Katsu set for two at Kitsuki, an Ilsan Bamridan-gil katsu restaurant

These days I end up on Bamridan-gil pretty often when I'm eating in Ilsan. This time I went to Kitsuki Ilsan Bamridan-gil Branch, a place with a unique vibe where you can get both katsu and udon.

If you're looking for an Ilsan date-night restaurant, this is worth a visit. The food was great, but honestly the space itself was so unique it's what stuck with me most.

Kitsuki Ilsan Bamridan-gil Branch: address, hours and reservations

• Name: Kitsuki Ilsan Bamridan-gil Branch
• Address: 159 Sandu-ro, 1st floor, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Weekdays 11:30–20:30 / Weekends 11:30–21:00
• Reservations: Naver Reservation available

Finding Kitsuki on Bamridan-gil: what the exterior looks like

The exterior didn't look like your typical tonkatsu place at all. It kept the character of the old building while adding pops of color here and there, giving it a slightly vintage feel.

There was a menu board outside, so I liked being able to check the menu and prices before even going in.

Inside Kitsuki: vintage interior and wide tables

Once inside, there was honestly a lot of fun in just looking around at the interior.

The tables and chairs aren't all matching — they're a little different from spot to spot.

And above all, the tables are genuinely huge haha. You know how some restaurants have tables so small there's nowhere to put your plates once you order a few dishes? There's none of that frustration here, which I personally really liked.

There are little props and graffiti-style decorations scattered around, plus what look like notes left by customers stuck to the walls, so it was fun to just look around.

It's less of a polished, curated-feeling restaurant and more of a free-spirited, individual vibe — which makes it a good fit for an Ilsan date-night restaurant course!

What two people ordered at Kitsuki, and what it cost

What we ordered: the hirekatsu + rosukatsu + perilla cream udon set for 44,500 won, plus soboro gogibap for 5,000 won as an add-on! That's what we ordered for two people.

Hirekatsu and rosukatsu: how thick and tender are they?

Katsu first!

It came out neatly as a full spread — rice, soup, cabbage, sauce, and diced radish kimchi.

Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside — it really tasted like something from a proper tonkatsu specialist.

Even though it was cut quite thick, it didn't feel dry at all — it was soft to chew, which I loved. If you like katsu, this one's definitely worth trying.

Perilla cream udon at Kitsuki was the surprise of the meal

And then the perilla cream udon we ordered alongside it!

The cream sauce was loaded with mushrooms, topped with perilla powder, green onion, and seasoning.

The nutty flavor of the perilla combined with the smooth cream worked better together than I expected. Eating only katsu can get a bit heavy, but switching back and forth with the udon made for a nice combo.

Soboro gogibap for 5,000 won: enough to share between two

And since it was only 5,000 won, we casually added the soboro gogibap. It came generously topped with minced meat soboro, whole green onion, and a soft-boiled egg.

Just break the egg open and mix the meat and rice together — done.

Once the yolk mixes into the sweet-salty meat seasoning, it gets so much smoother. We ordered it as a side thinking it'd be small, but it was more filling than expected, so it worked out well to share between two.

Is Kitsuki a good date spot in Ilsan?

Kitsuki Ilsan Bamridan-gil Branch stuck with me more as a place with real character than just somewhere to eat katsu and leave. If you're on Bamridan-gil looking for an Ilsan date-night restaurant with a vibe that isn't the usual, this one fits well. Worth stopping by whenever you're craving katsu or udon on Bamridan-gil.