Gokseong pork cutlet restaurant for family meals: Jinsim Wang Donkatsu

An Okgwa pork cutlet spot with the kids and my parents

At 1 p.m. on Sunday, I visited Jinsim Wang Donkatsu Okgwa Branch (진심왕돈까스 옥과점) with my two children and my parents. Under a blue sky, it is my favorite pork cutlet restaurant, in a pretty building that looks like a detached house. Once it gets a little cooler, I think outdoor dining will be possible too.

Jinsim Wang Donkatsu Okgwa Branch is regularly closed on Wednesdays, so keep that in mind and do not make a wasted trip..

As mealtime came around, more and more cars arrived, the lot filled up, and people had to wait for a table. Visiting before 11:30 a.m. is best if you want to eat without waiting.

Along with the waiting information, the Korean pork certification really stood out! Jinsim Wang Donkatsu Okgwa Branch uses Korean pork.

Spacious seating and the self-service bar

The interior was incredibly bright and spacious. There were so many tables that it was easily large enough for group gatherings, travelers, family get-togethers, or work dinners. Dining along the floor-to-ceiling window line while enjoying the view outside would be lovely too. Plenty of people working nearby also came here to eat alone.

Jinsim Wang Donkatsu’s operating philosophy—“We make it as though our own family will eat it”—is proven by the flavor too. It is one reason I came back.

Photos of the various dishes line the wall, which made them very easy to look over and choose from. Photos also appear on the tablet ordering system, so there was no inconvenience at all.

There is a self-service packing station beneath the large TV. Portions are very generous, so if you cannot finish, packing materials are provided for you to pack up leftovers yourself.

High chairs can be hard to use when several families with children are visiting, so I recommend the sofa seats if possible. We sat at a sofa table too, and honestly, it is the children’s favorite spot.

There is another self-service bar by the kitchen. For just ₩1,000, soft drinks and beer are unlimited. Pork cutlet and beer—what more do you need..

• Please use the self-service bar for water, side dishes, vegetables, aprons, small plates, and more.
• Please take only a reasonable amount of side dishes and vegetables.
• It is such a shame to waste food. Please take small amounts and come back often.
• Please let a staff member know if anything is lacking.

Jinsim Wang Donkatsu Okgwa Branch is also running a Naver receipt review event.

Does the pork cutlet look red because it is undercooked? Jinsim Wang Donkatsu uses fresh, never-frozen pork loin. This is a healthy, natural color created when myoglobin, a protein, meets heat and oxygen, and it is also proof that no food additives are used, so please enjoy it with confidence!!

Water is self-service! Chilled water is stocked in the refrigerator, so you can help yourself. There are kind staff members, and there is also one staff member who is a little blunt but great at the job: the KT DIGICO serving robot. It is so cute every time I see it.

What we ordered and the self-service bar

• Anchovy kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup)
• Mul naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth)
• Jinsim Wang jjolmyeon (spicy chewy noodles)
• Half udon set
• Jinsim pork cutlet kimchi nabe
• Unlimited drinks for 3

The thing to do as soon as you order and get up from your seat! Hurry to the self-service bar for side dishes, soup, and broth. We went at 1 p.m., and the broth was almost gone. Just how many people came here.. That is a proper stamp of approval for a great restaurant. Children’s tableware is available too, so just take what you need.

Jinsim Wang Donkatsu Okgwa Branch menu guide

From crispy king-size pork cutlets to noodle dishes

By the time I returned from the self-service bar, the serving robot was bringing our ordered dishes one by one. Delicious food filled the table.

First, my son’s pork cutlet and udon set. I thought it would be a small portion because it was a set, but the udon came in a huge bowl filled to the brim. Bouncy noodles, cute fish cakes, and udon broth—it had all the things children would love.

It looks like udon, but it is anchovy kalguksu. They serve so generously that even a little movement threatened to spill the noodles over, and my mom could not stop smiling.

The mul naengmyeon, with refreshing slushy ice to wash away the summer heat, was topped with julienned cucumber, sliced radish, and a boiled egg, loudly declaring, “I’m refreshing right now.” It made for a cool, satisfying meal.

The Jinsim Wang Donkatsu jjolmyeon comes with plastic gloves, and its red sauce is spicy enough that people who cannot handle heat may find it a little difficult. The portion must be so huge that they give you gloves to make mixing it easier.

One bite of the well-mixed jjolmyeon and there is no better dish for waking up your appetite. A lettuce wrap of jjolmyeon softens the heat. Wrap the noodles in lettuce and they taste twice as good as eating them on their own.

I asked for the sauce separately with the king-size pork cutlet because I wanted to show off that crispiness. Seriously, it is so crispy that every cut makes a satisfying crunching sound. When I was younger, I liked thick pork cutlets, but these days I absolutely love thin ones. I cannot give up crispiness in my life. The sauce is also the classic Korean-style Western pork cutlet sauce: never cloying, just exactly the standard flavor.

The thin king-size pork cutlet is perfectly suited to lettuce wraps too. I even wrapped it with jjolmyeon, and it was so delicious that exclamations just came out.

The kimchi nabe pork cutlet had moist pork cutlet in kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) with beaten egg stirred through it. It was definitely in kimchi stew, but how was it still crispy? The kimchi stew and pork cutlet came together in a rice-stealing flavor that made me crave a bowl of rice.

A family meal my parents loved too

I had visited often with the children, but this was my first time bringing my parents. My older parents liked Jinsim Wang Donkatsu Okgwa Branch too. We had a filling meal and, after a long time, I feel like I gave them the gift of a happy time. With such a varied menu, it was the perfect restaurant for a family meal.