Tenderloin-cheese katsu set with cold soba, curry: Pine Katsu Jamsil

Pine Katsu Jamsil Main Branch, a pork cutlet spot in Samjeon-dong, Jamsil — a hearty lunch with the tenderloin-cheese katsu set, cold soba, and curry.

I was craving good pork cutlet around Jamsil and went looking, and this time I ended up at Pine Katsu Jamsil Main Branch, a katsu spot near Samjeon Station. I love pork cutlet in general, but I especially like it when the breading is crispy and the meat is tender, so I was curious what this place was like.

After eating there, the menu turned out to be more varied than I expected, and what impressed me most was how much attention they put into aging the meat. It's a good spot for a quick beer or a filling lunch — let me introduce Pine Katsu Jamsil Main Branch, a pork cutlet spot in Samjeon-dong, Jamsil.

Weekday 4–5pm, one hour of ₩10,000 happiness

Eating cutlet this good for just ₩10,000 — what a deal, love it.

Pine Katsu Jamsil Main Branch's menu and what I ordered that day

Deciding what to eat took a while, and in the end I ordered the tenderloin-cheese katsu set + cold soba + rich curry rice.

How close is it to Samjeon Station?

Pine Katsu Jamsil Main Branch is close to Samjeon Station, so it was easy to find. It's about a 4-minute walk from Exit 2, so getting there by subway was convenient. You can also walk from Jamsilnaru Station or Jamsil Station, so it's a good option to check out when you're looking for somewhere to eat in Jamsil.

What makes Pine Katsu special: triple aging

Looking through the menu, what caught my eye most was that aging is standard here.

Pine Katsu says it applies a triple aging process to every menu item. Water-tank aging manages the meat's off-odors and moisture, followed by low-temperature refrigerated aging in a dedicated aging chamber, and finally aging using natural enzymes derived from pineapple.

It felt like they care not just about frying the cutlet well, but about how the raw meat is prepared from the start. Especially for a menu item like tenderloin, where tender texture matters most, I was curious what kind of difference the aging process would make. And honestly, after tasting it, that aging really makes a difference haha.

A clean, comfortable interior

Walking inside, the whole space felt clean and warm. It was more spacious than I expected too, so it didn't feel awkward eating alone, and it would also work well for a family meal or a get-together with friends.

In fact, Pine Katsu seemed like a place that works for all kinds of situations — solo dining, family meals, dates, office workers' lunches. Ordering is done comfortably from the table via tablet, so I took my time looking through the menu.

They have baby chairs too, so it's good for family meals :)

The tablet also has info on Pine Katsu Jamsil Main Branch's features and how to enjoy the food best.

Tenderloin-cheese katsu set: two in one

Finally, the food I ordered arrived. What I was looking forward to most that day was the tenderloin katsu and the cheese katsu. Since the set lets you have both at once, it was an easy choice — no need to agonize. They told me it's the most popular menu item haha.

The basic side dishes were clean too. They came with diced radish kimchi, pickled radish, miso, and udon broth. Having a bite of the radish kimchi alongside the cutlet cut through the richness nicely. Overall, everything was put together cleanly, making for a filling meal.

I've been eating properly lately, and having rice come with the meal made it feel even more satisfying haha.

The cheese katsu I loved!

Pork cutlet with cheese in it can get heavy, but the savory, soft cheese flavor had a different charm from the tenderloin katsu. They say they use 100% Beston natural cheese from Australia, and you could really taste that rich, savory cheese flavor — cheese lovers would enjoy this.

The tenderloin's charm is, as always, its soft texture

With pork cutlet, sometimes the breading is crispy but the meat ends up dry and disappointing — but the tenderloin here was relatively moist and tender. The breading wasn't too thick either, so you could taste the meat alongside it. That texture — crisp breading followed by soft tenderloin in each bite — was really nice.

If the tenderloin is light and soft, the cheese katsu is a bit more savory and rich, I'd say. So eating the two together was fun, comparing the different flavors.

The rich curry rice I ended up adding

Pine Katsu's curry is made with antibiotic-free minced loin and tenderloin plus caramelized onions simmered in, for a rich style. Tasting it, it really was richer and deeper than the curry that usually comes as a side at typical pork cutlet places. Seriously so good.

Udon broth came along too, and I slurped it down. The sausage dipped in sauce was delicious.

I hadn't planned on getting curry at all. But it looked so good I ended up adding it haha. Seriously, that curry flavor was great haha.

With sausage in it too, the curry rice felt even more generous and filling.

How was the pork cutlet and cold soba combo?

Eating just the cutlet can get a bit heavy partway through, so I ordered cold soba alongside it as well. Pine Katsu's cold soba is made with 100% fresh noodles boiled in-house, they say. A bite of cutlet followed by a bite of cold soba cleaned the palate nicely. The crispy, savory cutlet paired with the refreshing cold soba worked better than I expected. On a hot day especially, I think this kind of cold soba would hit the spot more than a warm broth.

A day you're craving aged pork cutlet in Jamsil

This time at Pine Katsu Jamsil Main Branch, I tried the tenderloin-cheese katsu set, and what I especially liked was being able to have both menu items together. It seemed like a good spot to visit before or after a walk around Seokchon Lake, or for a date in Jamsil, or for a family meal out. I had the tenderloin and cheese katsu this time, but next time I'd like to try their other katsu menu items too.

On a day you're craving soft, aged pork cutlet in Samjeon-dong, Jamsil, it's worth stopping by Pine Katsu Jamsil Main Branch. If you're like me and find it hard to pick just one thing, try the tenderloin-cheese katsu set with cold soba. And if you like curry… you might end up adding it too, just like I did haha. So delicious and the staff were so kind! Definitely going back.

Visit information

• Address: 35 Baekjegobun-ro 21-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 101, South Korea
• Transit: Samjeon Station Exit 2, ~4 min walk / Jamsilnaru Station Exit 3, ~9 min walk / Jamsil Station Exit 4, ~12 min walk
• Parking: Dedicated parking in front and shared building parking available
• Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–21:00, break 15:00–16:00, last order 20:40
• Closed: Every Sunday
• Recommended for: solo dining, lunch, family meals out, dates, office worker lunches