Suyu lunch spot for solo diners: mixed katsu set at Katsu Shokudou

Ta-da~ I had errands near Gangbuk-gu Office today, and since it was around lunchtime, I decided to grab a bite while I was at Suyu Station!! Eating alone, I was scrolling for a while trying to decide where to go when suddenly tonkatsu hit me hard haha ㅇㅅㅇ

So the place I visited was Katsu Shokudou Suyu. The tonkatsu was delicious, but wow, the shrimp katsu here was really impressive ㅠ If you love fried shrimp, you'll be totally satisfied!! The shrimp inside was so big and hearty, seriously ㄷㄷ It was great for a lunch spot near Suyu Station, and with the bar seating, it was perfect for eating alone!

3 charms of Katsu Shokudou Suyu

Let me leave a detailed review!

Where is Katsu Shokudou Suyu, and what are the hours?

Katsu Shokudou Suyu is at 1st floor, Unit 114, Episode Suyu 838, 315 Dobong-ro, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, about a 2-minute walk from Suyu Station Exit 6. It's located at the very back of the 1st floor of Episode Suyu 838, across from the 1st floor restroom.

• Hours: Daily 11:30–21:00 / Last order 20:30
• Parking: Available, 60 minutes free with dine-in
• Restroom: outside the shop
• Takeout and delivery available, Wi-Fi, bar seating and single seats
• Japanese-style handmade tonkatsu specialty restaurant
• Signature menu: Rosu Katsu Set ₩13,000 / Hire Katsu Set ₩14,000 / Mixed Katsu Set ₩20,000

How to find Katsu Shokudou on the 1st floor of Episode Suyu 838

Katsu Shokudou is on the 1st floor of Episode Suyu 838 — go into the building and keep walking to the back, and the restaurant appears! Follow the arrow signs and you can find it easily.

With any single set order, you get rice, salad, and soup, and curry dishes even come with free refills!!

A Blue Ribbon-recognized restaurant near Suyu Station @@ let's go in~~~

Can you eat alone? Inside Katsu Shokudou Suyu

The interior of Katsu Shokudou Suyu is fairly cozy overall. There are mostly 2-person tables, and bar seating is set up on one side.

It's a layout that's quite comfortable for solo diners too. Perfect for a solo meal near Suyu Station, right?

There's a hanger on one side

With vintage frames and lighting scattered around, the overall vibe felt warm and cozy. It wasn't too bright or bare, which made it a nice place to sit alone and eat slowly!!!

Hair ties and dental floss: the table setup at Katsu Shokudou

Every table has cutlery ready, along with Himalayan pink salt, napkins, wet wipes, hair ties, and even dental floss! I always floss after eating, so this made me really happy haha. Even having hair ties there was such a nice touch!!

Katsu Shokudou Suyu menu and prices

Order at each table @_@ Katsu Shokudou is a Japanese-style handmade tonkatsu specialty restaurant with a range of choices, from rosu katsu and hire katsu to jumbo shrimp katsu.

The mixed katsu set in particular comes with rosu katsu, hire katsu, and jumbo shrimp katsu together, perfect for anyone who wants to try several things at once!!! Also, set menus let you choose between mini udon or mini soba.

And with any single set order, you get rice, salad, and soup, plus free refills for the curry dish. This felt like good value.

Haha, take note of how to enjoy it best (remember this)

Order placed

The mixed katsu set, served fast even at lunch

The mixed katsu set comes with rosu katsu, hire katsu, and jumbo shrimp katsu all on one tray. Turnover seemed fast, so even visiting during lunch hour, the food came out quickly!!!

Having it all laid out felt so filling haha. Eating this really means having a proper meal,,

How big is the jumbo shrimp katsu?

But what really surprised me was thiiiis,,,, prawn,, the jumbo shrimp katsu. My first thought was, isn't this basically the size of a whole tonkatsu?? ㄷㄷ

Whoa whoa whoa whoa

That's a real shrimp inside — have you ever seen a shrimp katsu this big!!!! Big shrimp fan here @_@

I split it right in half and there was a hearty, thick chunk of shrimp inside ㄷㄷ The shrimp meat was packed in tight and the size was really something,,,,ㅋ

It was noticeably bigger than any shrimp katsu or fried shrimp I've had before, so it left an impression. Dipping it in the sauce, the shrimp flavor was rich and combined with the crispy batter, it was delicious.

How to eat the tonkatsu: salt, sauce or yuzu wasabi

The tonkatsu at Katsu Shokudou Suyu was crispy and juicy. I'm a tonkatsu nerd ^ㅁ^, I like Western-style tonkatsu and crispy katsu alike ㅠㅠㅠ

• 1. First I tried it with no sauce at all, just the meat itself — it was juicy, so the flavor of the meat came through really well, slurp
• 2. Next, a dash of Himalayan pink salt! Eating it plain and simple gave a different taste!!!!

3. Then I dipped it in the tonkatsu sauce too. Look at that thick,, inner meat,,,

Why the yuzu wasabi is the surprise of the meal

4. Lastly, I tried it with my favorite, wasabi!! But here's the thing — the wasabi here isn't just regular wasabi, it apparently has yuzu mixed in!! Maybe because of that, it felt a little lighter to eat than regular wasabi and had a refreshing scent too ㅜ

It cut through the richness of the tonkatsu, so personally I really liked this combo!!!!!

Even the fatty edge of the rosu katsu was tender

There were parts of the tonkatsu with fat attached, and it wasn't gamey at all — the chewy texture was still nice. Eating the lean meat plain is good, but there's also a different kind of fun in eating these chewy bits together haha

The mini udon with crown daisy greens

The mini udon I chose for the set was personally impressive too. A lot of places call it udon but just throw in tempura bits with no mugwort greens ㅜㅜㅜ (ugh! I really love udon with fragrant mugwort greens in it. So the moment I saw this, I was like, oh, this is real udon haha, and slurped it right up~

The mugwort aroma rose up gently and the broth wasn't too strong, so it was clean and easy to eat. Taking a sip of the udon broth between bites of tonkatsu cut through the richness — the combo worked really well.

Katsu Shokudou Suyu: the verdict

If you're craving tonkatsu near Suyu Station and want a filling meal, I recommend Katsu Shokudou! The jumbo shrimp katsu size was especially impressive, and the yuzu wasabi with tonkatsu combo was delicious too ㅠㅠㅠ With bar seating, it's easy to visit alone, and it's a great spot for anyone looking for a good lunch near Suyu Station.

What was good about Katsu Shokudou Suyu

• The jumbo shrimp katsu size is seriously massive
• Crispy yet juicy tonkatsu
• The fun of trying something different with yuzu wasabi
• Mini udon with fragrant mugwort greens
• Bar seating makes solo dining easy — great for eating alone
• Thoughtful touches like hair ties and dental floss provided
• Rice, salad, and soup included with any single set order
• Free refills on curry dishes
• 60 minutes free parking with a meal

Who Katsu Shokudou Suyu suits best

• Anyone looking for a lunch spot near Suyu Station
• Anyone who wants a tonkatsu restaurant that's comfortable for solo dining
• Anyone who loves crispy Japanese-style tonkatsu
• Anyone who loves big shrimp katsu or fried shrimp
• Anyone who enjoys unusual combos like yuzu wasabi
• Anyone looking for a restaurant near Suyu Station with parking
• Anyone looking for a clean, cozy Japanese restaurant
• Anyone who wants udon with mugwort greens