Songjeong, Busan cutlet spot with cheese Napolitan: Deli Donkatsu

These days I've tried all kinds of food, so many that if you asked me what my favorite dish is, I honestly couldn't pick just one. But when I was little and someone asked me that, I think I always said pork cutlet.

I don't remember exactly when I first had pork cutlet, but whenever we went out to eat as a kid, it was always the first thing I wanted. This time I went looking for a place that could bring back that childhood pork cutlet taste — a Songjeong, Busan spot called Deli Donkatsu (델리돈까스).

Where is Deli Donkatsu, and can you walk there from Songjeong Station?

Deli Donkatsu is located in Songjeong-dong, Haeundae-gu. Driving is probably the most convenient way to get there, but it's not too far to walk from Songjeong Station either — we walked from the station.

Street parking is available near the restaurant (I heard it's an area that isn't strictly enforced).

Deli Donkatsu hours, break time and days off

They're open from 11 AM to 8 PM, with last order at 7 PM. Break time runs from 4 PM to 5 PM. They're closed on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month.

Inside Deli Donkatsu: is there a table free at dinner?

The restaurant looks really pretty from outside. It genuinely gives off that feeling of an old-school restaurant from my childhood, but with a modern, clean twist.

We went for dinner and it was packed. We nearly had to wait, but luckily one table opened up and we got seated without waiting.

There's a sign called "DELITIP" with tips on how to enjoy the food even more. Such a nice touch.

The place was clean and tidy, which put me in a good mood. You order through a kiosk placed at each table. We ordered the classic pork cutlet set and the cheese Napolitan spaghetti on a hot plate.

What comes with the pork cutlet set at Deli Donkatsu: bread and soup first

The pre-meal bread and soup arrived. Wow, it already looked delicious. Even the bowl the soup came in was so cute.

I spread jam on the bread and enjoyed it — and it was warm, which made it even better.

It had been a while since I'd had soup like this.

I don't think I liked soup that much as a kid, but every now and then I see soup like this and wonder why it tastes so good these days. I wanted another bowl, but held off since I still had the main dish to eat.

The main dish, the pork cutlet, arrived. Wow, it was huge. The cutlet came with vegetables and salad on the side.

I've tried all sorts of pork cutlets lately, and while those are all delicious in their own way, they're not quite the nostalgic taste from my childhood. But this one looked exactly like the pork cutlets I ate growing up, just from the visuals alone — old memories came flooding back before I even took a bite.

This is the cheese Napolitan spaghetti on a hot plate. Loaded with cheese, generous portion, and it looked incredibly appetizing.

How the pork cutlet and cheese Napolitan tasted

Deli Donkatsu's pork cutlet is definitely delicious. The meat was so tender — truly the nostalgic taste from my childhood.

First off, the sauce is amazing — a bit sweet with a savory undertone.

The outside of the cutlet was super crispy while the inside stayed soft — the texture was excellent.

The spaghetti has a tomato base, and since I'm a fan of tomato-based pasta anyway, I really enjoyed it.

Mild cheese and the bright aroma of tomato. I didn't eat much spaghetti as a kid, but it somehow gave off that same feeling as something I used to eat back then.

They gave us a free chicken salad for leaving a review. The salad was really tasty too.

Verdict: Deli Donkatsu, a local Songjeong restaurant for family dinner

Overall, the food is really delicious. And the vibe of the place along with the taste of the food gave me that feeling of recalling something I loved eating as a kid.

The pork cutlet especially was so good — like a taste of nostalgic old-school cooking. Now that I'm older, I find myself thinking about the food I used to eat back then more often, and this ended up being such an enjoyable meal. I'm really glad I came.