Gwanghwamun gyukatsu restaurant, Yamagata curry to share: Hurato

I need my regular gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) fix, so I went to Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch, a lunch spot near Gyeongbokgung. I've eaten at Hurato Sikdang in Yeouido often, but I only just found out the Gyeongbokgung branch is actually the original! I was excited to see if the original tastes even better, hehe.

Where is Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch, and is there parking?

Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch is at 63, B1, Royal Building Arcade, 19 Saemunan-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Hours are Mon–Fri 11:00–21:30, Sat–Sun 11:30–22:00.

Parking is available in the building, but due to building policy they can't validate parking (˘̩̩ε˘̩ƪ) The building's paid lot charges ₩1,000 per 10 minutes.

Hurato Sikdang is right at the basement level food court of the Royal Building, just steps from Gwanghwamun Station Exit 1, with a clean Japanese-restaurant vibe. Seeing a CatchTable reservation sign out front, it seems a lot of office workers come for lunch and there's a wait. We came for dinner, so there was no wait for us.

This must be the best menu item, right?!?!

Wait time and seating after 6:30pm on a weekday

Even though we came right after work, there were quite a lot of people already, so this is the only interior shot I got... Since they specialize in gyukatsu, every table at Hurato Sikdang comes with its own gyukatsu brazier. Crowds pick up after 6:30pm, so making a reservation might be a good idea just in case!

Hurato Sikdang menu: what two people should order together

Here's the menu at Hurato Sikdang, a lunch spot near Gyeongbokgung. There were set menus that include a drink, and besides gyukatsu they also had omurice, curry, udon, and more. We ordered two dishes to share: gyukatsu ₩19,500 • Yamagata mince curry ₩14,500!

What comes with the gyukatsu set, and which sauces

The basic gyukatsu set comes with gyukatsu + salad + rice + soup + diced radish kimchi + assorted sauces. The sauces include salt, soy sauce, and a chili-ish special sauce, but my pick is the soy sauce — it's sweet!

How long to grill gyukatsu on the tabletop brazier

Reading up carefully on how to eat it deliciously before digging in!

• Rare: 10–20 seconds
• Medium rare: 20–30 seconds
• Medium: 30–40 seconds
• Well done: 40–50 seconds

The gyukatsu is fried crispy on the outside, and we grilled it on the brazier for about 30 seconds. It tastes best right when it's just barely cooked through. And if you put on too many pieces at once, the ones sitting there keep cooking and get overdone, so it's better to eat one and grill one at a time~

Topping it with wasabi and dipping it in the sweet soy sauce was the tastiest combo. And the meat was so, so tender that I was genuinely surprised! No need to say more about the flavor of the meat, it was solid.

What does the Yamagata mince curry taste like?

Next up is the Yamagata mince curry 🍛 It's slow-caramelized for extra depth of flavor, with fried shrimp and minced pork mixed in. Unlike the gyukatsu set, this one comes with a poached egg added. They told us to dip the shrimp in it or eat it with rice, but honestly the poached egg alone was amazing — total rice thief vibes.

There were two huge shrimp on top, which was perfect for splitting one each, and the meat inside was plump and juicy. There was also fried garlic, which I love, and mixing it all into the rice was seriously delicious.

The curry's aroma was rich and it paired really well with the gyukatsu too, so I'm glad we ordered one of each to try both. Highly recommend getting the combo!

Who Hurato Sikdang Gyeongbokgung Main Branch suits best

Overall, everything from the gyukatsu to the curry was delicious ❕ The portions were hearty enough for a satisfying lunch or dinner, and being right in front of Gwanghwamun Station makes it super accessible. It also seems like a great option for office workers around Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung when they're stuck deciding what to eat for lunch!