Quiet late-evening gyukatsu and Kirin draft at Ichigyu, Seoul Station

Today's post is about Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch, a spot near Seoul Station that's known for its food.

Where is Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch, and do you need a reservation?

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch is located in the basement of the LG Tower. Seoul Station has a lot of offices and a huge number of people passing through, so it seems like there are plenty of good restaurants around here too.

Since it's a popular spot, it's probably packed on weekday lunches. If you're planning to go for weekday lunch, I'd recommend booking ahead through Catch Table.

The seating area is spacious. And since it's a Japanese restaurant, it feels a lot like you're on a trip to Japan.

We went in the late evening, so it was quiet. The tables were also nice and clean.

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch / 98 Huam-ro, B1 B116, Jung-gu, Seoul

Please note the hours — they're open from 11 AM to 9 PM, so you can enjoy gyukatsu anytime from lunch through dinner.

Ichigyu menu and gyukatsu prices

Ichigyu is known for gyukatsu, but they also have a good variety of other dishes. For lunch, something simple like omurice, steak-don, curry, or soba would be great too.

Take a look at the menu. The base price for gyukatsu is ₩19,500, which felt like good value. It's admittedly a bit pricey for lunch, but the quality of the meat is so good that once you've eaten it, it actually feels like a great deal.

What comes with the sirloin steak set at Ichigyu

We ordered the steak set and the gyukatsu! This is the steak set. Since it comes as a full set, it was quite generous.

The steak set uses sirloin, lightly seared on the outside only, so you grill it to your own liking. It also comes with a cabbage salad, which is great for cleansing the palate.

As basic side dishes, we also got cabbage and a salt-chili sauce.

This is a very rich broth soup.

They also gave us butter!!! It's actually Isigny butter. Adding butter while grilling the meat deepens the flavor.

And then this came out, and I wondered what it was.

It's rice!! You scoop as much as you want into your small plate and eat it that way.

How thick is the gyukatsu, and how do you grill it on the brazier?

This is the gyukatsu!! Gyukatsu looks a bit like regular katsu, but it's more like a katsu that you grill yourself.

The meat is super thick and fresh!!

It had a nice balance of lean meat and fat.

Ta-da, the grill is ready — it was a pretty sizable little brazier. You melt the butter on it first, then place the meat on top.

On the left is the gyukatsu, and on the right is the steak.

You can't have Japanese food without Japanese beer. Kirin Ichiban! I had a refreshingly cold draft, and it went perfectly.

I dipped the well-grilled meat generously in soy sauce. Though honestly, the meat was delicious even with just a bit of salt.

The grill has three heat zones, so the meat cooks quickly and you don't have to wait long.

Keep piling it on. Since each person has their own grill, you can cook it medium, well-done, or however you like — that's a real advantage.

How does Ichigyu's gyukatsu compare with gyukatsu in Osaka?

I actually had gyukatsu in Osaka, Japan not too long ago, and this was genuinely just as tender and delicious as that.

Dipping it generously in wasabi also helps cut through the richness.

Ichigyu is actually a chain, and this was my first time visiting one of their locations. I think it's the top gyukatsu chain in Korea!! If you're looking for good food near Seoul Station or Jongno, I'd recommend Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch.