# Ilwon-dong tonkatsu lunch comparing sirloin and tenderloin: Sioldon

- By Hyeonseo (https://superchart.com/en/@cafe-between-hours/)
- Written Sep 17, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Gangnam, Seoul
- Sponsored: This review was written after receiving a complimentary meal from the restaurant.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@cafe-between-hours/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@cafe-between-hours/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/index.md)

## In short

Sioldon Ilwon Branch is a tonkatsu (Japanese pork cutlet) restaurant on the Ilwon-dong food street in Gangnam, Seoul. On a weekday around 2pm, a couple ordered one premium sirloin katsu set and one tenderloin katsu set at Sioldon and compared them side by side — the husband preferred the chewy sirloin, the wife the melt-in-the-mouth tenderloin. Same tonkatsu, different cuts: at Sioldon Ilwon Branch you simply order whichever texture suits your taste.

## Good to know

- **Location**: 12 Ilwon-ro 9-gil, 1F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Ilwon-dong food street)
- **Getting there**: 5 minutes from Samsung Seoul Hospital intersection, 8 minutes from Daecheong Station Exit 4
- **Parking**: Room for 2 cars in front of the restaurant
- **How to order**: Kiosk ordering
- **What we ate**: Premium sirloin katsu set, tenderloin katsu set
- **Discount**: 2,000 won off for takeout; value sets available
- **Wait and cooking time**: There was still a wait at 2pm on a weekday; served about 15 minutes after ordering
- **Seating**: Partitioned tables, window seats for solo diners
- **Provided items**: Hair ties, single-use mouthwash
- **Price reference**: ₩2,000 ≈ $1.4 (2026-09-19)

*as written by the visitor on Sep 17, 2026*

## Still a wait at 2pm on a weekday at Sioldon Ilwon Branch

Sioldon Ilwon Branch is a katsu restaurant at 12 Ilwon-ro 9-gil, 1F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the Ilwon-dong food street. It's 5 minutes from the Samsung Seoul Hospital intersection and 8 minutes from Daecheong Station Exit 4, with 2 parking spots available right in front.

On my husband's rare weekday off, we got to enjoy a leisurely lunch date together for once. Since it was a weekday we had more time than usual, so while thinking about where to go for a good lunch, we decided on tonkatsu. We headed to Sioldon Ilwon Branch, an Ilwon-dong local favorite that takes its crispy tonkatsu seriously. Here's my review of the tonkatsu we enjoyed on our relaxed weekday lunch — a Samsung Hospital-area eatery, an Ilwon-dong favorite: Sioldon.

We arrived a bit late, around 2pm on a weekday. I figured lunchtime would be mostly over and we'd get a relaxed meal, but walking inside there were more people eating than I expected.

![Inside Sioldon Ilwon Branch with customers on a weekday afternoon](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-01-1bnpd-900.webp)

![View near the entrance of Sioldon Ilwon Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-02-1evw1-900.webp)

I guess it really is a place a lot of people come to in Ilwon-dong for good tonkatsu, haha.

![The dining hall of Sioldon Ilwon Branch photographed after the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-03-1qigp-m-900.webp)

The photo above is one I snapped of the dining room as we were leaving after our meal.

### Partitioned tables and window seats for solo diners

Each table has a partition, giving a sense of separation from the next table, which made eating feel comfortable.

![Partitioned table seating at Sioldon Ilwon Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-04-1ao9y-900.webp)

There are also nice window seats set up for solo diners, so the layout works well for eating alone too!

![Window seats good for solo dining](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-05-1ba7m-900.webp)

## Kiosk ordering and 2,000 won off for takeout

At Sioldon Ilwon Branch you order at a kiosk. We took our time browsing the menu and picked the tonkatsu we wanted to eat.

![Kiosk menu screen at Sioldon Ilwon Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-06-vv8z1-900.webp)

There are value-for-money sets too, plus a ₩2,000 discount for takeout! Plenty of people were picking up takeout orders, and delivery riders kept coming in and out.

![Store counter with takeout and delivery information](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-07-mldrl-900.webp)

![Entrance where customers wait for their turn](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-08-julqq-900.webp)

A popular spot with a wait, haha. There's even a thoughtful little touch: hair ties and disposable mouthwash on hand.

![Amenity corner with hair ties and disposable mouthwash](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-09-1t53r-899.webp)

The menu was made up of various katsu sets and hot-pot (nabe) dishes. Apparently Sioldon is a tonkatsu-focused brand that started by researching the various breeds of Korean pigs and went on to study different aging methods and meat-curing techniques. Hearing that it was built through many rounds of testing and trial and error made me even more eager to try a proper katsu set, haha.

So among the katsu options, we ordered one tenderloin katsu set and one premium sirloin katsu set. I really wanted to taste tonkatsu done properly.

![Table set after ordering](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-10-1fim5-900.webp)

And sure enough, about 15 minutes later, the crispy katsu sets arrived.

![Full spread of the premium sirloin katsu set at Sioldon Ilwon Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-11-11h2q-1200.webp)

## Premium sirloin katsu set: the limited 72-hour cross-aged cut

The premium sirloin katsu set at Sioldon Ilwon Branch is made with domestic Korean pork that's cross-aged for 72 hours in-house, then cured with koji salt to bring out deep flavor from this special cut. It's sold in limited quantities, which made me even more curious.

![Premium sirloin katsu sliced into thick pieces](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-12-7mb11-900.webp)

The katsu came out neatly arranged, sliced long and thick — it looked delicious just to look at, haha.

Alongside the katsu came a cabbage salad with black sesame dressing. Rice, soup, and side dishes rounded out the set meal, making it a hearty, satisfying meal.

![Set meal with black sesame cabbage salad, rice, and soup](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-13-q0zq0-900.webp)

![Plate of side dishes accompanying the katsu set](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-14-aa3ij-900.webp)

It also came with pink salt, fresh wasabi, mustard, and a special tonkatsu sauce to dip into as you like — nice to have so many options, hahaha.

![Pink salt, fresh wasabi, mustard, and tonkatsu sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-15-1eeo6-900.webp)

You could see the fat and lean meat nicely mixed together. I tried the katsu plain first, without any sauce, curious what a 72-hour aged premium sirloin would taste like.

![Cross-section of premium sirloin katsu with fat and lean meat mixed](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-16-7xsqi-900.webp)

![A piece of premium sirloin katsu picked up with chopsticks](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-17-88mzb-900.webp)

It had a chewy, springy texture... which paired really well with the crispy breading on the outside.

Next I tried it with tonkatsu sauce and fresh wasabi. The fresh wasabi had a sharp, pungent kick that was delicious.

![Katsu dipped in tonkatsu sauce and fresh wasabi](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-18-1o5cm-900.webp)

![A piece of katsu dipped in sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-19-1vw85-900.webp)

## Tenderloin katsu set: pink inside, soft all the way through

Next we tried the tenderloin katsu. Cutting into it, the cross-section had a faint pink tint, which surprised me at first — I wondered if it was undercooked, haha.

Apparently that color comes from the low-temperature aging process.

One bite in and, wow... it was seriously the most tender I've ever had. Along with the clean, mild flavor of tenderloin, it had a moist texture with not a single tough spot — it just melted in my mouth, hahaha.

![Tenderloin katsu with a faint pink cross-section](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-20-fp7ov-900.webp)

It was so tender it was almost unbelievable, and I kept picking up piece after piece, hahaha.

![Plate of tenderloin katsu eaten piece by piece](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-21-offxu-900.webp)

### Koji-salt curing and the peppery broth on the side

At Sioldon, they apparently use koji salt, a fermented salt, instead of regular salt. Koji salt keeps salt's natural saltiness but has lower sodium than regular salt, and it's said to be a natural seasoning that brings out the umami of meat. Maybe that's why the meat's curing tasted different from the tonkatsu I'm used to. Definitely a different kind of saltiness!! Even without dipping heavily in sauce, the meat itself had a subtle, savory depth.

![Katsu cured with koji salt and salt served on the side](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-22-1cm79-900.webp)

The soup that came with the tonkatsu was also really good — I finished the whole thing. When your mouth starts to feel heavy from eating meat, a spoonful here and there really cleanses the palate.

![Soup served alongside the katsu set](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-23-1o4w3-900.webp)

It had chili flakes in it, so the spicy kick was really nice too.

![A bowl of spicy soup made with chili flakes](https://img.superchart.com/images/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet/siholdon-ilwon-weekday-lunch-cutlet-24-1nqcq-900.webp)

## Tenderloin or premium sirloin katsu: which should you order?

Our conclusion after trying both!! My husband's pick was the premium sirloin katsu — being limited quantity, plus he preferred the chewier texture of the meat — while mine was the tenderloin katsu. That soft, tender meat was just too delicious for me.

Same tonkatsu, but the premium sirloin has a chewy, savory charm while the tenderloin has a soft, juicy one — pick whichever suits your taste.

Sioldon Ilwon Branch, a Samsung Seoul Hospital-area favorite and an Ilwon-dong local pick, let us properly enjoy both the crispy breading and the natural flavor of the meat. If you're ever craving proper tonkatsu in Ilwon-dong, pick whichever katsu set suits your mood from their range and enjoy a great meal. I'd recommend Sioldon Ilwon Branch as a tonkatsu spot!! Great for lunch, great for dinner, and perfect for solo dining too!

## Where it is

- Sioldon Ilwon Branch (시올돈 일원점)
- 12 Ilwon-ro 9-gil, 1F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 강남구 일원로9길 12 1층
- 37.489524, 127.0826117
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%8B%9C%EC%98%AC%EB%8F%88%20%EC%9D%BC%EC%9B%90%EC%A0%90/@37.489524,127.0826117,17z

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