Gangseo Japanese restaurant for kids’ first gyukatsu: Ichigyu

Our first gyukatsu in Balsan with the kids

When I first tried gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet), its crisp exterior and tender interior left quite an impression on me 🫶

I remembered enjoying it so much that I had always wanted my children, who had never tried gyukatsu, to have it someday too.

This time, I visited the Balsan gyukatsu spot Ichigyu with the kids and bought them their first gyukatsu. Since they usually love tonkatsu and meat, I expected them to eat well, but...

they enjoyed it farrr more than I expected, so I was delighted too! It was a great Balsan Station restaurant.

Ordering the gyukatsu set and individual braziers

Ichigyu specializes in gyukatsu, so I felt I could trust it. Looking at the menu full of appetizing gyukatsu options, I deliberated for a while, haha.

After much consideration, we ordered the gyukatsu set meal, karaage (Japanese fried chicken), king prawn tempura, and Ramune.

Once we ordered the gyukatsu, they set up individual braziers, which the kids found fascinating.

At last, the gyukatsu arrived!! The outside was crisp, but it is not served fully cooked through to the center.

First, we coated the brazier with fragrant butter. I put on a piece of gyukatsu and showed the kids how to eat it.

You can decide for yourself whether to cook the meat a little longer on the brazier or enjoy it medium-rare, so...

the two brothers carefully grilled it to suit their own tastes and concentrated on their meal more than usual, haha.

It really was a menu that made eating fun with the kids, and mealtime felt so enjoyable ~

Tender gyukatsu the kids loved

Finally, it was time to blow on the nicely grilled gyukatsu and taste it.

The outside was crisp while the inside was tender and juicy, so perhaps that is why the children could eat it without any fuss—they loved it from the first bite.

My kids usually struggle with chewy meat, but it was much more tender than expected, and they happily dipped each piece into the sauce.

Watching them grill one piece at a time and eat the golden-brown gyukatsu made this mom's heart feel so full and happy.

The set meal also came with rice and soup. Rice refills were available, so I refilled it once for my older son, who is a teenager and eating a lot these days, and we could eat our fill without feeling short on anything.

Karaage and king prawn tempura sides

Gyukatsu alone felt a little incomplete, so we also ordered karaage and king prawn tempura as sides.

They love chicken so much, so they enjoyed the karaage too, but...

they dipped the enormous king prawn tempura in the savory sauce and finished every last bite, even though it was so big.

The tasty sides made it nice to enjoy an even more generous range of flavors alongside the gyukatsu.

Finishing with nostalgic Ramune

The kids picked Ramune to finish the meal. They had seen it in cartoons and tried it while traveling in Japan, so we ordered it for that nostalgic taste. The bottle itself is so tiny and cute, isn’t it?

They also loved the fun of popping the marble down into the bottle. Drinking the cool, soda-flavored Ramune with ice was a great, refreshing finish after the gyukatsu and fried foods!!

After enjoying gyukatsu, the sides, and Ramune, we took a photo at the thoughtfully designed photo zone on our way out, haha.

The kids must have fallen for both the fun of grilling it themselves and the tender flavor, because they said they wanted to come back for more next time. They enjoyed their first gyukatsu so happily and deliciously that...

I have a feeling the kids will ask for it first next time, without Mom having to recommend it, haha.

Ichigyu, the Balsan gyukatsu restaurant where we had such a happy meal with the kids. Just seeing them enjoy their first gyukatsu so much makes me want to visit again.