Jongno Japanese restaurant for grill-your-own steak: Ichigyu

I've been properly hit by the reading bug lately, haha, so I went to Kyobo Book Centre Gwanghwamun with a friend. After browsing books to our hearts' content, we headed out for an early dinner at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch, a great gyukatsu spot in Gwanghwamun! It is close to Kyobo Book Centre, so it is easy to find, and I wanted to introduce it because the meat was good and the atmosphere was clean and cozy too.

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch location and visitor information

It is open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with last orders at 20:30 and a break time from 15:00 to 17:00. The restrooms are outside the restaurant, inside the building, and separated by gender; the building's underground parking is free for 2 hours.

Menu and QR ordering

You order using the QR code attached to each table.

A spacious restaurant in Le Meilleur Jongno Town basement

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is on basement level 1 of Le Meilleur Jongno Town. The interior is so large that it is not easy to spot the restaurant at a glance, but there are little maps posted throughout the building. Follow one and you will find it in the middle of the long corridor. The entrance welcomed us with a Catchtable machine, and because we arrived early for dinner, we could go straight in.

It looked like they sold a wide range of dishes besides their signature gyukatsu! We went in full of anticipation—and were immediately greeted by an enormous piece of raw meat... ? Hahaha.

The restaurant was quite large and seemed to have good capacity. There were tables for four and for two, with fairly generous space between them, so it felt comfortable. It has an open kitchen, and I liked that it looked clean and well maintained overall. While we waited after ordering, watching the staff bustle around in the kitchen made time fly, haha. I kept looking over like, “Is that my food?” hehe.

Amazing... My favorite draft beer is Kirin Ichiban draft, and Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch serves Kirin draft beer! I absolutely had to order it...! 👀✨

Ordering gyukatsu and the steki set

• Gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet)
• Steki set
• Kirin draft beer, 200 ml and 420 ml

Tabletop brazier and the standard set

There is one brazier per table. When we ordered, they lit the charcoal first. That meant the plate was already hot when the food arrived, so we could grill the meat right away.

Gyukatsu and steki grilled just how you like them

Rice came out first. They served two portions for the two of us and said refills were available if we needed more!

Not long after, Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch's gyukatsu and steki set arrived! ✨ Aside from the meat, the standard components were the same: rice, soup, cabbage salad with dressing, meat sauce, wasabi, salt, chili sauce, pickled napa cabbage, and butter. Everything came neatly arranged on one tray, and with so many sauces and sides to pair with it, it seemed like there would be lots of ways to enjoy it 😊

This is Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch's gyukatsu, where you can really see the grain of the meat. Unlike its crisp fried exterior, the inside was red, and you grill it over the brazier to your preferred doneness. I normally like gyukatsu too because I love being able to cook it exactly how I want.

This was my first time ordering a steki set at a gyukatsu restaurant. Like the gyukatsu, the steki arrived with the outside lightly cooked, and the clearly visible marbling made me really happy with the look from the start 🥩

We each served ourselves as much rice as we wanted. Then we melted the provided butter well on the hot brazier. Isn't the aroma of beef cooked in butter just incredible? 💛

Then we properly got to grilling the meat over the brazier 🔥 As it sizzled, the rich buttery aroma rose up and really got my appetite going 🤤 I prefer medium-well, so I loved being able to cook it as much as I wanted!

Beautifully browned gyukatsu! It was crispy outside, moist and tender inside. I also liked that the coating was not too thick, so it did not hide the flavor of the meat.

A big bite with wasabi—its sharp kick goes so well with rich beef, one of my personal favorite combinations!

The steki was a little more tender and juicier than the gyukatsu! Maybe because the meat had such nice marbling, its rich flavor came through more deeply with every chew. I found myself reaching for the steki more often than the gyukatsu today! Above all, because I had grilled it to my preferred doneness, the tenderness and moist texture were exactly my kind of thing.

Even just adding a little wasabi made the rich beef flavor stand out more. I also put a little butter on the warm meat and let it melt right there, and that was so delicious too—the flavor came alive even more 👍🏻🧡

A bite of meat followed by a cold sip of Kirin draft beer cleared away the richness nicely and refreshed my palate 🍻 My friend is not much of a drinker, so we ordered the 200 ml size, and it was just the right amount to have with a meal! It is a good, low-pressure size even for people who cannot drink much, so I recommend it if you want a light drink with your food.

Small perks to know before visiting

• Follow on Naver to receive 4 pieces of karaage or a mini curry free
• Write a Naver receipt review to receive 1 piece of fried shrimp free
• Give Kakao Map 5 stars and add it to favorites to receive grillable cheese and thin-sliced mochi (can be combined with the fried-shrimp offer)

Final thoughts: the steki set was especially memorable

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch was famous as a gyukatsu spot, so I had been curious about it! This was my first visit. From the gyukatsu, crisp outside and moist inside, to the tender, juicy steki with its lovely marbling, both dishes were delicious with the variety of pairings such as wasabi, salt, and sauces. Personally, the steki set was so good that I think I will definitely order it again next time!

The restaurant is spacious and the tables are comfortably spaced, so I thought it would be good for an easy meal with friends or a Gwanghwamun date. If you want a filling, delicious meat meal after browsing books at Kyobo Book Centre Gwanghwamun, I recommend Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch! 💛