Japanese restaurant near Seoul Station: grill-your-own gyukatsu at Furato Shokudo

I had lunch at Furato Shokudo Seoul Square Direct Branch (후라토식당 서울스퀘어 직영점), inside Seoul Square and connected to Seoul Station. I ordered gyukatsu (Japanese beef cutlet), soft-cooked omurice, and cold soba, and their different textures made them good to eat together.

Is it easy to get to from Seoul Station?

The restaurant is on B1 of Seoul Square. Since the building is connected to Seoul Station, it was easy to get there after getting off the subway. The route was convenient even on a rainy or hot day.

What were the atmosphere and tables like?

Inside, there were light wooden tables and illustrated murals with a Japanese feel. It felt clean and well maintained overall, and the staff were helpful.

Each table had a brazier for grilling gyukatsu. The tables were spaced reasonably, so I could eat without being too conscious of the neighboring seats.

How much is the gyukatsu and how do you eat it?

Furato gyukatsu was ₩19,500 per serving. The aged gyukatsu arrived rare, and I placed it on the personal brazier and grilled it myself to my preferred doneness. I enjoyed being able to adjust the doneness, and the beef was tender.

It came with salt, soy sauce, and a sweet sauce. I liked it best with wasabi and salt.

The outside was crisp and the inside moist, with juices in every bite. One drawback was that it could become dry if left on the brazier too long.

What did the soft-cooked omurice taste like?

The soft-cooked omurice was ₩14,500. When I cut into the puffed-up soft-cooked egg, it opened out over the fried rice.

I poured on Furato's signature sauce. Its sweet and savory flavor went well with the fried rice, which was seasoned enough to be tasty even without the sauce.

The softly curdled texture of the egg stood out in particular. It was easy to scoop up the egg and fried rice together with a spoon.

What comes with the summer cold soba?

Cold soba was a summer seasonal menu item and cost ₩10,000. Buckwheat noodles were topped with gamtae (sweet seaweed), microgreens, grated radish, crispy toppings, and shredded seaweed, then served in a special broth. The noodles were chewy, and the nutty aroma of the gamtae worked well with the broth.

What should you consider for a lunch visit?

It is near Seoul Station, in an area with a lot of foot traffic. I thought there could be a wait during the lunch rush. If you can adjust your timing, it may be better to go a little before lunch or after 1 p.m.

It was not especially inexpensive. Ordering gyukatsu along with omurice and cold soba can make the meal fairly costly. Still, considering the flavors and textures of the dishes I had, I did not feel the price was wasted.

What stood out most after trying all three dishes?

The tender gyukatsu that I grilled myself was the most memorable. The omurice had a pleasing egg texture, while the cold soba stood out for its chewy noodles and gamtae aroma.

It was easy to reach from Seoul Station, and the table spacing made for a comfortable lunch. Ordering several dishes does add to the cost, but I was satisfied with all three dishes I tried.