had to pick just one to go back to, which one?

She answered, "If I had to pick, today's place was actually my favorite."

If you're after soft lighting and a cozy atmosphere, I'd recommend this spot for a date dinner near Gwanghwamun Station.