Solo tonkatsu lunch near Gangwon National University, Chuncheon: mixed

Everyone loves tonkatsu, but plain tonkatsu isn't as good as tonkatsu with juices bursting out and a crispy crust. If you order loin, you start missing the tender texture of tenderloin, and if you order the basic katsu, it's hard to give up on cheese katsu. So I'm the type who stands in front of the menu board forever whenever I visit a tonkatsu specialty restaurant. This time in Chuncheon, I found Jeongseong Katsu Chuncheon Hyoja Branch. haha

The menu I ordered was the Jeongseong Mixed Katsu Set for ₩13,900. It let me compare several kinds of katsu on one plate, so I especially wanted to recommend the mixed menu to first-time visitors. But it turned out that a lot of Gangwon National University students were already eating solo here haha

To cut to the conclusion first, if you're looking for a Hyoja-dong restaurant in Chuncheon and care about the balance between crispy batter and thick meat, this is a tonkatsu spot worth remembering. Since it's close to Gangwon National University in Hyoja-dong, it's also easy to get to if you're looking for a tonkatsu restaurant near Gangwon National University. In fact, about four other guests besides me were eating solo, and most of them were young people.

Easy to find near Gangwon National University

Jeongseong Katsu Chuncheon Hyoja Branch was in a convenient spot when looking for a place to eat around Gangwon National University. The exterior itself was pretty clean — white walls mixed with wood tones, and large glass windows that let you see the interior mood from outside. As someone from Incheon, I tend to imagine restaurants near university campuses as a bit chaotic or old-looking, but here the exterior was tidy, almost café-like, which caught my eye first. That gave me the first impression of a Hyoja-dong restaurant in Chuncheon suitable for anything from solo student meals to meals with friends or even dates.

Clean, bright interior

Inside, true to a tonkatsu specialty restaurant, it was casual yet quite clean. The interior was built around white and brown wood tones, and the high ceiling made the space feel bigger than its actual size.

The tables weren't packed too close together, and some seats had high backs that naturally separated the sightline from neighboring tables. There were solo diners as well as quite a few groups of two or three. The atmosphere wasn't too heavy, so it works well for university students' everyday meals, and people who prefer clean restaurants would be satisfied too. What I especially liked during my visit was that the tables and floor were kept clean overall — Good! For a student looking for a tonkatsu restaurant near Gangwon National University, a comfortable atmosphere matters as much as the price, and this place had a low barrier to entry in that sense.

Easy ordering from the table

Ordering was done via a tablet installed at the table. I didn't need to call a staff member — I could see menu photos and prices at a glance and order comfortably. When I visited, the screen showed a lot of choices besides the Jeongseong Mixed Katsu Set: loin katsu set, fillet katsu set, extra cheese katsu set, sweet potato cheese katsu set, premium loin katsu set, Western-style king tonkatsu, and more. They don't only sell tonkatsu — there's also kimchi cheese nabe and other dishes, so it would be fun to switch things up on repeat visits.

What I chose was, as mentioned, the Jeongseong Mixed Katsu Set for ₩13,900. I picked it because I wanted to taste a little of several kinds of katsu rather than focus on just one. haha

What comes with the Jeongseong Mixed Katsu Set

Once served, the spread felt quite substantial for ₩13,900. A large plate held several kinds of katsu, and rice, soup, cabbage salad, tonkatsu sauce, wasabi, kimchi, and pickles came separately. These days a lot of Japanese-style katsu specialty restaurants serve something closer to a plain katsu single dish, but Jeongseong Katsu lived up to its name — a proper full 'set' meal ^-^ When the tonkatsu started to feel heavy, a sip of soup, a bite of cabbage, then kimchi or pickles to reset the palate before going back to the katsu — this structure kept it enjoyable to the end without getting tiresome.

In photos, the katsu portion might not look like much, but each piece of meat actually has real thickness, so with the rice it fills you up considerably. Given this kind of spread, it's more than enough to recommend as a Hyoja-dong restaurant in Chuncheon :)

The thick tenderloin katsu I tried first

Personally, what impressed me most in this Jeongseong Mixed Katsu Set was the round-shaped tenderloin katsu. You can clearly see the cross-section in the photo — the center of the meat has a faint pink tint, and it's quite thick. ㅎ_ㅎ But there was almost none of the dryness you often get with thick cuts of meat!! When I picked it up with chopsticks, it wasn't firm and stiff but softly springy, and once in my mouth the meat grain broke apart easily. The batter was thin and crispy while the meat inside stayed moist.

After the crispy exterior texture, you get a clean pork aroma from inside! I'd recommend trying the first bite without much sauce — it's the best way to check the meat's moistness and how well it's fried. If you care about texture in your tonkatsu, this tenderloin katsu alone is enough to put this place on your list when searching for a tonkatsu restaurant near Gangwon National University :)

The loin katsu that shows off basic skill

Loin katsu is the most familiar type of tonkatsu, so it actually reveals basic skill more clearly. Cutting into the basic katsu that came with the mixed set, the boundary between meat and batter stayed clean and intact. What I liked was that the batter wasn't too thick. When the batter on tonkatsu is too thick, it's crispy at first but starts to feel greasy after a few bites — here, the meat's presence was clearly felt. haha

On the first bite, you feel the crunchy texture of the coarse breadcrumbs first, then right after, the clean flavor of the loin follows. Where the tenderloin focused on softness, the loin has a clearer chewing texture. Dip it in sauce and that classic, familiar tonkatsu umami comes alive, and a little wasabi on the side cuts through the oiliness for a much fresher bite. ^-^

Cheese katsu, where cheese is truly the star

Cutting into the cheese katsu, you immediately understand why this piece needed to be in the mixed set. It wasn't just a thin layer of cheese between the meat — from the cross-section, cheese takes up a huge portion! When lifted with chopsticks, the cheese layer stayed thick and intact, and on the first bite, the warm cheese stretched softly. 🧀

As the photo shows, the cheese fills the inside of the katsu so thoroughly that the savory flavor is really rich! The outside is crispy while the inside is soft and creamy thanks to the cheese. But if you ate a whole plate of just cheese katsu, it might feel heavy toward the end. In the Jeongseong Mixed Katsu Set, though, you can alternate between the regular katsu, tenderloin katsu, and cheese katsu, which actually made for a great combination.

Eating the plain katsu, then ramping up the flavor with the cheese katsu, then coming back to the basic katsu made the differences between each type feel much more distinct. haha So I'd recommend the Jeongseong Mixed Katsu Set to first-time visitors who want to taste a variety.

How to enjoy the sauce and wasabi

The sauce and wasabi combo was also good! There was a generous amount of the standard tonkatsu sauce served separately, along with wasabi. Dip it deep into the rich tonkatsu sauce and you get that familiar sweet and salty tonkatsu flavor we all know. It was the most reliable combination especially when eating with rice. On the other hand, for a cut with great meat texture like the tenderloin katsu, I tried using less sauce and adding a touch of wasabi instead. Eaten this way, the meat's flavor isn't buried under the sauce, and the pork's clean flavor comes through much more clearly!

₩13,900 — is it worth it?

The Jeongseong Mixed Katsu Set I ate was ₩13,900 at the time of my visit. Rather than just one type of katsu, you get to experience several different flavors and textures of tonkatsu at once, plus rice, soup, salad, and side dishes — considering all that, satisfaction was high. Especially around university areas, you end up weighing price against portion size together. Rather than being simply a cheap menu, this felt like a reasonable price on the basis of having a solid, filling meal with several proper Japanese-style katsu. haha So if you care about the thickness and moistness of the meat rather than just filling your stomach with tonkatsu, this is reason enough to visit as a tonkatsu restaurant near Gangwon National University.

Side dishes can be refilled self-serve as much as you like haha. If you're looking for a Hyoja-dong restaurant in Chuncheon, or a low-risk meal near Gangwon National University, this is worth recommending. Especially if it feels a shame to pick just loin and you want to try tenderloin and cheese katsu too, start with the Jeongseong Mixed Katsu Set like I did. Personally, I enjoyed it far more than eating just one type of tonkatsu from start to finish. :) If you're looking for a tonkatsu restaurant near Gangwon National University where you can enjoy crispy batter, thick meat, and proper cheese all at once in Chuncheon, and a Hyoja-dong restaurant for a filling meal, go judge Jeongseong Katsu Chuncheon Hyoja Branch for yourself haha