Seoul Station gyukatsu restaurant with 7–8 second grilling: Ichigyu

I was looking for somewhere for a late lunch near Seoul Station and ended up at Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch. I've always liked gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet), so when I heard there was a place like this near Seoul Station, I'd wanted to try it, and this time I finally had the chance.

What Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch feels like inside

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch

The exterior was clean and had that Japanese restaurant feel. Since it's near Seoul Station, lots of office workers and travelers pass by, so it seemed like a good spot to spot while looking for a place to eat on the go.

Inside, it was also neatly arranged, with an overall comfortable atmosphere for a meal. It had a touch of that cozy Japanese-restaurant feel without being too busy, so it felt good for lunch or dinner.

The big whole cut of meat hanging in the store was really impressive haha.

Ordering gyukatsu and hamburg omurice at Ichigyu

Ichigyu menu board with prices and descriptions

The menu was divided into brazier-grilled gyukatsu and regular gyukatsu. Besides that, there were à la carte items like hamburg omurice, steak-don, hot plate chop steak, Japanese curry, yakisoba Napolitan, cold soba, and fried shrimp. There was also Kirin draft beer, for reference. First we ordered the most famous gyukatsu, and after debating with Napolitan, went with the hamburg omurice.

There were also set menus like this, so you can order a bit more cost-effectively. They're divided into sirloin, striploin, and tenderloin cuts.

There was also a guide on how to eat gyukatsu deliciously, so I took a photo. The recommended time is 7–8 seconds.

They said if you participate in the review event, you get fried shrimp too.

The cola I ordered came out with a glass of ice.

The menu we ordered was gyukatsu and hamburg omurice. The portions turned out to be quite generous.

How long to grill gyukatsu on the tabletop brazier

The gyukatsu isn't just eaten as-is—it's grilled yourself on the small brazier on the table, which made it more fun.

They also give you Isigny butter, which you melt on the grill plate first before starting. At first it comes out crispy on the outside and relatively moist inside, and you grill as much as you want on the brazier. You place the meat piece by piece on the brazier and grill it sizzling—watching the meat cook right in front of you is part of the fun of gyukatsu.

Personally, I liked grilling just a little at a time rather than overcooking it. Grilling one or two pieces at a time meant I could eat it warm until the very end, which I liked. But I was hungry so I grilled 3–4 pieces at a time haha.

The gyukatsu was appealing for having both a crispy outer texture and a tender inner texture at once. Adding sauce or sides to your taste lets you enjoy it in yet another way.

Fluffy egg and hamburg steak in the omurice

And the hamburg omurice we ordered together! It's a completely different vibe from gyukatsu, so we ordered it alongside—the combination of soft omurice and hamburg steak made for a filling meal.

With the fluffy egg and hamburg steak together, switching to omurice in between bites of gyukatsu changed up the flavor so it never got boring. It was a good combo to order together and share when you don't want just one menu item. There's fun in cutting it open with plenty of sweet-and-sour sauce poured on top.

There was hamburg steak inside too, so the portion turned out to be quite substantial.

Is the gyukatsu and omurice combo worth it near Seoul Station?

If you're craving Japanese food near Seoul Station or you already like gyukatsu, this place is worth a visit at least once. Grilling the gyukatsu yourself on the brazier was fun, and the hamburg omurice was soft and filling, so ordering both together was a good call. Next time I'd like to try the noodle dishes too, like Napolitan or soba.