Gwangju donkatsu restaurant with anchovy kalguksu: Jinsim King

For those times you want a filling, good-value donkatsu without any fuss — Jinsim King Donkatsu Pyeongdong Branch is a great pick! Generous portions at a fair price made it well worth the visit :)

Where is Jinsim King Donkatsu Pyeongdong Branch, and what are the hours?

Jinsim King Donkatsu Pyeongdong Branch is located at 11-13 Pyeongdong-ro 800beon-gil, 1F, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, and is open daily from 10am to 9pm with no break time. It's easy to walk right past on your way there, but there's a banner right at the entrance pointing the way in — super easy to find! Even first-time visitors should have no trouble spotting it if they just look for the banner :)

• Address: 11-13 Pyeongdong-ro 800beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu
• Hours: Daily 10:00–21:00, no break time
• Group seating available, takeout, delivery, parking available

Inside the restaurant: can you bring a baby?

Walking into Jinsim King Donkatsu Pyeongdong Branch, the space was way bigger than I expected. I visited right after the lunch rush, so I could eat at a leisurely pace :) They also have high chairs on hand, so it's a good place to bring a baby along.

What's at the self-serve corner, wrap vegetables included

The self-serve corner has wrap veggies, pickled radish, kimchi, ssamjang (dipping sauce), soup, and broth. Jinsim King Donkatsu also comes with wrap veggies on the side, so you can eat it without feeling greasy — a different way to enjoy it!

Before the main dishes arrive, they bring out broth, soup, and side dishes! The side dishes are self-serve, so you can help yourself to as much as you need.

What we ordered: king donkatsu, sweet potato cheese donkatsu and anchovy kalguksu

The dishes a robot brought to our table. We ordered Jinsim King Donkatsu (₩16,900), sweet potato cheese donkatsu (₩16,900), and anchovy kalguksu (₩8,900). Honestly I was only planning to eat donkatsu, but the reviews for this place mentioned people ordering a lot of kalguksu (noodle soup) too. Figured warm noodle soup would go well with donkatsu, so we gave it a try.

A table that looks generous just from a glance! My husband loves fried donkatsu, so of course he went with the double portion again... haha. I suddenly had a craving for sweet potato cheese donkatsu !!! That's the whole reason I came all the way here!!

The double donkatsu: crispy outside, juicy inside

Crispy breading piled on top, crispy outside and juicy inside double donkatsu ♡ A crunchy coating with tender meat underneath — my donkatsu-loving husband especially enjoyed this one.

We added spicy sauce and ate it together! The spicy kick cuts through the greasiness nicely.

Why does everyone order the anchovy kalguksu?

And the anchovy kalguksu! Loaded with seaweed flakes, fried tofu skin, and fish cake, plus a beaten egg mixed in, making it super savory and clean-tasting! It had a familiar taste that reminded me of somewhere — turned out to be similar to a famous kalguksu place in Jeonju that my husband and I both love, so we enjoyed it even more!! Now I get why so many people order the kalguksu here.

Sweet potato cheese donkatsu, a cheese bomb

And then the cheese-bomb sweet potato cheese donkatsu! The sweet taste of sweet potato piled on with loads of cheese...!!! That combination of sweet potato sweetness plus cheese... this was exactly the sweet potato cheese donkatsu pairing I was craving ㅠㅠ

Can you see that cheese pull stretching out! The combo of sweet potato sweetness and savory cheese in this sweet potato cheese donkatsu comes highly recommended!!

My husband's way of eating donkatsu haha. Wrapping it in a veggie wrap is so good, you have no idea. It cuts the greasiness and gives it a whole different flavor.

Leftover donkatsu: free takeout containers

Jinsim King Donkatsu Pyeongdong Branch sells containers separately too, but they also have free takeout containers set up at the self-serve packing station, so we packed up the leftover donkatsu and cheese donkatsu. Brought it home and made it into a donkatsu rice bowl, which was a delicious way to enjoy it all over again.

With generous portions and a varied menu, this is a place I'd recommend to anyone looking for a filling, good-value meal. Not just the donkatsu but the kalguksu was great too, so next time I want to try more of the menu. If you're in Pyeongdong looking for a hearty meal of donkatsu, kalguksu, or naengmyeon, Jinsim King Donkatsu Pyeongdong Branch is the recommendation!