Saturday lunch set with ramune cider at Gwanghwamun restaurant Ichigyu

Where is Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch? Basement level between Gwanghwamun and Jonggak stations

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch, a great lunch spot in Gwanghwamun, is a 7-minute walk from Gwanghwamun Station. It sits between Jonggak and Gwanghwamun stations, so it's convenient no matter which one you get off at and walk from.

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun menu: QR ordering and the set that isn't on the board

You order via the QR code attached to each table, but I took photos of the menu board below so it's easier to browse, haha.

Gyukatsu is the main dish, and you can add options like extra butter or extra meat. There's also a steak set course, so it's easy to pick something you like. Other menu items include hambagu omurice, steak-don, hotplate chapsteak, Japanese-style curry, yakisoba Napolitan, and cold soba — lots of Japanese dishes to choose from depending on your mood, haha. There's a set menu that isn't shown on the board — two dishes plus a drink set for cheap — so I'd recommend that too, haha. For sides there's fried egg, fried shrimp, karaage, and mini curry, and they also have beer and highballs, so it seems like a good spot for a casual drink too, haha.

They're also running a receipt review event and an SNS event, so I'd recommend joining in — you can get fried shrimp and thin-sliced pork mochi as a reward, haha.

Inside Ichigyu Gwanghwamun: seating for lunch meetings and groups

After ordering, I took a look around the inside — it was pretty spacious and comfortable, haha.

There are tables for 2 to 4 people, arranged in a row, so it seems like a good spot for a lunch gathering or group meal, haha.

We came around noon on a Saturday, and people kept streaming in — clearly a popular spot — so I'd recommend booking ahead, haha.

What comes in the gyukatsu set, and swapping in ramune cider

We ordered the set, which comes with two gyukatsu and two soft drinks — you can pay 1,000 won extra to change the soft drinks to ramune cider.

You have to drop the marble (?) to open it, and I struggled with the force needed, so a staff member came over and helped, haha. They also brought us a cup of ice to make it more refreshing, haha.

There's a mini brazier on the table so you can grill your cutlet to your preferred doneness, and the rice comes in its own pot, so it was easy to serve yourself just the amount you wanted, haha.

The rice was so fluffy and warm that it was already delicious on its own.

Ta-da, all the dishes we ordered arrived — the presentation is so nice too. Let me show you each one, haha.

How the gyukatsu tastes: side dishes and butter grilling on the mini brazier

Gyukatsu set

The gyukatsu's meat color looked great right away — the outside comes lightly fried once, then you grill it on the brazier to your taste.

For side dishes, they serve seasoned aged kimchi, salt, chili and soy sauces, miso soup, cabbage salad, and butter.

The cabbage was fresh and tasty, and the various sauces were nice to pair with the gyukatsu. It's also good with a bit of wasabi.

The gyukatsu's quality had me looking forward to it — first you melt a small amount of butter on the brazier so it doesn't burn, then grill the cutlet on top of that.

You can also swap the grill plate, and if the flame goes out you can relight it, so feel free to take your time eating.

The gyukatsu, grilled nice and crisp, was so good — it's also delicious with a little wasabi on the side.

Adding the mini curry at Ichigyu Gwanghwamun

We also ordered a mini curry — it was clean-tasting and went well with the rice.

If you're looking for a great Japanese restaurant in Gwanghwamun, how about visiting Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch?