Smoke-free basement gyukatsu in Gwanghwamun with 3 sauces: Ichigyu

A crispy yet juicy gyukatsu spot in Gwanghwamun — Ichigyu

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun hours, parking and reservations

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is on the basement floor of Lemeilleur Jongno Town and opens daily from 11:00 to 21:00. Break time runs 15:00–17:00, with last order at 20:30.

• Daily 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:00–17:00 / last order 20:30)
• 🅿️⭕️ Free parking in the building for 2 hours
• 👥 Groups welcome
• 🕖 Naver Reservation / CatchTable available

I'd just scored tickets for Gyeongbokgung's night opening and was debating what to eat for dinner when I suddenly craved gyukatsu. The reviews for Ichigyu were so good I came in with high expectations ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝

The moment I walked in, I could tell — this must be a favorite spot for Gwanghwamun office workers. If I worked around here, I think I'd come once every three days haha

Is the basement dining room smoky? How Ichigyu Gwanghwamun feels inside

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is located underground, but it was so clean and comfortable I assumed it had just opened recently. At some gyukatsu places the whole room fills with smoke, but here there was none of that — really nice. The interior was cozy and cute too.

What we ordered at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun and what it cost

We ordered two servings of the Ichigyu gyukatsu (striploin) à la carte plus two beers. The menu was easy to read and pretty cute too. I considered a set menu, but the sets don't include beer, so we just went à la carte. So here's what we got...!

• Ichigyu gyukatsu — ₩19,500
• Kirin draft mini beer — ₩4,000
• Kirin draft beer — ₩8,000

How do you resist beer after work? How do you resist beer with gyukatsu?

I have low alcohol tolerance so I got the mini beer, but the size difference from the regular one was huge lol. It's 420ml vs 200ml, but it felt like even more of a gap than that.

But it was so cute. Perfect for when you want just one light drink (speaking as a lightweight). Having a beer after work put me in the best mood... Kirin tastes even better because it's so smooth.

The rice bowl reveal and the marbling on the striploin gyukatsu

This is the first gyukatsu place I've been to that serves rice with this much care.

Got a shot of the rice reveal

Can you see the marbling on this gyukatsu...? I've never seen marbling like this on a gyukatsu before.

Butter on top: grilling the gyukatsu on the tabletop brazier

And another great thing about Ichigyu...! They give you butter like this. I love butter. So I got to enjoy an even richer, nuttier gyukatsu.

I nearly passed out from the smell of the butter melting — and the heat from the brazier was just right for cooking the meat to your liking.

Wasabi, salt and chili sauce: which dip works best

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun's gyukatsu comes with wasabi, salt, and chili sauce on the side. With such a varied sauce lineup, it was fun to try different combinations.

Wasabi, whoosh

I liked that with gyukatsu you can adjust the doneness to your taste. Ichigyu's gyukatsu wasn't chewy at all, and the breading was really crispy — we ate it up happily.

Looks like the hamburg omurice and steki-don are popular menu items too. If I come back, I'll have to try the omurice.

Is Ichigyu Gwanghwamun better for lunch, a date or a solo meal?

Gwanghwamun office workers probably already know this place, but I'll recommend it again anyway. It seems great for a lunch spot, a date restaurant around Gwanghwamun, and even for eating alone. I wish there was one in front of my office.

The sunset I saw walking out after the meal was so pretty. Double the good mood. Taking a half-day off and playing on a weekday is truly happiness.