Sinnonhyeon Japanese restaurant for grilled gyukatsu: Ichigyu

Today, I visited Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch!

The crispy breading of the pork cutlet we usually eat is delicious too, but gyukatsu has a completely different charm: it arrives crisp outside and moist, rare inside, so you can finish it to your own preferred doneness.

A Neat Atmosphere and Our Order

Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch has an overall neat, polished Japanese-restaurant atmosphere. The moment you walk in, there is the savory smell of meat, and every staff member is so kind! It is the kind of atmosphere that put me in a good mood too 😃

The main dishes are broadly gyukatsu and steki, and I ordered Gyukatsu Set 1 and the Double Steki Set Meal.

Grill It Your Way on an Individual Brazier

What stood out most was the individual tabletop brazier already set at every table. Even when visiting in a group, everyone can slowly grill their meat to their preferred doneness, so it felt like a cozy space both for solo diners and for people on dates or meeting up with friends.

The rice also comes packed into a pretty bowl—and it has unlimited refills!

Gyukatsu 2, extra steki, Double Steki Set Meal, karaage & fried shrimp

A Gyukatsu Set Grilled Over the Brazier

Gyukatsu is Ichigyu’s signature dish. It comes fried with a thin, savory coating that is crisp outside while the center stays a bright medium rare. That is why you should grill it over the brazier.

I dropped all the butter in at once, haha, and wondered whether I would need to order extra butter. But perhaps because the meat rendered fat as it cooked, it was plenty. Put the gyukatsu on the individual brazier and a satisfying sizzle rises up with a savory aroma.

Take a bite after giving it a light grill, and you get a tenderness and juiciness on a whole different level from pork cutlet. The soft beef follows that crispy coating, and it is even better with a little of the wasabi or house sauce served alongside. It was the perfect dish, bringing together the crunch of pork cutlet and the tenderness of steak 😍

Double Steki Set Meal with Isigny Butter

If you want to properly taste beef’s clean flavor and juices, the Steki Set Meal is the dish I would definitely recommend. This time, I ordered the double size for a more generous meal.

Thick steak with striking bright-red flesh arrived neatly plated. It came with Isigny butter, and grilling them together let that rich, nutty flavor seep into every strand of meat—it felt so tender it melted in my mouth. So, so melty 😍

Curry and Crispy Side Dishes

The curry had a deep, rich Japanese-style flavor. It is a treat to dip gyukatsu or steki in it, and mixing it into white rice, then topping it with a piece of meat, makes for a salty, satisfying combination 👍 You have to try it!

The fried shrimp and karaage (Japanese fried chicken) were golden and crispy, as though fried in clean oil. The karaage was so tasty dipped in the sauce too.

My Overall Take on This Sinnonhyeon Lunch

Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch is fun because the individual braziers let you grill meat at your own pace and to your own taste. From juicy, tender gyukatsu unlike any ordinary pork cutlet, to the Steki Set Meal filled with the nutty flavor of Isigny butter, plus a variety of delicious side dishes, it was a tasty lunch with nothing to disappoint.

If you are looking for pork cutlet near Gangnam Station or Sinnonhyeon Station, definitely visit at least once! It is also such a great spot for a blind date or date night.