Seoul Station Japanese restaurant comparing sirloin two ways: Ichigyu

Where is Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch? Three minutes from Exit 10

I was debating what to eat for lunch near Seoul Station and ended up going to Ichigyu for Japanese-style gyukatsu. Restaurants inside Seoul Station itself are always crowded, but if you widen your search a little, there are great places nearby too.

Just 3 minutes from Exit 10 of Seoul Station! Head to the LG Seoul Station Building - easy to find via the underground stairs connected to the outside.

Ichigyu is a convenient spot to go to if you have plans near Seoul Station or need to eat before catching a train. Coming out of Exit 10, it's a 3-minute walk, and unlike the restaurants inside the station itself, you can eat at a relaxed pace here. It's also a clean, solid choice for a Seoul Station lunch date.

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch, a gyukatsu spot worth knowing about near Seoul Station

Ichigyu hours and break time: lunch orders until 2pm

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch is open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00, and last order at 14:00 for lunch and 20:30 for dinner. The address is 98 Huam-ro, B1 B116, Jung-gu, Seoul, and both reservations and parking are available.

I visited around 1:50pm on a weekday. It was a bit past the lunch peak, so the restaurant was fairly relaxed and I could eat comfortably. But since there's a break time, lunch orders are only taken until 2pm. If you're planning a late lunch, it's best to arrive a bit earlier with that cutoff in mind.

For waitlist and reservations, use the Catch Table kiosk set up in front of the restaurant.

Inside Ichigyu Seoul Station: atmosphere and seating

The interior really feels like you've stepped into Japan - and the Japanese music playing in the background probably added to that feeling. Most tables seat 2 or 4, so it works well for a couple's date or a lunch with coworkers.

Each table comes with its own small brazier set up - you use the personal brazier to grill the meat yourself.

Sirloin gyukatsu vs sirloin steak, 19,000 won each

Today's menu: the gyukatsu set and the steak set

Looking at the menu, I got stuck deciding. I already knew I wanted gyukatsu, but there were so many other options I had to think for a moment, haha. There was hamburg omurice, chopped steak, Japanese curry, yakisoba, and cold soba too.

Sirloin gyukatsu ₩19,000, sirloin steak ₩19,000

After all that deliberating, I ordered the sirloin gyukatsu for ₩19,000. And along with it, the sirloin steak for ₩19,000. I also added a fried egg and shared everything. Since both used sirloin, it was fun comparing how the same cut tasted prepared two different ways.

Are rice refills free at Ichigyu?

One nice thing was not having to worry about running out of rice during the meal. Rice refills are available, so if you eat a lot, that's worth keeping in mind.

Looking at the photos, the marbling on the meat looks even better up close. It was quality sirloin, so the beef flavor really came through.

How to grill the sirloin with Isigny butter on your brazier

The savory Isigny butter is the kick!

One thing that especially stood out at Ichigyu was that they serve Isigny butter. Once you put the butter on the brazier, it quickly starts sizzling and melting, and then you place the meat on top to grill it. The moment the butter hits the brazier, the whole air around the table changes.

As the buttery aroma spread, it added a savory richness to the meat, giving a different taste than just grilling it plain. Cooking the meat one piece at a time on the sizzling brazier made the whole meal more fun to eat. Gyukatsu really shines with this style - lightly fried on the outside, then grilled to your own taste. Rather than cooking it all the way through at once, grilling it little by little lets you adjust the doneness to your own preference as you eat.

Especially as the butter melted, it felt like the savory flavor was soaking into the surface of the meat, pairing really well with the gyukatsu. With gyukatsu, how well-done you cook the meat really matters, and being able to grill it bit by bit meant I could enjoy it warm the whole way through. Feeling the texture unique to sirloin while cooking it exactly to my liking made eating it one piece at a time genuinely fun.

Salt and wasabi or steak sauce: which suits the sirloin

First bite: golden-grilled meat topped with fresh wasabi, dipped in salt!

Next up: fresh wasabi, then a generous dip in steak sauce~ Depending on which sauce you pair it with, you get a whole different flavor experience. (Of course, both were absolutely delicious, haha.)

Is Ichigyu Seoul Station worth it for an office lunch or a date?

If gyukatsu comes to mind for a Seoul Station lunch, Ichigyu is worth putting on the list. It's also a good choice if you want something a little different for a Seoul Station date. Above all, the process of melting Isigny butter on the brazier and grilling the meat yourself made the meal fun and never boring.

If you have plans near Seoul Station or need to eat before a train, this is a good spot to consider given the accessibility too. Order the gyukatsu and the steak, share them, and refill the rice - you can enjoy a really satisfying meal.