Euljiro tonkatsu restaurant: spicy mayo chicken thigh katsu, Hunta

Where is Hunta Euljiro?

Hunta Euljiro is a tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) restaurant on the ground floor of the Fastfive building near Euljiro-ipgu Station. I come to this neighborhood for meals so often that the restaurants I know are practically all clustered in one spot, so it feels very familiar.

Hunta Euljiro opened on the ground floor of that same building, and it gave off such a serious tonkatsu-specialist vibe that I had been keeping an eye on it before finally visiting.

Hunta Euljiro also had a combo menu pairing tonkatsu with kimchi-jjigae (kimchi stew). I love kimchi stew with pork in it, but tonkatsu and kimchi stew together? I never imagined that.. Office workers are surely going to love this one.

I went for a late lunch to dodge the office-worker rush hour. The restaurant had just settled into a relaxed, calm mood after the storm.

What does the chicken katsu set (₩14,000) at Hunta Euljiro taste like?

The chicken katsu set at Hunta Euljiro is ₩14,000 and comes with a katsu made from chicken thigh. Honestly, I came for the good-looking sangrosu (top loin), but the sangrosu katsu was already sold out, so I ordered the chicken katsu as a consolation.

It was my first chicken katsu, and since I've had my fill of plain fried chicken, I figured it couldn't be that different and always pushed it down the priority list.. but after trying it at Hunta Euljiro that day, I completely changed my mind..

The katsu is made from chicken thigh, and I was amazed at how they shaped it so neatly. The chicken skin and the distinctive texture of the thigh, plus its tender flavor, all came through, and it was seriously appealing.

Dip it in the spicy mayo sauce served with the chicken katsu and I might never look for fried chicken again..?

Is the fillet add-on (₩4,000) worth it?

At Hunta Euljiro you can add hire (pork tenderloin) to the set for ₩4,000. That add-on soothed my disappointment at missing out on the pork katsu. The most shocking tonkatsu I've ever had was probably the tenderloin katsu at Ojeje near Seoul Station back in 2021.

It tore apart in chewy strands like jangjorim (soy-braised beef), a texture that was honestly shocking, and the hire katsu at Hunta Euljiro that day was exactly that.

I put a little wasabi on the last piece and tried it again, and yep, perfect.. 👏

Following a staff member's friendly guidance, I also sprinkled on some GABAN pepper. The tonkatsu itself is so good that it went well however I ate it.

How is chicken thigh katsu different from regular fried chicken?

The biggest difference from regular fried chicken at Hunta Euljiro is how full of juice the thigh katsu is. Okay, back to chicken katsu time. I think I took this photo because I was so stunned by the thigh katsu that I wanted to analyze it. Juicy chicken katsu like this is hard to find in fried chicken..

The shape changes the texture, and the cooking temperature differs too, so it may simply feel different, but it definitely has its own charm that sets it apart from fried chicken.

What comes with the set: cabbage salad, rice and tonjiru

The set at Hunta Euljiro comes with cabbage salad, rice and tonjiru (pork miso-style soup). The thinly sliced cabbage salad tossed in a fresh, tangy sauce was great for refreshing the palate.

A tangy sauce like this really suits greasy katsu, you know. No to perilla dressing!

The rice and tonjiru that came with the set also felt properly cared for.

The tonjiru comes as a clear broth, which seemed to cut the richness nicely, and I was gulping it down like makgeolli (rice wine)..

I was also impressed by the variety of ingredients in it, like shiitake mushrooms and pork.

How to eat it with tonkatsu sauce, mild mustard and chicken skin

The tonkatsu sauce at Hunta Euljiro comes out a little plain, but stir in the mild Korean mustard and it becomes a fun, different option.

Take the precious, crispy chicken skin and dunk it in tonkatsu sauce plus mustard, and the rich flavor and crunch are simply the best, nothing to envy about Peking duck skin.

Is it worth going back?

The chicken katsu set at Hunta Euljiro was a very satisfying meal. The sauce was so good that I got one more refill and scraped it all up. I'm so curious about the pink meat of the loin and sangrosu katsu and how they taste and feel, so I'll have to come back. It was a chicken cutlet meal that left me really looking forward to the next one.