Seoul Station Japanese restaurant before KTX: Furato Shokudo

Looking for charcoal-grilled Japanese food at Seoul Station?

Here’s a Japanese place near Seoul Station I’d recommend at around ₩20,000! I visited Furato Shokudo Seoul Square Direct Store (후라토식당 서울스퀘어 직영점), which is loved for the fun of grilling your own food. I’d eaten at another branch before and thought it was pretty good, so I came when a direct store opened at Seoul Station haha. I’ve tried other branches too, and the ones marked direct store definitely taste better.

With its easy access and tidy atmosphere, it draws lots of office workers and works just as well for dates, solo meals, or company dinners. It isn’t a large restaurant, so I recommend booking.

How to get to Furato Shokudo near Seoul Station

Furato Shokudo near Seoul Station is on B1 of Yonsei Severance Building, a major office and mixed-use shopping building near the station. Recommended for anyone looking for good Japanese food around Seoul Station.

By subway

Head toward Exit 10 of Seoul Station on Subway Lines 1 or 4, and you can connect directly to the building basement without going outside! Being able to get there comfortably regardless of the weather is a major plus. Though if you’re bad with directions, it may be easier to exit first and find the building.

On foot

Enter Yonsei Severance Building opposite Seoul Station Plaza, take the escalator down to the basement, and Furato Shokudo is immediately on the left! It was a very convenient Seoul Station restaurant for a meal before or after taking the KTX or Airport Railroad Express. The route can be confusing on a first visit, though, so it’s probably worth reading these directions before you go!

Warm wood tones and seating

Walking in, it felt like arriving at a polished Japanese restaurant. The warm wood-tone interior made it cozy yet orderly.

It is often full on weekday evenings, so I recommend making a reservation.

Seating layout

There are tables for two and four. Most visitors seemed to come in pairs, but it also had an atmosphere where solo diners could eat comfortably. Even though gyukatsu (Japanese beef cutlet) is grilled on a tabletop charcoal grill, I was surprised that there was no smell inside. The ventilation system must be good! It isn’t a huge place, but it should be quite satisfying for anyone seeking a clean, organized restaurant around Seoul Station.

Gyukatsu and steki on the menu

Furato Shokudo’s signature is, of course, gyukatsu! Our table ordered steki and gyukatsu, and they provide one charcoal grill for every two people haha. They also sell a variety of Japanese dishes, including rice bowls and minchi curry, which you do not often see elsewhere! Furato Shokudo always has a broad selection of neatly presented Japanese dishes.

The gyukatsu arrives as lightly fried rare beef, then you put it on the mini grill and cook it to your preferred doneness. Crisp outside and tender and juicy within, it is the dish I most want to recommend to first-time visitors to Furato Shokudo haha. I came with a friend who was visiting Furato Shokudo for the first time that day, and they were so pleased that I was happy I had suggested it too haha.

The steki comes with browned beef and a special sauce on the side. It has a thinner texture than the gyukatsu, is more tender, and has a rich sauce; it feels like boneless meat, so I think people who like tender beef would enjoy it!

A meal grilled right on the mini charcoal grill

They light the solid fuel in the mini charcoal grill set on each table, then you place the prepared gyukatsu on it piece by piece and grill it to your taste.

I like this restaurant because you can cook it just how you want, then have it with wasabi, salt, or the special soy sauce haha. Grilling it yourself makes the meal even more enjoyable haha.

They sell beer too, making it a good spot for a quick beer with a meal haha. It is popular, so there may be no tables during peak meal times, but seats also tend to open up quickly, which is why I keep coming back.

I also wrote a receipt review and made sure to enjoy the complimentary drink. With its neat presentation, kind service, and the pleasure of grilling meat yourself on charcoal, this Seoul Station restaurant delivers a satisfying meal whenever I visit. If you want Japanese food around your train time or need a good Seoul Station meeting spot, give Furato Shokudo near Seoul Station a try! The price is reasonable, and there is a café in the same building, so it is a great place to take care of a get-together with friends all at once! Haha.