After-work tonkatsu in Chuncheon, red center and all: Jeongseong Katsu

Now that the weather has turned properly cool, I keep craving hearty meat dishes. On my way home from work I especially wanted something fried, crispy outside and juicy inside, and while I was deciding where to go, I ended up at a place the neighborhood says does great tonkatsu (pork cutlet). It's Jeongseong Katsu (정성카츠) Chuncheon Toegye Branch, a Toegye-dong favorite in Chuncheon with a solid base of regulars. After trying freshly fried katsu myself, I understood right away why everyone praises it.

Where is Jeongseong Katsu Chuncheon Toegye Branch, and what is the last order time?

Jeongseong Katsu Chuncheon Toegye Branch is in the middle of Toegye-dong, Chuncheon, right next to Namchuncheon Humancia Complex 1 and Toegye-dong U-Seung Hannaedeul apartments. Last order is 9:30pm, so you can eat in comfort even on a weekday when you finish work late.

Nearby you'll find Jihyo Building, Damga Hwaro Gui (a charcoal grill restaurant) and Suhyup Bank, so locals have probably walked past it at some point. It's very easy to get to. When I looked up the hours, last order turned out to be 9:30pm. On a weekday evening when I leave work a bit late, not having to rush or feel awkward about it was a big plus for an office worker.

Atmosphere and how to order at Jeongseong Katsu

The restaurant has a bright, clean, tidy interior, and every table has a KT Hi-Order tablet menu, so you can order right from your seat. You can really feel how much care goes into hygiene.

When I sat down at an empty table, each one had an ordering tablet. There's no need to flag down a busy staff member. You can sit back and look through the menu photos and descriptions at your own pace, which was really convenient.

What are the menu and prices at Jeongseong Katsu?

The loin katsu set and fillet katsu set are ₩12,900, and the new spicy tonkatsu set and kimchi cheese nabe are ₩13,900. All three pastas are ₩9,900, and soup dishes like udon and cold soba run about ₩7,900 to ₩9,900.

Looking through the menu, the katsu lineup is wonderfully varied by cut of meat, which suits a name like Jeongseong Katsu. There's the classic loin and fillet katsu sets, the spicy tonkatsu set with its zingy sauce, and the rich, hearty kimchi cheese nabe (a hot pot), all at fairly reasonable prices. What really caught my eye was that, even though it's a tonkatsu specialist, the pasta and snack-style lineup is as lavish as a Western restaurant's.

• Loin katsu set · Fillet katsu set: ₩12,900
• New spicy tonkatsu set · Kimchi cheese nabe: ₩13,900
• Jeongseong mixed katsu set: ₩13,900
• Triple mixed katsu set: ₩14,900
• Cream pasta · Garlic chipotle pasta · Aglio e olio pasta: ₩9,900 each
• Fish cake udon: ₩8,900 / Kimchi fish cake udon: ₩9,900
• Icy cold soba (naengmomil): ₩7,900

There's fish cake udon and kimchi fish cake udon for when the cold wind blows, plus icy cold soba, so the soup side is fully covered too. Pair one katsu with a soft noodle dish and share, and I bet you could keep eating forever.

Two sets, Jeongseong mixed katsu and Triple mixed katsu, for ₩28,800

This after-work evening, I ordered one of the signature Jeongseong mixed katsu set (₩13,900) and one Triple mixed katsu set (₩14,900). Two adults, two sets, and the total came to ₩28,800.

I picked this combination because I wanted to taste a variety of fried items at once. Even with such a generous order, the receipt only said ₩28,800, and considering how pricey meals are these days, I thought the value was truly the best.

Is a red cross-section on tonkatsu undercooked?

According to the note at the bottom of the Jeongseong Katsu ordering screen, the red tint in the cut katsu isn't undercooking but the myoglobin effect. If red meat bothers you, you need to say so before ordering, and once the meat has been cut it can't be recooked.

Just as I was about to place the order, a small note at the bottom of the screen caught my eye. It says this is a natural phenomenon that appears when fresh, good-quality pork is cooked at the optimal temperature, so you can eat with confidence. If the look of red meat is a bit much for you, tell the staff before ordering and they'll carefully cook it a little more well-done to your taste. However, once the meat has been cut and served, the juices have run out and it can't be recooked, so it's worth keeping in mind when you order.

What the Jeongseong mixed katsu set looks like and how it tastes

The mixed katsu set at Jeongseong Katsu comes on a personal wooden tray with katsu, rice, soup, cabbage salad, sauces and side dishes. The thick katsu was the very definition of crispy outside, juicy inside (geotbasokchok).

After a bit of chatting and waiting, my Jeongseong mixed katsu set and Triple mixed katsu set arrived at the table. On the wide wooden tray, everything was neatly packed in with no gaps: the appetizing main katsu, firmly packed rice, warm soup, thinly shredded cabbage salad, and various sauces and side dishes. It really made me feel looked after. The coating was so pale and golden that you could tell they fry it carefully in clean, fresh oil every day.

I picked up a heavy, thick piece of katsu with my chopsticks and took a big bite, and it broke with a crisp crunch as the nutty flavor of the breadcrumbs spread. Then the juices trapped between the muscle fibers burst out and filled my mouth, and I couldn't help but marvel. Even though the meat is quite thick, there wasn't a single tough bit, and the texture of it tearing softly along the grain was truly an art. The slightly red cross-section locked in moisture and juice, so it stayed moist without any dryness until the last bite.

Triple mixed katsu with wasabi and sauce

With the Triple mixed katsu, it was a lot of fun alternating between three fried items, each with its own charm, and the Jeongseong mixed katsu also had a wonderful balance across cuts. I dabbed the cute little bit of wasabi on the side of the plate onto the lean meat, and it cut the greasiness of the fry while doubling the rich savoriness of the pork, a perfect match. Dipped generously in the sweet katsu sauce, it's also great as a side for rice. The crunchy, fresh cabbage salad came with plenty of tangy dressing, perfect for refreshing my mouth between bites of fried food.

Is Jeongseong Katsu Chuncheon Toegye Branch worth returning to?

The portions at Jeongseong Katsu Chuncheon Toegye Branch are generous, and two adults finishing two sets were stuffed. The katsu, the ordering system that respects customers' preferences, and the pleasant dining room: it has everything a Chuncheon neighborhood favorite should have.

If you're looking for a good place to eat in Toegye-dong, Chuncheon, or want proper Japanese-style tonkatsu that shows what crispy outside, juicy inside should be, don't hesitate. I strongly recommend visiting Jeongseong Katsu Chuncheon Toegye Branch. With its clean atmosphere, I think it would also suit a date meal or a weekday work lunch. On a day when you crave something crunchy, it's a spot I truly want to come back to.