Hongdae tonkatsu, 5:30 pm weekday dinner, full by 6: Katsu Monster

My sister, who lives down in Jeolla, finally came up to Seoul for a visit, so off we went to hunt for a good Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong eatery~!! We headed to Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch, my go-to Hongdae tonkatsu spot that I've been back to at least 5 times, and had a lovely weekday dinner :)

Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch: Location and Hours

Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch is at 42-6 Donggyo-ro 38-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, a 7-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station. It's open daily 10:30–21:00, with a break from 15:30 to 16:30 and last order at 20:10. There's no parking lot, so I'd go by public transport.

It's a great Yeonnam-dong date spot, about a 7-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station, which is served by Line 2, the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and the Airport Railroad! It sits a little way into an alley off the crowded main street, so the meal felt quiet and comfortable, which I loved!

How Long Is the Weekday Dinner Wait?

When I walked in around 5:30 pm on a weekday, there were only 1–2 other customers, but after 6 pm the place filled up fast and a line formed outside.

I went around 5:30 on a weekday! When I came in there were just one or two people, but after 6 pm it filled up quickly and a line formed outside,,, a Hongdae tonkatsu favorite, no argument...

Seating and Atmosphere

The inside isn't huge, but there are side-bar seats that are comfy for solo diners plus tables for 2 and 4 with decent room, so it's fine! Still, watch out for a wait at lunch and dinner peak times! The kitchen is open, which makes me trust it more. Delivery and takeout orders kept pouring in, too.

How to Order and Table Condiments

You order at the kiosk at your seat! And you just prepay right there. Every table has salad dressing, tonkatsu sauce, salt, pepper, wasabi and all kinds of other condiments!

Katsu Monster Menu and Prices

Here's the menu :)

• Loin Katsu ₩14,000
• Fillet Katsu ₩16,000
• Premium Loin Katsu ₩16,000
• Cheese Katsu ₩17,000
• Assorted Katsu ₩18,000
• Mix Katsu A (loin + fillet) ₩19,000
• Mix Katsu B (fillet + cheese) ₩19,000
• Triple Katsu (loin + fillet + cheese) ₩21,000
• Chicken Curry Udon ₩12,000
• Tonkatsu Curry Rice Bowl/Udon ₩16,000
• Kimchi Katsu Nabe (hot pot) ₩16,000
• Cold Soba ₩10,000
• Katsuo Udon ₩10,000
• Bite-size Curry ₩4,000
• Chicken Karaage (3 pcs) ₩8,000
• Menchi Katsu (minced-meat cutlet) ₩8,000

There are also sets that pair katsu with a noodle dish! Mix and match however you like~!

What the Two of Us Ordered

• 💕 Premium Loin Katsu ₩16,000
• 💕 Mix Katsu B (fillet + cheese) ₩19,000
• 💕 Cold Soba ₩10,000

Mix Katsu B: How Do the Fillet and Cheese Katsu Taste?

Mix Katsu B is a ₩19,000 plate with half tenderloin fillet katsu and half cheese katsu. First off, the breading is seriously crispy, you can tell just by looking!!!

Oh, and every katsu order at Katsu Monster comes with rice, soup, salad, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and dessert, a really filling lineup~!

The meat is seasoned neither too salty nor too bland, just nicely mild, so it tasted great even without salt, wasabi or sauce. The tenderloin fillet is really clean-tasting with a perfect chew, true to a classic tonkatsu!!

The cheese katsu honestly doesn't come in many pieces, so I thought the portion was a bit disappointing... but seriously, even one piece is flooded with cheese and the pieces are big, so it's sneakily filling!!! The cheese oozing out is just so gorgeous, T_T come to my mouth already!

What Cut Is Katsu Monster's Premium Loin Katsu?

Katsu Monster's Premium Loin Katsu (₩16,000) is loin with the extra loin cap (gabrisal) attached, so it has a strong meaty flavor and a chewy bite. It's my current obsession,, the super chewy meat is honestly insane....

There's fat between the lean parts too, but it's not heavy or overwhelming fat! It's a butter-like richness that comes from the meat's own nutty flavor, so it's totally addictive,,,

Adding Cold Soba to Tonkatsu: A Hot-Day Combo

We added the cold soba (₩10,000) because both my companion and I were starving, haha. With the weather getting hotter, tonkatsu plus cold soba is absolutely the right answer,,!!! Personally I love stirring a little wasabi into the broth and drinking it down ice cold, haha~

I finished with a bite of the cute jeonggwa (traditional candied fruit) that comes as dessert, mouth freshened up, haha!!

Who Should Visit Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch?

If you're looking for a Yeonnam-dong date spot, a Hongdae Japanese-style eatery or a Hongdae place for eating solo!! I strongly recommend Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch~!