Pangyo tonkatsu at Hyundai Department Store, late lunch: Katsu Shokudo

I had some business in Pangyo, so I stopped by Hyundai Department Store.

My friend and I wanted a late lunch, and although the basement of the department store had plenty of restaurants, most looked crowded and chaotic, nothing really pulled us in. Then we found Katsu Shokudo Pangyo Main Branch.

I love tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) and it's a Blue Ribbon-rated spot, so I didn't hesitate to go in. Spoiler: after eating, I already started thinking I need to bring my husband here too.

How to reach Katsu Shokudo Pangyo Main Branch from Pangyo Station, and where to park

Katsu Shokudo Pangyo Main Branch is a 2-minute walk from Exit 3 of Pangyo Station. It's connected via an underground passage to the basement of Hyundai Department Store, which made it easier to find than I expected.

Following the Alphadom Tower signs, we got there quickly.

If you're driving, you can use the Alphadom Tower parking lot. Up to 3 hours of free parking is available, and you register your parking via the tablet inside the restaurant.

The moment we arrived, the Blue Ribbon badges caught my eye. A whopping 7 of them.

My husband, who loves Blue Ribbon spots, would have flipped out if he'd seen this, haha. I heard the wait gets long during peak hours, so it's better to visit with some time to spare.

Seating at Katsu Shokudo: easy for solo diners and for lunch with a friend

The interior of Katsu Shokudo Pangyo Main Branch was clean and cozy.

There were separate seats designed for solo dining, so coming alone wouldn't feel awkward at all.

There were also tables for 2 and for 4, good for groups.

Since I was starving, I ordered as soon as I sat down.

What we ordered at Katsu Shokudo that afternoon

• Rotsu katsu
• Kimchi katsu nabe

I ordered the kimchi katsu nabe, a seasonal new menu item.

It's a dish I love enough to make at home fairly often.

Since I always make it at home, I figured it was time to try a proper version out for once.

Kimchi katsu nabe: juicy tonkatsu in a shallow broth

The kimchi katsu nabe came with less broth than I expected, more of a shallow pool.

Even though the tonkatsu was fully soaked in the broth, it wasn't greasy at all — moist and delicious.

Since it's a kimchi nabe, I assumed kimchi flavor would dominate, but as I kept eating, I noticed a bright, citrusy taste coming from the tonkatsu itself.

At first I thought, wait, what is this flavor? As I kept eating, I picked up notes of lemon or yuzu (Korean citron). Huh? I looked again and saw it was described as tonkatsu aged 12 hours at low temperature with yuzu.

What does 12-hour yuzu-aged tonkatsu actually taste like?

Honestly, I had no idea about the patented yuzu low-temperature aging process before I came. I walked in purely because it's a Blue Ribbon spot, and it was only after tasting that bright flavor that I went back to check the menu description.

Tonkatsu aged at a low temperature using yuzu — a bit of a surprising concept. What I liked more than expected was that even in a dish served in broth, like the katsu nabe, you could still taste the character of the pork cutlet itself.

The yuzu flavor wasn't overpowering or jarring — it was a subtle brightness that kept surfacing as you ate, and it cut through the richness of the tonkatsu nicely. I thought, no wonder it's patented, haha. I bet some people come here specifically for this flavor.

My friend's rotsu katsu (loin cutlet) was just as good

My friend ordered the rotsu katsu.

The thick-cut cutlet looked pretty appetizing, and one bite revealed a crispy coating with meat that was thick yet tender.

I thought we might swap a few pieces between our dishes, but my friend only handed over exactly one piece as a taste, haha.

That single bite of rotsu katsu was delicious too.

I decided I need to properly try the rotsu katsu myself next time.

Would I return to Katsu Shokudo when I want tonkatsu in Pangyo?

We walked in simply looking for a late lunch spot with no break time. But after eating, what stuck with me was Katsu Shokudo's own signature: the patented yuzu low-temperature aging. That subtle, bright yuzu note running through the tonkatsu was genuinely distinctive.

It's close to Pangyo Station and connected to Hyundai Department Store, so it's easy to access and convenient to visit. What makes it stick in my memory even more is that we walked in with zero expectations and left more satisfied than we imagined.

Next time, I want to try the rotsu katsu set or the assorted katsu set. This is a place I'd want to come back to whenever I'm craving tonkatsu in Pangyo.