Katsu restaurant with a self-serve bar in Cheomdan, Gwangju: Filling

Filling Donkatsu Gwangju Cheomdan: a katsu restaurant for eating out with kids

When you're stuck on what to order with a kid, pork cutlet (donkatsu) is pretty much a sure bet haha 😂 Filling Donkatsu is a place I once tried visiting on a weekend, but the wait was so long I just turned around and left — that's how popular it was.

This time I finally got to eat here properly, and while the donkatsu itself was great, what I really loved was the self-serve bar — rice, soup, salad, even toast and ice cream. There are baby chairs, kids' tableware, and even a private room, so it was especially good for anyone looking for a place to eat out with kids in Cheomdan, Gwangju.

📍 Filling Donkatsu Gwangju Cheomdan Direct Store

• Hours: 11:00–20:30 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• Closed every Monday

Parking and how to find Filling Donkatsu in Cheomdan

Filling Donkatsu Gwangju Cheomdan Direct Store was convenient to visit by car too. Free parking is 1 hour on weekdays / 2 hours on weekends, and any extra time can be registered separately at the counter.

After parking and heading toward the building, there are standing signboards here and there.

Get off the elevator on the 2nd floor and turn right, and you'll see Filling Donkatsu's yellow sign.

It was recently selected for a local 'donkatsu map' feature, so my expectations were already high.

Inside Filling Donkatsu: seating and the private room

There are waiting seats right at the entrance. Last time I came on a weekend, the line stretched outside the restaurant. You can use the Table Waiting app, so keep that in mind before visiting.

Once inside, the interior was bigger than I expected, with plenty of seating room. There are regular tables, window seats, and seats good for groups, so it seemed like a solid spot for family meals with kids, but also for dates or gatherings.

There were also solo diners eating there, and the atmosphere didn't feel awkward for eating alone either.

Best of all, there's a separate private room. If you want to eat a bit more comfortably with a kid, or have a family gathering, using the room seems like a great option.

There are baby chairs too, so families with kids should take note.

Menu and how to order

True to being a pork cutlet specialist, Filling Donkatsu has quite a variety of katsu types, plus pasta and other dishes that pair well together — lots of choices. If visiting as a family, ordering one katsu and one pasta to share works well too.

At the time of my visit, there was an event where you'd get a free Coke Zero for participating in a QR survey. Event details can change, so check the table order tablet when you visit.

Once you settle into a seat, staff bring over salad, soup, and pickles. If you need more, feel free to use the self bar.

What's on the self bar? Rice, soup, toast and soft-serve ice cream

Personally, one of the biggest reasons I want to come back to Filling Donkatsu with my kid is the self-serve bar.

From salad to side dishes, rice, soup, and even soup stock — you can grab as much as you need while eating your katsu. And that's not all: there's toast where you grill your own bread, plus soft-serve ice cream 🍦

Coming with a kid, this was genuinely great haha. Not just kids — adults can also grab whatever side dishes, rice, or soup they each want, so it was a good spot for family meals across all ages.

Sweet potato king cheese katsu, 19,900 won

Do I even need to say anything haha. There's a generous heap of sweet potato mousse piled on top of the katsu, and when you cut into it, the inside is absolutely loaded with cheese.

Seeing how much cheese and sweet potato there was, it honestly looked like a fluffy little mattress 😂

Donkatsu is already a favorite dining-out dish for my kid, and with sweet potato and cheese added, it was great to eat together.

Mushroom cream pasta, 19,800 won

This was tastier than I expected. The moment I took a bite, I thought:

Wow... the mushroom aroma is really strong.

There's so much finely chopped mushroom in the sauce that the whole cream sauce carries a deep mushroom flavor — it was basically mushroom itself in pasta form.

I asked for scissors and cut it up for my kid, who looked at the pasta and said it looked like a ring shape 💍 She usually doesn't eat mushrooms well, but she ate it happily without even realizing it was mushroom — that was a nice bonus too haha.

Waiting times and reservation tips

I once visited on a weekend and the wait was so long that I just turned around and left 😂 If you're visiting during weekend meal times, go in expecting to wait, and if you want the room, I'd recommend booking ahead through Naver Reservation.

If your lunch break is short, apparently calling ahead to order your menu can cut down the prep time — worth keeping in mind. Also, Onnuri digital gift certificates are accepted here.

After eating ice cream dessert at the self bar, they've set it up so you can take away an iced Americano too. With an ice cup and a pretty straw stuck in, you'd basically not need to go to a café after eating, right? haha

Is Filling Donkatsu Cheomdan worth a visit with a child?

• ✔️ A great pork cutlet spot for eating out with kids in Cheomdan, Gwangju
• ✔️ Satisfying self bar from rice, soup, and salad to toast and ice cream
• ✔️ Baby chairs, kids' tableware, and a private room make family dining easy
• ✔️ The sweet potato king cheese katsu was great, but the mushroom-packed cream pasta is worth trying too

Eating katsu and finishing with ice cream — isn't that basically a full dining-out course from a kid's perspective haha 🍦 Next time I'll try to visit while avoiding weekend peak hours :)