Cheongju late-night pork cutlet restaurant: Haengbokhan Udong Gage

While Dad and I were deciding what to have for dinner, we decided on pork cutlets for the first time in ages. But it was that awkward time after dinner and heading into the night, so there were hardly any pork cutlet places still open,, We were about to give up and order delivery when we found this Yullyang-dong gem: Haengbokhan Udong Gage!!

Can you have pork cutlets late at night in Yullyang-dong?

It is in the food alley behind Yullyang-dong Grand Plaza, with bunsik (casual Korean snack-bar food) such as udon and pork cutlets as its main offerings. Unusually, it is open for lunch, dinner, and late-night service. It was close to home, so we rushed right over haha.

And Dad likes old-school, Western-style pork cutlets while I like cheese pork cutlets, and Haengbokhan Udong Gage happens to sell both.

I enjoy any cheese pork cutlet, but my dad will not eat one unless the sauce is poured over it; These days, katsu served with dipping sauce is the norm, so places selling old-style pork cutlets are so preciousㅠㅠ

• 31 Yullyang-ro 190beon-gil, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea
• Daily 11:00 AM–2:00 AM
• Last order 1:00 AM
• Parking is available in front; park on nearby side streets if there is no space

The atmosphere on a late weekday night

It was a weekday and fairly late, so I thought we would be the only ones there, but there were surprisingly other customers. Most were couples, friends, or solo diners having udon or pork cutlets as a meal, like us.

Among them, one group had ordered a stir-fried dish as a drinking snack and was having a glass of soju haha. Dad saw that and suggested we get stir-fried squid too, but I stopped him. We cannot finish it, Dad ;; We can come back for the stir-fried squid next time—let's order udon and share it todayyy.

• Old-style pork cutlet ₩11,000
• Cheese pork cutlet ₩12,000
• Gakgi udon ₩8,000
• Write a review and receive one free honey tomato, soft drink, soju, or beer

I was hungry, so I was happy the food came out quickly hehe.

How was the sauce-covered old-style pork cutlet?

First up was the old-style pork cutlet Dad chose~~ The appearance passed before we even ate it. Just looking at the shape, you can tell it is not a frozen product being fried up. They say every cutlet is handmade using only premium pork loin, with a policy of using it all up the same day.

It was large, too. You can see the salad, corn, and jalapeños, but no rice, you say? No way. Mixing rice into the sauce is the rule with old-school Western-style cutlets! A separate bowl of rice comes with it~

The sauce-covered side was moist, just as a Western-style cutlet should be, while the untouched side was crispy. The meat was neither too thick nor too thin, just right, with a clean flavor.

Cheese pork cutlet and jalapeño together

What is there to say about cheese pork cutlet? You can tell at a glance it is packed with cheeseeeeee ahhh!

More than half of it was cheese, so Haengbokhan Udong Gage is bound to satisfy people like me who are crazy about cheese.

Personally, I liked putting a jalapeño on top of the cheese pork cutlet more than dipping it in sauce. So good.

Fresh, house-made Gakgi udon noodles

This was the Gakgi udon we ordered to share because pork cutlets alone felt a little lacking. Honestly, the pork cutlets alone would have filled us up, but they said they use fresh noodles made in-house, so I was curious and added an udon too.

Ahh, the broth was seriously rich. The weather is getting chilly as autumn slowly arrives, and I think I will remember this when I am craving hot broth.

And the noodles! They really do knead and make them in-house, because they were definitely different from ordinary udon noodles!! Visually, they were a little like jjolmyeon (chewy Korean wheat noodles), maybe? I personally do not usually prefer regular udon noodles because they taste strongly of flour, but at Haengbokhan Udong Gage, the noodles had less of that floury taste and a much chewier texture. I absolutely loved them.

Both the pork cutlets and udon were satisfying! Dad seemed to like them too, so we decided to come back for pork cutlets next time. If you are craving an old-school Western-style pork cutlet, stop by Haengbokhan Udong Gage Cheongju Yullyang Branch for a delicious meal, whether it is lunch, dinner, or late at night :)