Cheongju Japanese restaurant for cheese katsu: Myeonsikdang

On the way back from the Hyundai Department Store culture center in Cheongju, my daughter said she wanted ramen and bunsik (casual Korean snack foods). I searched around and found Myeonsikdang (면식당), said to be the most popular spot with nearby students and office workers, so we went.

Myeonsikdang Jiwel City: checking the menu before going in

After parking underground and coming up, you can see Myeonsikdang from the side and the front. There is a menu board out front like this, so I think it is a good idea to check it while waiting or before going in. You can end up hesitating over your order when you arrive without knowing what is on the menu~

Inside the clean restaurant, there are counter seats by the entrance and window that are great for dining alone, as well as tables in various sizes starting with two-person tables. Even while we were eating, orders kept coming in by phone and delivery drivers stopped by.

Kiosk ordering and helpful amenities

Myeonsikdang gives you a drink if you take part in its Naver photo-review event. If there is a wait, write your name on the waiting board in front of the restaurant, and groups can dine more conveniently by making a Naver reservation.

Myeonsikdang country-of-origin display board

You can order easily through the kiosk installed at each table, and baby chairs are available, so families can dine comfortably too.

Tonkotsu ramen and fire-grilled mini butadon

There are new menu items, too. My daughter likes things such as the fire-grilled mini butadon and tonkotsu ramen, so that is what we ordered.

Tonkotsu ramen + fire-grilled mini butadon ₩12,700

The ramen came out last!! I took a spoonful of broth first, and it was light yet deep in flavor—mm, it did have quite a strong garlic aroma, but it was delicious. The bean sprouts in particular seemed just lightly cooked in the hot broth, so they retained a crisp texture. It was wonderfully clean and light.

The chashu had no porky smell at all and a nicely restrained smoky flavor, while the noodles were nice and springy too~

The No. 1 side that goes well with any menu: fire-grilled mini butadon! The well-seasoned rice was delicious too, making this a hearty and very good dish to have alongside your meal!!

Mozzarella cheese katsu and mini cold soba pairing

Mozzarella cheese katsu + mini cold soba ₩14,900

Crisply fried mozzarella cheese katsu, tonkatsu sauce, wasabi and salt, plus a salad topped with especially delicious udon and black sesame sauce!

The mozzarella cheese katsu had thick Korean pork tenderloin and an enormous amount of cheese! I ate two pieces and was so full that I could barely touch the rice. The thick meat had none of that characteristic pork smell; it was truly light and savory, and the chewy texture of the mozzarella cheese katsu was so good!

Apparently, I was not the only one who thought the mozzarella cheese katsu at Myeonsikdang Jiwel City was a perfectly composed dish. Lots of people at the restaurant were having it.

Myeonsikdang signature menu

• Tonkotsu ramen ₩7,900
• Mazesoba ₩8,900
• Handmade pork loin katsu ₩10,500
• Large butadon ₩8,500

Myeonsikdang, famous in Cheongju as a great-value restaurant, has a truly wide range of dishes beyond its signature menu.

Myeonsikdang plates everything so prettily. The neat food is not overly seasoned overall, so it feels easy on the stomach even after a meal. Near Jiwel City in Bokdae-dong, Myeonsikdang is a restaurant where anyone can enjoy a meal without feeling weighed down.

Myeonsikdang's mozzarella cheese katsu is delicious just as it is—crisp outside and moist inside—but it was also really good dipped in either salt or sauce.

The cold soba was one of the dishes I really loved, with wonderfully springy noodles and a house-developed broth. It was a fantastic pairing with the mozzarella cheese katsu. I think it will be one of the dishes I always order when I visit Myeonsikdang~

Myeonsikdang Jiwel City is a popular restaurant near Jiwel City in Cheongju for ramen, katsu, soba, and more, only about a five-minute walk from Hyundai Department Store Cheongju, so it is very accessible!! Popular with nearby office workers and students, Myeonsikdang has a wide variety of light but delicious dishes, and parking is very convenient too, right? Just register your parking yourself on the tablet at the entrance.