Gaepo-dong tonkatsu takeout in Seoul: three cutlets from Riae

If you're obsessed with crispiness, this is a place that will make you gasp! If you're looking for the tonkatsu of your life, pay attention to today's post!

Riae in Gaepo-dong: 17 years in one spot, and can you eat alone?

Riae is a tonkatsu restaurant that has held down the same spot in Gaepo-dong for 17 whole years. A restaurant that's stayed in one place for such a long stretch of time in Gaepo-dong — did you all know about this?

I'd heard the waits here are notoriously long, so I braced myself before heading over! Just as rumored, word of mouth is no joke — the line was pretty long! Still, turnover is really fast, so my number came up quickly and I didn't wait long! The inside was also really clean and pleasant, which I loved!

It's neatly arranged mostly with cozy 2-person tables, which makes it perfect for solo dining too! There are 4-person tables as well, but they might be a bit tight.

What to order for takeout at Riae: premium loin, fillet and minced cutlet

For this visit to Riae, I made sure to order takeout of the premium loin cutlet along with the fillet (tenderloin) cutlet and the minced cutlet — one of each kind!

Dining in at Riae is truly the way to go, but their takeout and delivery service is so well set up that it was really convenient! Since they run continuously with no break time, there was no pressure about a time limit either!

Opening the Riae takeout box at home: 2.5cm-thick cutlets

The moment I brought Riae's tonkatsu home and opened the box, I genuinely gasped (๑'ᵕ'๑) The thickness of the meat was truly overwhelming!

Taking a big bite of Riae's tonkatsu, the juices burst out from inside the crispy breading!

Riae's tonkatsu lets you chew right through the 2.5cm-thick grain of the meat, with no gamey smell at all and an incredibly tender texture!

Fillet (tenderloin) cutlet

I found myself nodding at the skill behind the premium loin cutlet's breading — it clung right to the meat without separating! No greasiness either, so it was perfect down to the very last piece!

Best sauce pairing at Riae: truffle oil with Maldon salt

The variety of sauce pairings made eating extra fun! For Riae's tonkatsu, dipping it lightly in truffle oil with Maldon salt was easily the best — the flavor got so much richer!

At Riae, topping it with a bit of wasabi and dipping it fully into ponzu sauce was also refreshing and clean — I loved it!

Being able to enjoy variations in flavor without ever getting tired of it was so exciting (๑•̀ㅁ•́๑)

Is Riae's minced cutlet worth adding?

Riae's curious menu item! The minced cutlet, packed with juices, was also a hidden gem — I just kept eating it.

The perk of no break time means you can drop by comfortably whenever you like!

Riae's tonkatsu is also fantastic packed up to enjoy comfortably at home!

If you want to experience a true new world of tonkatsu flavor, don't hesitate — I strongly recommend giving it a try at least once (๑˙ꄃ˙๑)

Today was another day I felt truly healed thanks to delicious food!

Next time I'll have to go on a mission to try their other menu items! This place has earned a spot as one of my all-time favorites, so I recommend it with full confidence! If you're a tonkatsu fanatic, jot this down and go visit (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

For anyone truly serious about thick, juicy cutlets, I'm confident this will be a choice you won't regret!

A happy day where a delicious meal reliably turned my mood around too (๑ㄤꄃㄤ)♡⃛