Seoul Station gyukatsu, 15–20 seconds on the brazier: Ichigyu

I visited Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch, well known near Seoul Station for its gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet).

Where is Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch, and when is it open?

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch is in Jung-gu, Seoul, about a 2-minute walk from Seoul Station exit 10.

• Hours: 11:00–21:30
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: 2:00pm, 8:30pm

Coming out of exit 10, right next to the LG Seoul Station Building, you head down to the basement where that pointing finger sign is.

Pass through the revolving door and you're right at Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch.

We went without a reservation around 7pm on a weekday and got seated with no wait at all. For reference, you can also book through Naver Reservation.

What is the restaurant like inside?

Through the full glass front you could see what looked like meat hanging to age and be stored — it definitely gave off proper meat-and-steak-specialist energy.

Due to the limited space, the tables aren't spaced especially wide apart, but the interior is clean with a cozy, Japanese-style diner mood — the kind of moderately lively, pleasantly noisy energy of Friday-after-work gyukatsu, steki, and drinks was memorable.

What we ordered at Ichigyu and what it cost

The menu includes sirloin gyukatsu and steak, hambagu omurice, steki-don (steak rice bowl), curry, yakisoba, and more. We ordered one basic gyukatsu and one basic steki set. Total came to ₩39,000!

Ichigyu's mini cast-iron brazier arrived, ready to grill the meat alongside the rice. Some stylish Japanese lettering stamped on the bottom of the brazier caught my eye, though I couldn't make out what it said.

Gyukatsu (sirloin, 19,500 won)

The gyukatsu arrived. The marbling peeking through the breading was pure art.

The gyukatsu came with cabbage salad, miso soup, pickles, butter, and sauces (salt, wasabi, special sauce, sweet chili sauce).

Steki set (sirloin, 19,500 won)

And soon after, the steki set was ready.

The side dishes were the same as the gyukatsu set.

Grilling the gyukatsu: 7–8 seconds vs 15–20 seconds

Time to grill it up nicely... Ichigyu's guide to enjoying gyukatsu at its best goes like this:

• Pairing it with Ichigyu's special sauce brings out even more flavor.
• The 3 sauces served alongside the special sauce let you enjoy a variety of tastes.
• The premium French Isigny butter is best enjoyed divided into 3 portions, so you can savor its aroma longer.
• Gyukatsu is served medium rare, so grill it to your taste. (7-8 seconds is Best)

For the first bite I followed the instructions and grilled it for just 7-8 seconds, but the meat was still slightly cold, undercooked. Maybe the plate hadn't fully preheated yet...? Personally, grilling for about 15-20 seconds hit the sweet spot — tender enough and just the right temperature.

Grilling slowly and carefully, the gyukatsu's breading really locked in the juices — truly crispy outside, tender inside — and the steki delivered the sirloin's rich meaty aroma straight through. A fantastic dinner spread.

Which sauces to pair with the gyukatsu

Following the guide (sort of), I tried mixing sauces to see what worked best — personally, gyukatsu tasted best with the special sauce plus a touch of salt and wasabi, while the steki was best with a light coating of melted Isigny butter plus a touch of salt and wasabi.

Who is Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch best for?

It had been a while since I'd had gyukatsu this good — crispy outside, tender inside. I'd recommend it to office workers near Seoul Station for a satisfying lunch, and as a casual spot for a drink alongside dinner after work.