Gangnam restaurant meal with gyukatsu, curry and shrimp: Ichigyu

When you are looking for somewhere to have lunch around Gangnam or Sinnonhyeon, there are so many options that it can actually be hard to decide where to go. Especially on a date or when meeting a friend, you want something that is not too heavy but still a little different from the usual. This time, I visited Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch (이치규 강남신논현점), where you can properly enjoy gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) around Sinnonhyeon. You can grill the crisp fried gyukatsu to your liking, and I also ordered mini curry and fried shrimp for a filling meal. If you are deciding on lunch or dinner somewhere between Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam Station, it is worth stopping by at least once.

Ichigyu Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch 2F, 19 Bongeunsa-ro 4-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea Daily 11:00–21:30

Why I chose Ichigyu for a Sinnonhyeon date meal

Ichigyu is near Sinnonhyeon Station, so it is easy to find when you have plans in Gangnam. More than anything, gyukatsu feels different from an ordinary pork cutlet, so it seemed like a nice choice for a date meal too. Rather than simply eating something fried, you get to cook the beef to the doneness you want, which made me focus on the food a little more.

The menu selection was good, and the interior had a Japanese-style atmosphere, so it was comfortable for a meal with friends or for lunch or dinner on a Sinnonhyeon date. When you are tired of the pasta or meat dishes you so often have near Gangnam Station, gyukatsu would be a good alternative.

Crisply fried gyukatsu

After ordering and waiting, the first thing that caught my eye was, of course, the main dish: gyukatsu.

Even in the photos, the coating looks nicely crisp, and in person the outside arrived beautifully golden and well fried.

Unlike an ordinary pork cutlet, which is fully cooked through from the start,

the fun of gyukatsu is that you can check the meat as you go and grill it to your preference.

I tried it alternately with the sauce, wasabi, and salt that came alongside it. I liked how the flavor shifted slightly depending on the combination, even with the same piece of meat.

Looking at a piece of gyukatsu, the outside stayed crisp while the meat inside retained its moisture. Personally, I found it tastier to grill just enough to eat at a time rather than cooking it for too long.

Adding mini curry and fried shrimp

This time, gyukatsu alone did not seem quite enough, so I ordered mini curry and fried shrimp as well.

First, the mini curry arrived in a small size that was just right to have alongside gyukatsu, true to its name. It was a different pairing from simply dipping the gyukatsu in sauce, and having curry between bites gave the meal a fresh feel.

The fried shrimp I ordered alongside it had a crisp coating, as you can see in the photo, and the shrimp were fairly large, making them a nice side dish.

I tried the fried shrimp with tartar sauce, and the smooth sauce went well with the crisp batter.

If you keep eating only gyukatsu, it can start to feel a little rich, but adding fried shrimp along the way let me enjoy a greater variety of dishes.

What comes with the gyukatsu

The gyukatsu also came with salad and soup, so it felt like a complete meal. The salad was especially nice with the meat, and the warm soup helped refresh my palate between the fried food and beef. With several sauces and accompaniments set out on the table, I would recommend changing things up with each piece of gyukatsu—salt, sauce, wasabi, and so on—instead of eating it only one way from the beginning. Personally, having fun trying all these combinations kept the gyukatsu meal from becoming boring.

Sharing several dishes for a Gangnam Station lunch

After trying gyukatsu, mini curry, and fried shrimp together at Ichigyu, I thought that sharing several dishes could be better than ordering only one thing.

When you have a lunch appointment around Gangnam Station or Sinnonhyeon, you tend to choose similar menus every time, but choosing gyukatsu made for a slightly different meal.

Because there is also the process of grilling it yourself, it felt like it gave us something to talk about beyond simply having a meal and leaving, so it seemed well suited to a Sinnonhyeon date too. If you like meat, I would recommend having gyukatsu as the main dish and adding sides such as mini curry or fried shrimp to share.

When you are craving gyukatsu in Sinnonhyeon

Overall, this visit to Ichigyu was a satisfying meal of crisp gyukatsu and a good range of accompaniments. Gyukatsu can feel a little unfamiliar at first—how should I eat this?—but it is fun to grill it to your taste and compare the flavors with sauce, wasabi, and salt in turn. Adding mini curry and fried shrimp also kept the meal from feeling one-note and let me enjoy several things together. If you are looking for lunch near Sinnonhyeon Station, want a somewhat different meal on a Gangnam Station date, or are simply craving crisp gyukatsu, I think Ichigyu is worth putting on your list. If, like me, you enjoy having sides with your gyukatsu, try the gyukatsu + mini curry + fried shrimp combination. It is filling while still letting you sample a variety of dishes, so it should make for a satisfying meal.