Suwon pork cutlet restaurant with kimchi cheese nabe: Gohobi Katsu

A Suwon Station favorite— for pork cutlet, Gohobi Katsu.

Here’s somewhere I’d recommend when you want proper Japanese food near Suwon Station! This is Gohobi Katsu, where the crisp coating gives way to meat full of juice. I ordered the hire katsu set meal and kimchi cheese nabe pork cutlet, enjoyed them so much, and just had to tell you about it.

Apparently, “gohobi” means a gift or reward in Japanese?

How are the free parking and solo-dining seats?

Restaurants near Suwon Station often either have no parking or make you pay a hefty parking fee, so I tend to hesitate before bringing a car. But at Gohobi Katsu, I could use the building’s underground parking for free, so visiting felt completely stress-free. There was plenty of space all the way down to basement level 4, and with no parking hassle, I immediately found myself thinking I’d like to come back haha. Just ask for parking registration after your meal and they’ll register it for you.

A long, bar-style counter runs through the restaurant; you can take a seat starting from the innermost end. The layout made for a comfortable meal when dining alone near Suwon Station.

How did I enjoy the katsu menu and sauces?

Once seated, I noticed the charming hand-drawn menu illustrations on the wall. Each katsu item clearly explained the cut of meat used and its characteristics, so it was fun to read while waiting for the food. From hire katsu made with aged Korean pork tenderloin from female pigs to premium loin katsu combining loin and gabrisal (pork shoulder collar).

There was a varied selection of sauces on the table, thoughtfully set out for different tastes. Along with the standard pork cutlet sauce, there were sesame dressing and apple-and-carrot sauce for the salad. I also loved being able to mix and match salt or wasabi to enjoy it in different ways.

By the way, they have a separate spicy pork cutlet sauce, so spicy-food lovers should ask for it. Once I started dipping into that spicy sauce, I just kept eating more and more... hahaha.

Cooking began as soon as I ordered, and after about 10 minutes, the hot dishes arrived one after another. Being able to watch the cooking process kept the wait from feeling boring, and it also gave me confidence in the food I was about to eat.

The pork cutlet came separately with rice and soup, while my kimchi cheese nabe order also came with salad and side dishes. Everything was so cute and neatly arranged...

A cold draft beer would have been perfect, but I made do with an icy cola. If you’re going for a solo meal, I highly recommend a cold draft beer.

Gohobi Katsu hire katsu

The hire katsu set meal was the first thing I tried, and its crisp exterior and tender interior really let the texture of the meat shine. It honestly just melted away.

The bright pink cross-section was a natural pinking effect from myoglobin, proof that it had been cooked perfectly and held the best juices...! It was so tender and delicious that I started looking forward to the premium loin katsu too.

I decided that next time, I absolutely have to get the premium loin katsu. For the first piece, I tried it with just a light dip in salt and no other sauce. The moment I bit down, rich savory flavor and moist juices burst across my mouth. I tried wasabi and pork cutlet sauce too, and it was an unbelievably good match with the spicy pork cutlet sauce as well.

A spicy, warming kimchi cheese nabe pork cutlet meal

The kimchi cheese nabe pork cutlet at this Suwon Station favorite arrived in a bubbling earthenware pot and stayed warm throughout the meal. It has a totally different appeal from crisp katsu. The spicy broth made me finish a whole bowl of rice in no time. I’d been craving kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) since the day before, and the broth had that same spicy, warming feel; with cheese on top, it was rich too, while the meat had a completely different texture from the hire. It had such a great chew.

Gohobi Katsu truly lived up to its reputation as a Suwon Station favorite, with excellent quality. I recommend it if you want high-quality handmade pork cutlets in a neat setting! It’s also great for solo dining near Suwon Station, and the price range seems approachable for everyone from university students to office workers.