Gyukatsu and steak date night near Balsan Station: Ichigyu

Balsan restaurant Ichigyu, because I was craving gyukatsu

Lately I've been suddenly craving gyukatsu, so I did some digging for good gyukatsu spots and ended up at Ichigyu near Balsan, a well-known local restaurant, haha. People tend to assume gyukatsu is just fried like regular pork cutlet, but once you actually try it, it's more fun than you'd expect and you really get to taste the meat itself, which makes it a pretty great date menu too. Ichigyu especially has such a cute atmosphere that just looking around the place was half the fun.

Ichigyu menu prices

A cute Japanese-style exterior and interior

Even before stepping inside Ichigyu, the exterior already gave off a subtle Japanese vibe, the kind that makes you want to snap a photo right away.

Inside, there are Japanese-style knickknacks here and there and cherry blossom decorations too, giving the whole place a cute overall feel!

On the walls hang illustration frames that look like scenes straight out of an anime, which made it feel a little like a trip to Japan, haha.

It's not too heavy or fancy, more comfortable and cute, so it works well for friends but especially suits a date spot.

Came here for the gyukatsu

The main reason I came to Ichigyu that day was simply because I wanted gyukatsu, lol. Gyukatsu is beef coated in breadcrumbs, fried crisp on the outside while staying soft and rare-ish inside.

Usually you don't cook it all the way through at once — the whole point is grilling it little by little to your own taste. So when picking a good gyukatsu place, the quality of the meat matters, but I think having this hands-on grilling fun really makes it taste even better.

Rice comes in a large pot to scoop yourself

Instead of being served in individual portions, the rice comes in a big pot that you scoop yourself. Sometimes you run out of rice mid-meal, so being able to scoop as much as you want was pretty great for someone like me who loves rice. A bite of gyukatsu, a spoonful of rice — that combo never fails, haha.

Pairing it with a glass of draft beer

I also ordered a glass of draft beer that day. Taking a sip of cold draft beer alongside the crispy gyukatsu, I immediately understood why people pair gyukatsu with beer, lol.

Especially on a date, having a glass of beer with the meal makes the mood a lot more relaxed.

Ordering gyukatsu and steak together

Since eating just gyukatsu felt like leaving something out, I also ordered the steak (스테끼). Putting gyukatsu and steak side by side on the table made for a pretty great visual. If you love meat, this combo alone is basically pure happiness, lol.

It was my first time trying the steak here and the visual was seriously impressive. It has a different look from the gyukatsu, and the taste is a bit different too, so I'm glad I ordered both.

Grilling one or two pieces at a time on a buttered hot plate

This is where the real fun of gyukatsu begins. A small hot plate is set on the table, and butter is placed on it to melt slightly.

Then you just place one or two pieces of gyukatsu on it and grill it to whatever degree you like. Rather than piling a lot on at once, grilling only as much as you're about to eat worked better.

That way the meat never cools down before you eat it. The outside is already fried crisp, but grilling it a bit more on the hot plate brings up the savory aroma of butter, making the flavor even richer.

I found it tastier to just lightly sear the surface rather than grilling it too long.

So how did it taste

Honestly, some gyukatsu places look great but taste pretty average once you actually eat them, but Ichigyu had that extra layer of fun from grilling it yourself. Grilling it on the buttered hot plate especially brought out a savory aroma and let the clean flavor of the meat itself really come through.

Grilling it piece by piece and eating it right away also meant it stayed warm and moist, which I personally loved.

Most importantly, I properly satisfied my gyukatsu craving that day, lol.

Why I'd recommend it as a Balsan date spot

If you're looking for a date spot in Balsan, Ichigyu is worth putting on the list. The place isn't stiff at all, it has this cute Japanese-style atmosphere, and since you grill the food yourself, conversation naturally comes up during the meal.

"How long do I need to grill this?" "I want mine a bit more well-done!"

Chatting like that about each other's preferences while eating is more fun than you'd expect, haha.

And rather than just gyukatsu alone, ordering the steak too makes it easy for two people to share and try different kinds of meat.

If you're looking for a gyukatsu restaurant near Balsan

If you're searching for good food around Balsan and want something a bit different, or a restaurant with a Japanese feel, I'd say it's worth checking out Ichigyu.

If you're looking for a good date spot while checking out Balsan restaurants, I recommend Ichigyu — you get the cute atmosphere and a fun, interactive meal all in one. Next time I'm craving gyukatsu again, I think I'll be back, lol.