Jeonpo café street tonkatsu sets and katsu sando: Katsu Gimseondo

Today I'm sharing my review of Katsu Gimseondo, a spot I visited because I was craving good tonkatsu around Jeonpo in Busan! Jeonpo has so many nice cafés and restaurants that it's a go-to for dates or meetups, and this time I went to check out the café street and eat some good tonkatsu 🩶

I'm normally a big tonkatsu fan, so I decided to order a bunch of menu items and split them — and the bottom line is, this is a place where you can really taste the flavor of the meat itself!!! If you're hunting for a tonkatsu spot around Jeonpo, this is worth a visit, so let's get into it : )

Where is Katsu Gimseondo? 3–5 minutes from Jeonpo Station Exit 7

Katsu Gimseondo is about a 3–5 minute walk from Jeonpo Station Exit 7, so it's pretty accessible! The address is 16 Seojeon-ro 47beon-gil, Busanjin-gu, 1st floor.

If you head from Jeonpo Station toward Seomyeon and turn into the alley, you'll find it — the location fits right in with Jeonpo's charming, cozy alley vibe haha. So it seemed like a good spot for a meal before or after checking out the Jeonpo café street ~?

Inside Katsu Gimseondo: tables and bar seats together

Walking into Katsu Gimseondo, the interior felt cleaner and cozier than the exterior suggested! There are both table seats and bar-style seating.

It looked comfortable enough for two people to dine, and also fine for eating tonkatsu solo : ) Everything was so neatly arranged overall that it felt a bit more atmospheric than your typical tonkatsu shop ~?

Apparently the name comes from a fictional character named 'Kim Seondo' who devoted himself to researching tonkatsu!!

What we ordered at Katsu Gimseondo: two tonkatsu sets and a katsu sando

• Loin tonkatsu set
• Tenderloin tonkatsu set
• Katsu sando

This is what we ordered!

Loin tonkatsu set: thick cut and moist

First up, the loin tonkatsu! You can tell just by looking that the meat is thick and moist, right ~? The breading wasn't too thick and had a proper crisp feel, while the meat inside was moist — the contrast between the crunchy outside and tender inside was great haha

Look at the juices still alive inside . . ❤️❤️ It's delicious dipped in the sauce, but I found the first few pieces tasted even better with just a light dip in salt!!

Tenderloin tonkatsu set: nutty, deeper pork flavor

And then my favorite, the tenderloin katsu . . ❤️❤️ I'm more of a tenderloin person than loin, so I come to tonkatsu shops specifically for tenderloin katsu — it's a cut with a nutty, rich flavor that I personally love!!

Katsu Gimseondo's version also had a deep, meaty flavor — the breading was fried nice and crisp, so you get that crunch first when you bite in, followed by the juices and the nutty taste of the meat! If hire katsu (tenderloin) is soft and light, rosu katsu (loin) is a bit richer and nuttier!! haha

I also really love the salad that comes with tonkatsu 😙😙 it's so good ~~~~ I'm happy ><

Katsu sando: tonkatsu between thick slices of white bread

And the item I was secretly most excited about was Katsu Gimseondo's katsu sando! Tonkatsu sandwiched between thick slices of bread looked delicious just from the visual, and it was cut into bite-sized pieces, so it was easy and simple to enjoy haha

The soft bread and crispy tonkatsu came together nicely, giving it a charm quite different from regular tonkatsu!

Sharing with a group: order the sets plus a katsu sando

If you're visiting with a group, I'd recommend ordering Katsu Gimseondo's tonkatsu sets along with the katsu sando to share haha. If you're looking for a good tonkatsu spot in Seomyeon, or deciding on lunch or dinner in Jeonpo, I recommend Katsu Gimseondo, a tonkatsu spot in Seomyeon.