Loin and tenderloin cutlet juices when top loin sold out: Kkot Gatsu

The reason you keep coming back after just one bite — a thick, juicy pork cutlet spot in Dongtan. Words and photos © Ueongi

Kkot Gatsu Dongtan Main Branch — location, hours, parking

• Address: 33 Wangbaesan 3-gil, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (1st floor)
• Hours: Daily 11:00 - 21:00
• Break time: 15:00 - 17:00
• Parking: Roadside / in-building parking available

A look around Kkot Gatsu Dongtan's interior and exterior

Ueong-hi 〃'ᴗ'〃 Today I went to Kkot Gatsu, a pork cutlet (donkatsu) spot near the Mokdong residential area in Dongtan. The first time I ate here it genuinely blew my mind, so I've been waiting for the next chance to crave donkatsu again haha

Weekday 6pm visit — any wait?

This is a donkatsu spot that gets a wait even on weekday peak hours! They even have outdoor waiting seats set up. I visited around 6pm on a weekday and luckily got seated right away, no wait.

The wood-tone interior and soft yellow lighting made me feel relaxed. There were a lot of families with kids, and the staff were so friendly that it seemed like people came back with confidence.

Kkot Gatsu's menu lineup and what we ordered

True to a proper Dongtan donkatsu spot, the menu was packed! Tenderloin cutlet, premium top loin cutlet, loin cutlet, cheese cutlet, fish cutlet, chicken cutlet, and single dishes like cold soba, spicy udon, plain udon, curry, and fried flower shrimp. If you can't decide which cut to get, I highly recommend ordering one tenderloin and one loin to share.

🍖 Today's Ueong-pick — Kkot Gatsu ₩15,000 / Loin cutlet ₩14,000 / Spicy udon ₩9,500

What's at the self-serve bar?

The self-serve bar has plenty of jalapeños, house-made pickles, radish kimchi, and various sauces, and there's a spicy radish kimchi so even parents with more traditional Korean tastes ate it happily.

Tasting the tenderloin, loin, and udon at Kkot Gatsu

Cooking starts the moment you order, so I waited about 10 minutes. Still, having everything come out at once meant we could all chat while eating, which I liked~ Even the light pink hue of the cutlet already looked delicious.

The pork cutlet comes with cabbage salad, miso soup, tonkatsu sauce, wasabi, salt, mustard, truffle oil, and rice.

Loin cutlet — ordered as a substitute when top loin sold out

Finally, the main dish — loin cutlet arrives! The top loin cutlet was sold out that day so I ordered loin cutlet instead, and it looked delicious too. It has a lively, chewy texture, so if you like really feeling the meat, this cut is highly recommended.

See the juices? Kkot Gatsu is a proper handmade donkatsu specialist that uses top-grade Korean pork, they say. I could definitely taste the clean flavor with no gamey smell.

There were so many options to pair it with — lemon salt, wasabi, truffle salt, truffle oil, and a rich sauce — that mixing and matching was really fun 👍🏻 Wasabi and salt bring out the meat's flavor, and eating it with radish kimchi adds a nice crunchy texture.

The texture of the signature tenderloin cutlet

This is the shop's signature tenderloin cutlet. Tenderloin is a much more tender cut than loin, and I think this is the cut that separates a good donkatsu spot from a great one. That day, there was hardly a table that hadn't ordered this dish.

Pick up one piece and feel this texture... soft and crispy yet moist, filling your whole mouth. I prefer dipping it in tonkatsu sauce, and it was so soft and juicy it left teeth marks haha

How spicy is the spicy udon?

This was the first time I tried the spicy udon (hwa-udon). I ordered it because they said it's got a hearty spicy flavor, and the spiciness was quite something — about as spicy as Shin Ramyun.

Chewy udon noodles plus meat — such an appealing combo! The broth was so hot and flavorful that after finishing the noodles I wanted to mix in rice too.

No floury taste and the noodles were nice and chewy — I didn't expect even the side dish to be this satisfying at a Dongtan donkatsu spot.

On the way out they even gave us candy! If you're coming with kids, it'd make a nice little gift too 💛

Final thoughts

With friendly staff and a well-stocked self-serve bar, this place suits family meals well. If you're looking for a great donkatsu spot, definitely stop by Kkot Gatsu.