Gangdong Seoul tonkatsu restaurant with thick loin: Katsu Monster

Lately, I just kept craving properly crispy fried pork cutlet~ I was near Gangdong District Office and spotted a tonkatsu specialist, so I visited Katsu Monster Gangdong Office Branch~!! It is directly opposite the district office and an easy walk from the station, so it was in a great spot when looking for pork cutlet near Gangdong Office Station. Since it is Japanese-style tonkatsu (breaded deep-fried pork cutlet) fried fresh to order, everything from the coating to the thickness of the meat was exactly my style, haha.

How close is it to Gangdong Office Station?

Address: 28 Seongnae-ro, 1F, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea Hours: Daily 10:30–21:00 It is about a 4–5 minute walk from Gangdong Office Station, so it is quite accessible by public transit. It is also not far from Olympic Park, so I think of it as a place to eat after a day at the park, too.

The restaurant

Katsu Monster Gangdong Office Branch was not a large place. It has one long counter-style bar table, giving it a clean, cozy feel~! It also looked completely comfortable for dining alone.

Best of all, it has an open kitchen, so you can watch the cutlets being fried. When I visited, the tonkatsu was turning beautifully golden~ Watching it come out freshly fried made me even more excited for it, haha. If you are looking for Japanese food around Seongnae-dong that is good for a solo meal, this counter setup seems quietly convenient.

The tonkatsu we ordered and the prices

That day, we ordered two dishes: loin cutlet for ₩13,000 and mozzarella cheese cutlet for ₩14,000~!! Along with loin and cheese cutlets, there were fillet cutlet, premium loin cutlet, and assorted cutlet options, so you could choose according to your taste. If you love classic Japanese tonkatsu, I think you would really like the menu selection here~!

The thick, juicy loin cutlet

First, the loin cutlet~!! You can tell even in the photo, but the meat was seriously thick, right? Haha. The outside was fried to a lovely golden color while the inside stayed juicy, so the contrast in texture really came through with each bite. In particular, the bit of fat attached to the loin added savory richness, so it was tender and went down easily rather than feeling dry~

The coating was not overly thick, so the meat really stood out, and that combination of a crispy exterior and a thick bite of loin was so good~!! Meat thickness matters a lot to me when I eat pork cutlet, so I was glad I came looking for tonkatsu near Gangdong Office Station, haha.

Eating it with the cabbage and kimchi helped refresh my palate in between, and with rice and soup alongside it, this was a hearty meal.

Cheese cutlet packed with whole mozzarella

And then there was the mozzarella cheese cutlet, which really delivered on looks~!! From the moment it was cut open, the amount of cheese was impressive. Thick tonkatsu was filled to the brim with whole mozzarella, so cheese lovers would fall for it at first sight, haha. The outside stayed crispy while the cheese inside melted softly, giving it a completely different kind of savory appeal from the loin cutlet. Even with all that cheese, the coating did not go soggy, so the texture held up nicely through the last bite~!

If you are visiting with children after Olympic Park, or simply love cheese, I think this menu item would suit you well.

One meal with loin cutlet and cheese cutlet

The loin cutlet was all about the clean flavor of the meat and its thick texture, while the cheese cutlet was about fully enjoying the rich savoriness of mozzarella~!

The two dishes had different charms, so I was glad we ordered them together. If you love tonkatsu and are looking for Japanese food around Seongnae-dong, ordering both to share seems like a great combination~! Most of all, being able to eat hot tonkatsu fried right after ordering meant I could properly enjoy that signature crisp texture. It would be a good choice whether you are looking for pork cutlet near Gangdong Office Station, coming over from Olympic Park, dining alone comfortably, or simply wanting a neat, satisfying meal in Seongnae-dong~!!

Next time I visit, I am planning to try the fillet cutlet that I missed this time, haha. When you are craving thick Japanese tonkatsu, Katsu Monster Gangdong Office Branch near Gangdong Office Station is a place worth remembering~!