Gwangju katsu restaurant dinner for two: onion katsu, Filling Donkatsu

Hi everyone! I was looking for somewhere to eat dinner in Gwangju and ended up at Filling Donkatsu Yongbong Branch. It's a tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) specialist, but it also has a wide range of pasta dishes, so it seemed like a good option when you want both tonkatsu and pasta at once.

This time we ordered onion katsu and Tuscan shrimp pasta. Since there were two of us, we each ordered a different dish, which was nice because we got to try a variety instead of just one thing.

Soup and salad arrive before the meal

At Filling Donkatsu Yongbong Branch, after you order and wait a bit, a pre-meal soup and salad come out first. It was nice to soothe your stomach with warm soup along with the salad before the tonkatsu arrives.

It was a good way to lightly whet your appetite before digging into something heavier like tonkatsu or pasta.

Onion katsu with the sauce on the side for dipping

What I ordered was the onion katsu at Filling Donkatsu Yongbong Branch! I usually prefer dipping tonkatsu sauce rather than having it poured heavily over the dish beforehand, so I asked for the sauce on the side.

Eating the crispy fried katsu together with the onions added a nice crunchy texture from the onion on top of everything.

I also liked that having the sauce served separately meant I could dip as much as I wanted each time I took a bite. If you're not a fan of loading up on sauce, I'd recommend asking for it on the side like I did.

Eating tonkatsu on its own can get a little greasy after a while, but having it alongside the onions helped refresh the flavor as we went along.

How did the Tuscan shrimp pasta go with the katsu?

The other dish we ordered was the Tuscan shrimp pasta. I wasn't sure if ordering pasta at a tonkatsu place would work out, but eating the two dishes together actually turned out to be a great combination.

The pasta with shrimp in a creamy Tuscan sauce was great to alternate with bites of tonkatsu, and I'd recommend that two people order one tonkatsu and one pasta to share. It's a great option when one person wants tonkatsu and the other wants pasta — no need to stress over picking just one menu!

Kimchi is yours if you ask for it

At Filling Donkatsu Yongbong Branch, they'll bring you kimchi (fermented seasoned cabbage) if you ask. Some of you probably crave kimchi when eating tonkatsu, right? Haha. We asked for extra kimchi during our meal and they brought it right over.

When the tonkatsu started feeling a bit greasy, a piece of kimchi alongside it really hit the spot. If you need kimchi, just ask a staff member.

Why Filling Donkatsu works for dinner in Yongbong-dong, Gwangju

Overall, Filling Donkatsu Yongbong Branch had a wide range of menu options since you can enjoy pasta alongside tonkatsu. With soup and salad served before the meal, and the option to order tonkatsu and pasta together to share, the menu setup was especially good for the two of us.

If you're looking for somewhere to eat dinner in Yongbong-dong, Gwangju, or a place where you can enjoy both tonkatsu and pasta, this is worth considering. And if you're like me and prefer dipping your own tonkatsu sauce, I'd recommend the onion katsu with sauce on the side combo :)

Filling Donkatsu Yongbong Branch: the verdict

• Onion katsu
• Tuscan shrimp pasta
• Pre-meal soup & salad provided
• Extra kimchi available on request
• A great place to enjoy tonkatsu and pasta together