Classic pork cutlet course in Yongsan: Onjeong

Handmade classic pork cutlet in Munbae-dong

I visited Yongsan Donkatsu Onjeong Gyeongyang Sikdang, Yongsan branch, a 100% handmade pork cutlet specialist near Hyochang Park that is great both with family and for a solo meal. It is a newly opened spot in Munbae-dong, Yongsan-gu, but it is already getting talked about as a good restaurant in local community groups. Even the name Onjeong Gyeongyang Sikdang has a warm feel to it. They say it began with the dream of creating a space where warm kindness lingers. They chose the name hoping to give guests not only a hearty meal amid busy daily life, but also a moment that warms the heart—somehow, it feels sincere.

At Onjeong Gyeongyang Sikdang, with its sincerely chosen name, they do not cut corners on ingredients either. Believing that good ingredients make good food, they prepare every dish with care using Korean ingredients. The rice, pork, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and vegetables are all domestically sourced. So reassuring, right?

Classic pork cutlet made with Dodram Korean pork

Gyeongyang-style pork cutlet is, literally, a light Western-style course centered on one main dish. Yongsan Donkatsu Onjeong Gyeongyang Sikdang, Yongsan branch says it uses only Dodram Korean pork, a high-quality and higher-priced domestic pork, then carefully pounds the thick meat and serves it with a clean-tasting house sauce as the restaurant's foundational dish.

Most dishes are therefore built around pork cutlet, with tofu-skin fish-cake udon and green citrus cold buckwheat soba also on the menu. Usually my wife and I order different things, share them, and enjoy a range of flavors, but this time the many thoughtful notices convinced us both that we had to have the classic pork cutlet. Negotiations failed!

Let's each enjoy a whole pork cutlet. Since the cold soba and pork cutlet combination offered as an add-on sounded good, we decided to order the cold soba and classic pork cutlet (one piece) set each. Honestly, the cheddar cheese pork cutlet from a place using such good ingredients also sounded delicious, but as it was our first visit, I wanted to try a full classic pork cutlet first. The standard menu with two classic pork cutlets is ₩13,000, while the cold soba and one-cutlet set is ₩14,500. That feels reasonably priced for dishes made with domestic Dodram pork.

Green citrus cold buckwheat soba and one pork cutlet set

Along with the crisp handmade pork cutlet, fried to order,

the green citrus cold buckwheat soba arrived too.

The portion was generous, and just looking at it, you could sense the fresh tang of the green citrus.

Instead of cheap wasabi, they provide hygienic fresh wasabi in individual packets.

I was curious about the pork cutlet and wanted to start there, but buckwheat noodles swell quickly as time passes, so I decided to tackle the noodles first. Haha. They were cold, refreshing, tangy, and tasty. This pork cutlet specialist does soba well too. The noodles did not seem to get overly swollen as quickly as expected, so midway through, I decided to tackle the pork cutlet.

First, the soup! As expected, it was not just simple powdered soup; it had mushrooms in it and a refined flavor.

And the small bread that came with it. I spread on the strawberry jam, added a little piece of pork cutlet, and it turned into a delicious mini burger with the feel of a high-quality Gunderia burger. Haha.

Crisp texture that holds up under the sauce

The pork cutlet was especially impressive. Since it was served with the house sauce already poured over it, I wondered whether it might have gone a little soggy while I ate the soba, but nope—it was just the right texture to eat. I even tried an unsauced edge, and the crackly crunch was no joke. Still, the part with the house sauce was even tastier. It was not an off-the-shelf pork cutlet sauce; it was a superb sauce with depth without being overpowering.

With the rice came a refreshing salad and side dishes made with trustworthy Korean ingredients, making for a very hearty meal.

It is already this plentiful, and you can use the self bar too—big eaters can definitely leave full.

Self bar and visitor information

The notice inviting you to enjoy the self bar as much as you like alongside handmade food prepared with care from domestic ingredients, and to let the kitchen know anytime if you need more, made me feel the warmth of Onjeong. I liked Yongsan Donkatsu Onjeong Gyeongyang Sikdang, Yongsan branch: a good-value pork cutlet spot near Hyochang Park where you can enjoy a classic pork cutlet course at a reasonable price.

• Address: 107, 1F, Building B, 341 Baekbeom-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 용산구 백범로 341 B동 1층 107호; Yongsan Richensia Building B shopping area, 1F)
• Hours: 11:00–21:00
• Break time: 15:00–16:30 / Last order: 20:00
• Regularly closed every Monday
• Parking: 2 hours of free parking in Building B, basement levels 2–3