Seoul Station Japanese restaurant for a KTX lunch: Ichigyu gyukatsu

I was at Seoul Station to catch the KTX and was wondering what to have for lunch. Then I suddenly craved gyukatsu, so I looked up a good gyukatsu place near Seoul Station. That is how I ended up at Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch. Since I had to eat at Seoul Station and catch the KTX, ease of getting around mattered too, and Ichigyu was not hard to find on B1 of the LG Seoul Station Building near the station.

How to get to Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch is on B1 of the LG Seoul Station Building. Once you enter the building, look to the right and you will see an escalator heading downstairs. Take it down, walk straight to the right, and turn the corner to find the restaurant. You can sort out lunch without going far from Seoul Station, so it seemed like a good option for anyone looking for a meal before taking the KTX.

Ichigyu gyukatsu set

I ordered the Ichigyu gyukatsu. I chose the set meal, which came with gyukatsu, miso soup, and steamed rice.

Rather than arriving as one pre-portioned bowl, the rice came separately so I could serve myself as much as I wanted.

Grilling it on a hot stone with Isigny butter

And the most fun part of Ichigyu gyukatsu! You melt Isigny butter, coat the hot stone with it, and grill the gyukatsu yourself. If you put the gyukatsu straight onto the ungreased stone, the meat may stick and be difficult to lift off, but the butter coating helped it grill fairly smoothly. More than anything, the rich buttery aroma began wafting up as soon as I started grilling it.

Place a piece of gyukatsu on the hot stone and it starts cooking with a delicious sizzle.

I browned both sides to my preferred doneness, then gave it a try. One bite of nicely cooked gyukatsu dipped in the sauce! The breading was crisp, while the meat inside was juicy and delicious. The heat from the brazier was just right, so it did not feel as though the meat was burning or cooking too quickly; I could grill it slowly to the doneness I wanted. The crisp coating, nutty butter flavor, and moist meat went together better than I expected. Being able to grill small pieces myself is part of gyukatsu's appeal, I think.

Karaage and shrimp tempura on the side, too

Gyukatsu alone felt a little incomplete, so I also ordered karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and shrimp tempura. It cost ₩7,000 and included two shrimp tempura plus several pieces of karaage. As you would expect from a gyukatsu specialty restaurant, both the shrimp tempura and karaage had nicely crisp batter.

I dipped the shrimp tempura in tartar sauce. The crisp batter, springy shrimp, and smooth tartar sauce worked really well together. Adding the side dish to the gyukatsu made for a satisfying meal.

How was it for a meal before traveling from Seoul Station?

I liked that it was close to Seoul Station, so I could eat without spending much time getting around. Ordering and eating were fairly straightforward, but grilling the food myself made it fun, so it was a nice place to try when I wanted a slightly different lunch. I stopped by Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch while looking for somewhere to eat before taking the KTX from Seoul Station. Being able to grill gyukatsu on the hot stone myself, with the savory richness of Isigny butter, was especially memorable. The gyukatsu had crisp breading and moist meat, and I really enjoyed it. If you are craving gyukatsu near Seoul Station or need somewhere to eat before boarding the KTX, I recommend Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch!