Why gyukatsu beats a grill at lunchtime

I was trying to figure out what to eat in Gangnam, and while meat sounded good, grilling it on a hotplate at lunchtime felt a bit heavy and like a lot of work. Looking for something lighter, I thought of gyukatsu — crispy on the outside, juicy inside — and Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch, a Sinnonhyeon restaurant known for it, caught my eye. So I went and enjoyed a hearty gyukatsu lunch after a long while!

Entrance to Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch

Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch hours and amenities

Location: 19 Bongeunsa-ro 4-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 2nd floor
Hours: 11:00–21:30 (break time 15:00–17:00, last order 20:30)
Reservations, high chairs, and easy payment available

Walking from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 4, and where to park

Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch is about 190m from Exit 4 of Sinnonhyeon Station, on the 2nd floor of the Maeumaeo annex building across from Gusamyuk!! It's close to the station so it's easy to reach by public transit, but unfortunately there's no dedicated parking. If you're driving, here are some nearby paid private lots.

Le Meridien Parking Lot 2 — 615-4 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Le Meridien Parking Lot 3 — 615 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Semyeong Parking Lot — 25 Gangnam-daero 106-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Parking around Gangnam can get congested, so taking public transit is the most convenient option if possible.

Sign for the 2nd floor Ichigyu location near Sinnonhyeon Station

Stairs leading up to Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch

Japanese atmosphere from the moment you open the door

Walking up to the 2nd floor and opening the door, I was immediately hit with an atmosphere that felt just like Japan. The interior really set the mood even before the gyukatsu arrived.

Interior of Ichigyu with Japanese-style decor

View of the Ichigyu dining hall with wood-tone seating

Inside Ichigyu: a warm, Japanese-style dining room

It felt like a cozy, warm space transplanted straight from a small Japanese eatery — the deep wood-tone interior and soft lighting added comfort, making it feel like a mini getaway while eating~

Table seating at Ichigyu under soft lighting

Decor inside Ichigyu evoking a Japanese restaurant atmosphere

A sink inside the dining area and other thoughtful touches

On one side of the restaurant there was a sink where you could easily wash your hands before or after eating — being able to use it without going all the way to the restroom felt hygienic and convenient.

Sink set up in a corner of the restaurant

Ichigyu gyukatsu ₩19,500
Steki don ₩19,500
Steki set ₩19,500
Hamburg omurice ₩17,000
Hotplate chop steak ₩18,000
Yakisoba Napolitan ₩12,000
Cold soba & shrimp tempura ₩11,000
Japanese-style curry ₩13,000
Karaage & shrimp tempura ₩7,000
Mini curry ₩5,000
Kirin draft beer 420ml ₩8,500
Kirin draft beer 200ml ₩4,000

* Prices and menu items may vary depending on when you visit and the restaurant's circumstances.

What we ordered at Ichigyu

Order for Ichigyu gyukatsu and the steki set

Hot rice with unlimited refills

The warm rice, served with unlimited refills, comes to the table pot and all — you can scoop out as much as you like, and it stays warm enough throughout the meal to keep things hearty and satisfying.

Pot of warm, unlimited refill rice brought to the table

We ordered the signature Ichigyu gyukatsu and the steki set. We arrived around 2pm for a late lunch and were pretty hungry, but the food came out quickly, so we could start eating without much of a wait.

Table set with gyukatsu and the steki set

How to grill gyukatsu: 7 to 8 seconds in Isigny butter

Once they light the mini brazier at the table, they first place French Isigny butter on the grill to melt.

Isigny butter melting on the mini brazier grill

Gyukatsu cooking on the mini brazier

Once the butter starts melting smoothly, you place a piece of meat on it and grill it for about 7 to 8 seconds to your liking — apparently that's the sweet spot, though personally I liked mine a bit more cooked!! Just grill it however you prefer.

A piece of gyukatsu cooking on the brazier

Crisp outside, juicy inside, with butter aroma

The thin coating shattered crisply on the outside while the inside stayed juicy and tender. Grilling it briefly on the mini brazier added a rich, nutty aroma from the Isigny butter, deepening the flavor even more. Crispy, juicy, and nutty all at once — the perfect trio! The moment one piece went in my mouth, my hand was already putting the next one on the grill haha. The grilling speed had trouble keeping up with the eating speed.

Cross-section of gyukatsu, crispy outside and juicy inside

Gyukatsu served with salt, wasabi, and chili sauce

Three ways to eat it: salt, wasabi and chili sauce

Dipped in salt, it tasted clean and simple; with wasabi, sharp and refreshing; with chili sauce, sweet and spicy. Just changing the sauce made it feel like a different dish every time! With three flavors to rotate through, we polished off every last piece without a dull moment.

Ichigyu gyukatsu eaten with dipping sauce

Juicy sirloin in the steki set

The sirloin, full of savory flavor, was grilled to a mouthwatering finish on the outside while staying juicy inside. One bite gave a tender texture and a rich meaty flavor that put on quite a show in the mouth.

Pairing it with Ichigyu's signature sauce, with its appealing garlic aroma and tangy notes, cut through the richness nicely, and a touch of wasabi added a sharp kick that made the sirloin's flavor even cleaner.

A piece of sirloin paired with Ichigyu's signature sauce

Is Ichigyu a light but filling meal in Sinnonhyeon?

Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch offers a cozy, Japan-inspired space plus the fun of grilling your own meat. If you're stuck on what to eat for lunch in Gangnam and full-on hotplate grilling feels like too much but you can't skip out on good meat, why not try a piece of gyukatsu at Ichigyu? Grill piece by piece and before you know it, both the rice and the meat are gone! Recommended for anyone near Sinnonhyeon Station looking for a special, filling meal.