Peter Luger sauce tonkatsu near Olympic Park, Seoul: Riae Premium

Riae Olympic Park Branch, a famous tonkatsu spot in Gangdong ⓒ words/photos Mung-eun

Dinner at Riae Premium after an Olympic Park picnic

Riae Premium Olympic Park Branch is a dry-aged tonkatsu restaurant a 5-minute walk from Olympic Park. I'd gone on an Olympic Park picnic date and eaten a packed lunch there, but somehow ended up strangely hungry again... T_T So I went to fill up properly at Riae, a famous tonkatsu restaurant!

It was around 5pm on a Sunday, kind of an early dinner time, but I was surprised how many people were already there — one bite in, I got it immediately... T_T I'd call this honest review of Riae Premium Olympic Park Branch one of the best tonkatsu meals I've had in Seoul!

Hours, parking and whether Riae Premium works with kids

• Daily 11:00 - 20:00
• Break time 15:00-16:00
• Last order 19:30
• High chairs available
• Free parking available

It's within a 5-minute walk of Olympic Park, and 15 minutes on foot from Gangdong-gu Office Station. With high chairs available, it's a restaurant you can bring kids to after visiting Olympic Park, and there's free parking behind the building too, so it's easy to get to whether you're on foot or driving.

First impression: frying tonkatsu with no oil smell

What surprised me the moment I walked in was that even with the dining room quite full and tonkatsu frying nonstop, there was almost no oil smell! Since it's an open kitchen, you can see just how clean and hygienic the operation is, which let me eat with peace of mind.

What we ordered at Riae Premium

I ordered the Signature Premium Special Loin (Tenderloin) Tonkatsu, the Cold Soba Loin (Tenderloin) Set, and for sides the Gangwon-do domestic potato croquette and Peter Luger New York steak sauce — basically everything I wanted to try~

Signature Premium Tenderloin Katsu, 22,500 won

Cooking starts the moment you order, so it came out in under 15 minutes~ The breading was especially delicious — crispy with no greasiness, melting away without any dryness, and it turns out it's made by grinding whole loaves of bread from a certified breadcrumb master and mixing them themselves. As a bread-lover, I guess I can tell good breadcrumbs when I taste them haha.

What comes with the set: sauces and miso soup

The banchan (side dishes) spread is really varied, right~? Beyond the basic tonkatsu sauce, there's yuzu ponzu, truffle oil, Maldon salt, and wasabi. So many sauce options plus a vegetable salad — very satisfying haha.

My personal pick!! was the Maldon salt with no additives haha. No bitterness, just crisp saltiness that boosts the tonkatsu's umami UP!! I'm drooling just writing this... T_T

And the miso soup that comes standard doesn't look special at all on the surface?! But wow~~ when I scooped a deep spoonful, it was packed full of meat and other ingredients!!

Apparently it's a miso made by blending nuruk-jang, white miso, and red miso in a special ratio, with broth made from black pork tenderloin. Even the smallest side dish here has so much care put into it — I was in awe eating it, haha, T_T.

Cold Soba Tenderloin Set, 19,500 won

The tonkatsu that came with the cold soba set was equally generous — thick cut, crispy, melt-in-your-mouth breading, just as good~

Just from the photo of the cold soba set, don't the colorful toppings stand out — carrot, chives, cucumber, sprouts, shrimp, orange, and more?

Cold soba noodles can sometimes turn hard because of the ice slush, but at Riae Premium the noodles were cooked to just the right doneness, so even sitting in the icy cold water, the chewy texture was outstanding!

Personally, I loved the cold soba broth too — a tsuyu base with a strong katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) aroma, a moving taste rivaling dedicated cold soba specialty shops... Even my boyfriend, a cold soba lover, said this place is a real cold soba spot!!! He even said we should come back before the summer-only menu disappears! I really, really recommend trying the cold soba set... T_T

Sides: Peter Luger steak sauce and potato croquette, 1,000 won each

Peter Luger New York steak sauce, ₩1,000. Out of curiosity I added the sauce from the famous New York steakhouse — I could pick up a subtle pepper plus chicken-y umami note, so I'd say it was worth trying once for the experience! (My laid-back boyfriend said he couldn't tell the difference haha;;)

Gangwon-do domestic potato croquette, ₩1,000. As a root vegetable lover, I couldn't resist ordering the moment I saw "Gangwon-do domestic potato" — and sure enough it was soft and nutty >0<. The smooth potato cream, just the right amount of diced potato chunks, and bits of ham tucked in without disrupting the texture — personally, this was such a no-fail menu item that I'll definitely order it again when I come back to pay out of my own pocket haha.

Seating and how to reserve at Riae Premium

Riae Premium Olympic Park Branch has a variety of seating — bar seats, 2-tops, 4-tops — so it works for everyone from solo diners in Gangdong/Songpa to family gatherings~

They're taking CatchTable waitlist entries at the entrance, but since it's a well-known spot for a meal after an Olympic Park picnic, I'd recommend reserving ahead! You can book through Naver, so make a reservation before heading over for tonkatsu after your Olympic Park picnic!