Gyukatsu set 4 for a family of three in Musil-dong, Wonju: Ichigyu

"There are plenty of seats — why that one?"

The real start of this dinner wasn't the gyukatsu — it was a table for two. Mom, Dad, and our kid: clearly three people. But our kid absolutely refused to budge from a two-seater table. There were plenty of spacious tables around, but no amount of persuading worked, ugh.

Ah... right, sleepy. When a kid is whiny from being sleepy, giving in works faster than logic. So in the end, two grown adults and one small child squeezed together and started grilling gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet). But a little while later, the kid who'd been fussing so much went quiet and just kept eating meat — and ended up ordering extra gyukatsu, haha.

Today I'm introducing a Musil-dong local favorite: Ichigyu Wonju.

Where is Ichigyu Wonju? First floor of the Lotte Cinema building

Ichigyu Wonju is on the first floor at 51 Neungna-dong-gil, Wonju, Gangwon. Since it's on the ground floor of the building with the Musil-dong Lotte Cinema, it was easy to find. Also a great spot for a meal before or after a movie!

When we visited, we got seated right away with no wait. When you're out with a kid, tasty food matters, but a day with no wait feels like an even bigger win.

Proof that the place had plenty of open tables: our own two-seater incident, haha.

What comes with gyukatsu set 4, plus the yakisoba napolitan

We ordered set 4 together with the yakisoba napolitan.

Rather than just eating gyukatsu on its own, having a noodle dish alongside let us switch up flavors as we went, which was nice.

Why you grill the gyukatsu yourself at Ichigyu Wonju

The gyukatsu arrived with a crispy exterior and a moist, tender inside. Behind the savory, crunchy bite of the thin breading came the clean, mild flavor of the beef. Best of all, the meat didn't turn chewy — it broke apart smoothly along the grain.

And this is where the fun of gyukatsu really starts: you grill each piece yourself on the tabletop brazier, cooking it exactly to your liking. Barely cooked, it stays moist and tender,

and cooked a bit longer, the savory surface flavor and the fire-warmed beef aroma both come through more clearly. Since you're not grilling it all at once, even the last piece stays warm — a real plus!

Don't skip the Isigny butter on your gyukatsu

What I especially loved was pairing it with Isigny butter. Isigny butter is a famous butter from the Normandy region of France, known for its creamy texture and subtle, nutty richness. A small pat placed on hot gyukatsu melts slowly and soaks into the surface of the meat.

Over the clean beef flavor, the rich nuttiness of the butter adds another layer, making everything taste softer and fuller. Personally, the buttered version was far more memorable than eating it plain.

Why we ordered an extra gyukatsu

And then there's our kid. The one who'd been fussing from sleepiness took one bite of gyukatsu and suddenly went quiet, haha.

The tender texture must have been a hit, because the kid ate way more than expected, and we ended up ordering extra gyukatsu — with more butter, too.

When eating out with a kid ends in "order me one more," isn't that basically a win for the menu choice that day, haha.

Finishing with the yakisoba napolitan

The yakisoba napolitan we ordered alongside was a great palate break between bites of gyukatsu. Switching between the crispy, savory gyukatsu and the noodle dish kept things from ever feeling one-note. The fun of grilling it yourself, adjusting the doneness to your taste, the burst of nutty richness once you add Isigny butter, and above all, our kid eating so well that we ordered extra — all of it adds up. If you're looking for something a bit different near the Musil-dong Lotte Cinema, or you love tender gyukatsu, Ichigyu Wonju is worth remembering. We'd love to go back sometime — with just one goal: to actually sit at a proper table for three, haha.