Sanbon pork cutlet set with mini fishcake udon, 14,500 won: Onjeong

Today I'm sharing a place I went to for lunch near the Sanbon academy district !!

If you look up pork cutlet restaurants these days, you mostly see the thick Japanese-style ones. But sometimes I get a craving for the old-school gyeongyangsik (Western-style) pork cutlet with sauce drizzled all over it, haha. This time I went to a Sanbon pork cutlet spot: Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang Sanbon Academy District Branch.

Where is Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang Sanbon Academy District Branch?

Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang Sanbon Academy District Branch is on the 1st floor of Samdae Building, 5-11 Sanbon-ro 386beon-gil, Gunpo-si, Gyeonggi-do. It's in the Sanbon academy district, so it's a convenient stop if you're looking for lunch nearby. The sign is easy to spot from outside, and there were menu photos posted near the entrance, so I checked out what was on offer before going in. Let's peek at the menu first, haha.

There was a range of options, from gyeongyangsik pork cutlet to spicy pork cutlet and curry pork cutlet. I also saw udon and cold buckwheat noodle (naengmemil) options to pair with the cutlet.

Ordering at the kiosk: the 14,500-won udon-side cutlet set

At Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang Sanbon Academy District Branch, once you're inside, you order through the kiosk. Since it shows photos alongside the menu names, it was much easier to choose than just reading names. But seeing the photos also makes you want to order everything, you know? Haha.

What I picked that day was the udon-side gyeongyangsik pork cutlet (small) for 14,500 won and a Pepsi Zero for 2,000 won! It came to 16,500 won total. At first I thought about just getting the cutlet alone, but I always end up craving soup, so I went with the option that included udon, haha.

Inside Onjeong and its solo dining seats

Walking into Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang Sanbon Academy District Branch, there were several tables arranged, and the space felt neatly kept overall. Rather than an elaborately decorated space, it leaned toward a comfortable spot for a casual meal.

There were seats by the window too, ranging from tables for two to seating for larger groups. The layout doesn't feel awkward for eating alone either, so it's worth keeping in mind if you're looking for a solo lunch spot in Sanbon. It also seemed like a great place for a quick, easy lunch :)

Self-serve corner: rice cooker and side dishes

There's a separate space set up on one side of the restaurant where you can grab water and other essentials.

There was also a rice cooker set up separately. I like eating rice along with my pork cutlet, so I appreciated this touch, haha.

Origin information was also posted somewhere easy to see. According to the sign, the rice is domestic, the pork is domestic Korean pork, and the kkakdugi (radish kimchi) and vegetables are domestic too!

Pickled radish, kkakdugi, and cabbage salad — you can take as much of these side dishes as you need. Grabbing a bite of these between mouthfuls of cutlet is a must, haha.

What is the water-oil separation fryer at Onjeong?

Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang also uses a low-temperature (suyu-sik) fryer, and there was an explanation about it posted on the wall. It said this method helps reduce oil oxidation and keep the texture crispy, so I read through it while waiting for my food.

What comes on the udon-side pork cutlet (small) tray

Finally, my order arrived !! Laid out on the table, it came with pork cutlet, rice, cabbage, corn, udon, soup, and morning bread. The lineup was more varied than I expected, making it feel plenty filling for a single meal. It was more generous and varied than what I usually picture as a gyeongyangsik set >.<

The cutlet is thin and wide, with sauce spread evenly and moistly all over it. Rather than the thick Japanese-style cutlet you see so often these days, this is much closer to old-school gyeongyangsik style! I sometimes get a strong craving for exactly this kind of thing. Eating it with rice, the sauce and cutlet went together naturally and well.

Mini fishcakes in the udon, not skewers

The udon had fishcake, green onion, tempura flakes, and more in it. But here, the fishcake in the udon was these tiny mini fishcakes, which was unusual! Most places give you skewered fishcake, so the mini version was easier to eat and tasted great too, haha.

Soup and morning bread with strawberry jam

The soup also comes with the set !! Having a few spoonfuls of soup before the cutlet really brought back that classic gyeongyangsik feeling(?). It reminded me of childhood visits to Western-style restaurants where you'd always get soup before the cutlet arrived, haha. It's a nice touch to see it included.

Morning bread and strawberry jam come with the set too. It's delicious with the jam, and also great dipped in the soup!!

Up close, you can see the sauce generously spread across the whole cutlet. Personally, I prefer a thin cutlet with plenty of sauce over a thick one :0

I took a bite of cutlet, some rice, and mixed in cabbage along the way. (Total perfection.)

Is Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang worth it for a Sanbon pork cutlet lunch?

This visit to Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang Sanbon Academy District Branch was to a place where you can enjoy sauce-heavy gyeongyangsik pork cutlet alongside udon. With soup and morning bread included too, the whole meal carries that old-school gyeongyangsik feel. I especially liked being able to have warm soup alongside the cutlet, haha.

The restaurant is neatly kept, and ordering through the kiosk with menu photos made it easy even on a first visit. If you're looking for a Sanbon pork cutlet spot or a good restaurant near Sanbon in Gunpo, this menu lineup is worth checking out :)