Gwanghwamun gyukatsu with mini curry and a fried egg: Ichigyu

I love gyukatsu so much that I eat it at least once a month, haha, so I wanted to introduce a gyukatsu spot perfect for a Gwanghwamun date.

This is Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch, a Japanese-style gyukatsu place. I visited on a weekend evening, so let me walk you through the wait, how to find it, the menu, and more.

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch hours and parking

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00. Parking is free for 2 hours in the building's basement lot, but it can't be combined with other stores.

How to find basement level 1 of Le Meilleur Jongno Town

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is located on basement level 1. I went in through the door near the cluster of cafés and took the elevator down. Once down there, go straight in the direction shown in the first photo, then turn left — the heart mark in the second photo shows exactly where Ichigyu is.

How long is the wait on a Sunday at 6pm?

Here's the exterior of Ichigyu. I visited on a Sunday at 6pm and there was a wait of about three parties. By around 6:30 it was down to just one party. Since there can be a wait even on weekends, I'd recommend reserving ahead through Naver or CatchTable.

This is the inside of Ichigyu. The tables were spaced well apart, making for comfortable dining. Grilling gyukatsu can sometimes feel stuffy, but the ceilings here are so high it didn't feel cramped at all.

The Ichigyu menu and how QR ordering works

You order at Ichigyu via QR code. Logging in through the QR let me see photos of each menu item.

Here's what I ordered:

• Set 1
• Mini curry (₩5,000)
• Fried egg (₩1,000 each)

That was my order.

Ichigyu gyukatsu: the cut inside and the four sauces

The gyukatsu arrived! 🤩 One unique thing was that the rice bowl came empty, and butter was served alongside it.

Look at the size of that meat..!! Great quality and a generous portion. Usually at gyukatsu places you have to order a bigger size to get this much, but here the portion was already plenty, haha.

The side dish was baek-kimchi (white kimchi), and the sauces were salt, chili sauce, soy sauce, and wasabi.

At Ichigyu, the rice comes in a shared bowl like this. They give you a rice paddle too, so you scoop out as much as you want, and if you run out you can get a refill either through the QR code or by just asking staff directly.

Mini curry at 5,000 won plus a 1,000 won fried egg

This is the mini curry we also ordered. Despite being called "mini," the portion was seriously huge — even the two of us eating a lot still had leftovers. It came topped with garlic flakes, which were also really delicious.

You can order a fried egg for just 1,000 won each. Gotta get that protein in too, haha.

Here's why I ordered the fried egg and curry together! When you combine the two, it's an absolutely perfect match. I made a delicious egg curry rice and paired it with the gyukatsu.

Grilling with butter: strong flame, no oil splatter

Ichigyu provides butter alongside your meal. It's nice to portion it out little by little and add it on top each time you grill the meat.

Here's what's great about Ichigyu's grill! There's a raised, bowl-like rim around the plate that keeps oil from splattering, haha. And at gyukatsu places with weak flames, the meat often doesn't cook properly, but here the flame is strong enough to cook it quickly.

The sauces are wasabi, chili, salt, and soy sauce. Since the meat quality is so good, just salt and wasabi alone tasted great! I'd never tried chili sauce with gyukatsu before, and it went surprisingly well with the breading. The soy sauce was sweet, so I kept reaching for it too, haha. All four sauces went so well that I kept alternating between them, devouring it all 😋.

This is exactly the level of doneness I like. Doesn't it look amazing? 🤤🩷

Fuel swaps and rice refills, all by QR code

One great thing about Ichigyu is that while you're eating gyukatsu, the fuel is bound to run low eventually, and staff keep circulating to swap it out for you!!🤩 Even though they're already checking regularly, it was also nice being able to request extra rice or fuel directly through the QR code. I ended up refilling my rice through QR ordering too.

They also give you a cup of ice with your drink order, which is such a thoughtful touch, haha!

Is Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch a good date dinner?

I heard Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is also a popular spot for Gwanghwamun lunches! Since the gyukatsu is made using techniques learned directly in Japan, both the taste and quality of the cutlet itself were excellent 🤩 The interior, which has a real Japanese sensibility, combined with grilling it yourself at the table, made it feel like eating gyukatsu in Japan. If you're looking for great gyukatsu in Gwanghwamun, I'd recommend Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch for anything from lunch to a Gwanghwamun date 🩷