Gangnam tonkatsu restaurant with kimchi stew katsu nabe: Sioldon

Kimchi katsu nabe that even a Korean-food lover enjoyed

My boyfriend is a real Korean-food lover, and the moment he tried a bite of the kimchi katsu nabe at Sioldon, he was immediately satisfied. This is much more legit than I expected. It does not feel like kimchi nabe made as a side dish at a tonkatsu place; it feels like eating deeply simmered kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew).

My second visit to Sioldon in Ilwon-dong after moving to Gaepo-dong

Since moving to Gaepo-dong, Ilwon-dong has quietly become one of the neighborhoods I visit often. It is close by and has quite a few places to eat, so it is fun checking them off one by one—and there is one place I have already visited twice. It is Sioldon, a favorite in Ilwon-dong.

It is located around Ilwon-dong's food street. Sioldon Ilwon Branch reportedly opened in January 2025, and it is a good spot for Ilwon-dong office workers or nearby residents to grab a meal. There is a parking lot too~

The restaurant is fairly neat, so it looked comfortable for dining alone. It is also nice for two people like us to order one menu item each and share. You order at the kiosk!

What we ordered

• Kimchi katsu nabe ₩13,900
• Cheese cutlet ₩12,900

A cheese cutlet properly filled with cheese

I tried the cheese cutlet last time and thought it was tastier than Jeju Yeondon. The breading is not overwhelmingly thick, and the balance of meat and cheese is good too.

Most of all, it is not filled with an ambiguous little bit of cheese—it is properly stuffed, so the rich flavor really comes through when you take a bite.

Personally, I have had cheese cutlets at many places, but this was better than the cheese cutlets at most tonkatsu restaurants. A bite of the kimchi katsu nabe broth followed by the cheese cutlet is a pretty great combination too.

Rich, spicy broth like kimchi stew

If you love crisp tonkatsu, regular katsu may be the better choice. But if you usually enjoy kimchi jjigae and Korean food, I would recommend trying Sioldon's kimchi katsu nabe at least once.

It feels less like kimchi nabe and more like deeply simmered kimchi jjigae. The broth is not merely light and sour; it is quite rich and spicy. Especially as the broth soaks into the tonkatsu and moistens the breading, it works so well—like putting meat into kimchi stew and simmering it for a long time.

It is such a total rice thief!!!!

Taking bites of the salad here and there while eating the cutlets kept everything so refreshing..

The pairing, with cold soba on the side

We also added cold soba for ₩3,000. I am glad we added it. The kimchi katsu nabe is rich and spicy, while the cheese cutlet is savory, so a refreshing bite of cold soba in between is lovely. This was already my second visit to Sioldon after moving to Gaepo-dong. It was delicious the first time and delicious the second time, so I think I will keep coming back whenever I am craving katsu.