Seocho Japanese restaurant for cold udon and tonkatsu: Kosi

When you look for somewhere to eat near Gyodae Station, there are fewer places open on weekends than you might expect. There are lots of restaurants around Gyodae Station and the court that cater to weekday office workers, so quite a few are closed on weekends.

This time, I visited Kosi Gyodae Branch (코시 교대점), which is open on weekends and lets you enjoy everything from tonkatsu to udon in one go. If you like Japanese food, it is the kind of place where even looking through the menu is quite fun.

A neat Japanese restaurant near Gyodae Station

Even before going in, the food photos posted at the entrance caught my eye.

There were photos of dishes such as Korean pork katsudon, Sanuki noodle tempura bukkake udon, assorted Korean pork katsu, and Sanuki noodle mazesoba. Every single one looked delicious, so I was already agonizing over what to order before stepping inside.

I also liked that Kosi Gyodae Branch is open on weekends as well as weekdays. That is actually quite important when you are looking for somewhere to eat around Gyodae Station on a weekend.

A clean, modern atmosphere

I visited just after the break time ended. It was relatively quiet when I first came in, but customers kept arriving while we ordered and waited for the food.

By the time we started eating, the tables were nearly full. The restaurant itself felt clean and modern, which I liked.

I tend to care about the atmosphere of the dining space as well as the food, and the whole place felt tidy, so I could eat comfortably.

What comes with the shrimp tempura bukkake udon and tonkatsu set

The dish I ordered that day was the shrimp tempura bukkake udon and tonkatsu set. It did not just come with udon—there was tonkatsu and inari sushi too—so it was quite a generous meal.

The main tempura bukkake udon was topped with fried kabocha squash and shrimp tempura.

I especially liked the udon noodles. They had that wonderfully chewy Sanuki noodle texture, so they were satisfying to bite into. Since it was cold udon, it had a different appeal from warm udon with broth. It would suit a hot day or a day when you are craving something clean and refreshing.

Even the tempura on the bukkake udon was crisp, so I was happy :)

The shrimp tempura paired a crisp batter nicely with plump shrimp, while the kabocha tempura was sweet and soft. Udon alone might have felt a little plain, but the tempura added different textures and made the meal feel much fuller. Best of all, the tempura was crisp rather than soggy.

A proper meal with tonkatsu too

We cannot leave out the tonkatsu that came with the set! When I took a bite of the crisply fried cutlet, the outside was savory and the inside was fairly moist, making it nice to alternate with the udon.

The chewy udon noodles and crisp tonkatsu had such different textures that I actually got less tired of the meal than if I had eaten just one dish. With the inari sushi alongside them, it was a very well-rounded meal. At first I thought, “This should fill me up just enough,” but as I ate, there was more food than I expected, and it was very satisfying.

My companion had cheese katsu and mini udon

My companion ordered a dish with cheese katsu and warm mini udon. As soon as it arrived, the cheese was the first thing that caught my eye.

The cheese inside was melted beautifully, so it looked appetizing from the start. The rich, soft cheese went well with the pork cutlet. It also came with salad and rice, making it filling enough on its own.

But with warm mini udon as well, it really felt like a proper full meal! There was no need to worry that the portion might be too small.

A good choice when tonkatsu alone will not do

What I noticed while eating at Kosi Gyodae Branch was the variety of combinations on the menu. Tonkatsu fans can choose cheese katsu or other tonkatsu dishes, while udon fans can go for chewy Sanuki noodles. I personally really liked the tempura bukkake udon in particular, since it paired cold udon with crisp tempura.

When you want a hearty meal near Gyodae Station

It also seems like a good option for anyone who likes Japanese food but feels it would be a shame to eat only tonkatsu every time. First of all, I liked how generous the meals were. The tempura bukkake udon and tonkatsu set I ordered let me enjoy udon, tonkatsu, inari sushi, and tempura all together,

and my companion’s cheese katsu also came with rice, salad, and mini udon, so even people with a big appetite could eat without feeling shortchanged. The restaurant was clean, and it was nice that it is open on weekends as well as weekdays.

If you are looking for somewhere near Gyodae Station or the court where you can have tonkatsu and udon together, stop by Kosi Gyodae Branch sometime. I would especially recommend it to anyone who loves chewy Sanuki noodles or wants to enjoy crisp tonkatsu and cheese katsu together. Next time, I would like to try the mazesoba or assorted Korean pork katsu that caught my eye right from the entrance :)