Balsan Station gyukatsu set with king shrimp tempura gift: Ichigyu

Today I'm writing up my review of Ichigyu, a gyukatsu spot near Balsan Station.

I really love gyukatsu and have been to quite a few good spots, but this was my first time at Ichigyu. Turns out they serve Isigny butter alongside the gyukatsu? That made the whole thing feel so much more luxurious and flavorful. So let's get into my review of Ichigyu, a gyukatsu restaurant near Balsan~

Where is Ichigyu Balsan Station Branch? Hours and parking

Ichigyu Balsan Station Branch is a 1-minute walk from Balsan Station Exit 1, on the 2nd floor of the Hillstate Eco Magok commercial building. It's open daily 11:30–21:30 with a break time from 15:00–17:00, Naver reservations are available, and parking is free for 120 minutes.

• Hours: Daily 11:30 ~ 21:30
• Break time: 15:00 ~ 17:00
• Naver Reservations ⭕️
• 120 minutes free parking

You can take the escalator or elevator from the 1st to the 2nd floor. There's also a mirror at the entrance perfect for an Instagram shot.

Inside Ichigyu: seating and how to order

The interior of Ichigyu Balsan Station Branch was spacious with plenty of seating. Tables come in 2-seat or 4-seat sizes, and it seemed popular with students too, since so many were there. We grabbed a 2-seat table.

You order via the QR code at the table, and they give you fried shrimp for writing a Naver receipt review, so everyone should try it~

Ichigyu menu and prices

Ichigyu's signature menus are the gyukatsu set and the steak set, each ₩19,500. There were also plenty of other options like hamburg omurice, steak-don, Japanese curry, and cold soba.

They also had Kirin draft beer and Suntory highball, both great with gyukatsu. We ordered the two signature menus, the gyukatsu set and the steak set 👇👇👇

Ichigyu Gyukatsu Set ₩19,500 / Ichigyu Steak Set ₩19,500

Rice pot, mini charcoal stove and what comes with the set

After ordering, the first thing to arrive at Ichigyu was a rice pot with a rice paddle. Opening the lid revealed steaming white rice, and it was even nicer knowing refills were available.

Each table also had a mini charcoal stove so you could grill the gyukatsu and steak yourself. They lit the solid fuel inside the stove for us. Shortly after, our gyukatsu set and steak set arrived.

The set menus come with rice and soup, making for a much more filling meal.

And here's the special part about Ichigyu! They serve Isigny butter. Getting to eat gyukatsu with Isigny, the famous premium French butter, is amazing! Cabbage salad, pickles, and various sauces to go with the gyukatsu also came out.

Ichigyu steak set: thin-sliced sirloin

Ichigyu's steak set was made with thin sirloin. Let me introduce the steak set first.

Wow, look at the color on that sirloin! Check out the marbling!!!

How to grill with Isigny butter: melt it in three batches

Here's how to enjoy Ichigyu's gyukatsu and steak best! First, melt the Isigny butter on the stove. We melted the whole thing at once, but apparently melting it in three separate batches lets you enjoy the butter's aroma for much longer — worth keeping in mind!

Once the butter is nicely melted, place the steak on top and cook it.

Apparently around 7-8 seconds is the sweet spot for grilling. The steak cooked up in no time! Once properly cooked, it was tender and just melted in your mouth.

The steak was delicious even plain, but it also paired well with the special sauce, salt, and chili sauce.

Ichigyu gyukatsu set: thick-cut, crispy outside and juicy inside

Next up is the Ichigyu gyukatsu set. Unlike the steak, gyukatsu is wrapped in a crispy breaded coating like tonkatsu.

But the inside color is just as amazing as the steak! The gyukatsu also gets placed on the melted butter and grilled. Grilling too long can make the outside overly crispy, so flip it often!

Gyukatsu or steak at Ichigyu: which one to order?

If the steak is all about melting tenderness in your mouth, the gyukatsu is crispy outside and juicy inside. It also had good thickness, so the chewing texture was great too. If I had to choose just one between the steak and the gyukatsu, I'd pick the gyukatsu!

The gyukatsu was even more delicious paired with the various sauces.

King shrimp tempura for a receipt review, one per guest

At Ichigyu Balsan Station Branch, writing a Naver receipt review gets you fried shrimp, and they give one per person who participates. So we ended up with two! It wasn't just regular fried shrimp either — it was king shrimp tempura, and it was piping hot and delicious. They even served it with Alsaeu Chip (shrimp-flavored crackers) on the side, making it even better!