# Cheonggyecheon-side Japanese lunch, steki-don at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun - By Haru (https://superchart.com/en/@tube-sticker/) - Written Sep 20, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul - Sponsored: This post is based on a visit where the meal was provided by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@tube-sticker/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@tube-sticker/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/index.md) ## In short Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is a Japanese gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) restaurant on the basement floor of Le Meilleur Jongno Town in Gwanghwamun, Jongno, Seoul. On a Sunday lunch visit with a friend, the writer skipped the fried cutlet and instead shared a steki-don (steak rice bowl) and a hamburg steak omurice, with a small glass of draft beer on the side. Ichigyu Gwanghwamun is an easy weekend stop, since Cheonggyecheon Stream is a short walk away for a stroll after the meal. ## Good to know - **What we ordered**: Steki-don, hamburg steak omurice - **Drinks**: Small glasses of draft beer available - **Location**: B123, B1F, Le Meilleur Jongno Town, 19 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul - **Time of visit**: Sunday lunch *as written by the visitor on Sep 20, 2026* ![Cover image for the Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch visit](https://img.superchart.com/images/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice-01-ly4ll-900.webp) ## Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch: a Japanese restaurant for a Gwanghwamun date A Gwanghwamun date spot, Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch. ![Vertical photo near the entrance of Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice-02-s2dd7-1200.webp) ![View of Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch in the basement of Le Meilleur Jongno Town](https://img.superchart.com/images/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice-03-wiopw-900.webp) I was in the Gwanghwamun area on a Sunday and stopped by Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch for lunch. I was originally going to get gyukatsu (breaded pork cutlet), but changed my mind and picked something without the breading instead. ![Inside Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch on a Sunday lunch](https://img.superchart.com/images/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice-04-faacw-900.webp) ## Where Ichigyu Gwanghwamun is and how it feels at Sunday lunch I worried it might be packed since it was the weekend, but even on a Sunday, Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch had just a moderate number of customers inside. It wasn't too crowded or chaotic, so it was easy to have a relaxed meal with my friend. The location is also great for eating around Gwanghwamun and then walking to Cheonggyecheon Stream, so it would work well as a date course too. ![Table setting at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice-05-19evt-900.webp) ## Steki-don: steak sliced over rice We each picked a different dish that day. I ordered the steki-don, and my friend ordered the hamburg omurice. First, my steki-don! ![A bowl of steki-don at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice-06-1d30t-900.webp) ![Close-up of steak on rice in the steki-don](https://img.superchart.com/images/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice-07-frneg-900.webp) The steak piled generously on top of the rice looked really appetizing even just visually. Eating the meat together with the rice made for a filling meal, and the steak wasn't too heavy, so it worked well as a lunch option. With plenty of steak on top of the rice, taking a bite of meat along with the rice made the seasoning come together nicely, so I could enjoy the whole bowl without needing extra side dishes. If you like rice bowls where you eat meat and rice together, this seems like a solid choice. Since we each ordered a different dish and shared, we got to try both menus, which was nice. I liked the steki-don for how filling the meat and rice combo was, and my friend enjoyed the hamburg omurice. ![Table spread with steki-don and hamburg omurice together](https://img.superchart.com/images/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice-08-1il88-900.webp) ![A plate of hamburg omurice at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice-09-1av4j-900.webp) What I liked especially was that, being a rice-bowl style dish with meat and rice together, I could eat it cleanly as one bowl without needing a lot of extra side dishes. It's the kind of menu that would come to mind when you want something simple but satisfying in Gwanghwamun. Next time I want to try the gyukatsu. ## What was the hamburg steak omurice like? I also tried the hamburg omurice my friend ordered. It's a soft omurice paired with a hamburg steak (Japanese-style beef patty), so it's an easy dish to enjoy without much chance of disliking it. Maybe because you get to enjoy several flavors on one plate, my friend ate it happily too. The dish comes with soft omurice and a hamburg steak together, so it looked hearty just from the visual. Eating the fluffy egg, rice, and hamburg steak together let me enjoy several different textures within a single plate. Especially with the omurice and hamburg steak combo, I thought it was a dish that just about anyone could enjoy comfortably. Since the two of us ordered different dishes and shared, it was nice to get to taste a bit of both the steki-don and the hamburg omurice. ![Draft beer served in a small glass](https://img.superchart.com/images/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice-10-smclj-900.webp) ## A small draft beer, then a walk along Cheonggyecheon Stream They also sell draft beer in small glasses, so I ordered one to try. Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch has a great location, an overall comfortable atmosphere, and was a nice place for a relaxed Sunday afternoon meal with a friend. What I liked most was how easy it is to eat in Gwanghwamun and then continue on to a walk along Cheonggyecheon Stream. After eating, you can just head straight to Cheonggyecheon and stroll slowly, so it makes for a better full-day outing than just eating and parting ways. On a nice day, it seems like a good spot to meet a friend or go on a casual date. If you're trying to decide on lunch or dinner in Gwanghwamun, picking a rice bowl or omurice dish at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch could be a good option. ### Directions to Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch B123, B1F, Le Meilleur Jongno Town, 19 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It's located in the Gwanghwamun area, so it's easy to get to from Gwanghwamun Station and the area around Cheonggyecheon Stream. ![Street view of Gwanghwamun near Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice-11-umjqn-m-900.webp) ![Walking path along Cheonggyecheon Stream after the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice-12-za8nd-900.webp) After the meal, it's a nice walk over to Cheonggyecheon Stream, so this spot works well for both taking in Gwanghwamun and walking along the stream. If you want to have a satisfying meal on a weekend outing in Gwanghwamun and then walk over to Cheonggyecheon, give it a try :) ## Where it is - Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch (이치규 광화문점) - 19 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 종로구 종로 19 르메이에르종로타운 지하1층 B123호 - 37.5708344, 126.9798606 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%9D%B4%EC%B9%98%EA%B7%9C%20%EA%B4%91%ED%99%94%EB%AC%B8%EC%A0%90/@37.5708344,126.9798606,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@tube-sticker/ichigyu-gwanghwamun-steakidon-hambak-omurice/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt