Fishcake udon and cold soba at Onjeong, a Sanbon pork cutlet spot

Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang Sanbon Academy District Branch: pork cutlet at any hour

Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang Sanbon Academy District Branch has no break time, which makes it a great pick when you're craving pork cutlet in the Sanbon academy district at some in-between hour. This time the Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang chain, which also has a branch in Yongsan, opened in Sanbon, so I went to try the spicy pork cutlet, the Western-style pork cutlet, udon, and cold soba (buckwheat noodles).

Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang, Sanbon

Someone excited that a pork cutlet spot finally opened in Sanbon? That's me. Craving spicy pork cutlet but too lazy to make the spicy sauce at home? Just go here and enjoy it. Just remember they're closed on Mondays, so avoid visiting then.

What we ordered at Onjeong and what it cost

• Udon and Western-style pork cutlet set: ₩14,500
• Cold soba and spicy pork cutlet set: ₩15,000
• Total: ₩29,500 paid.

All the pork cutlets are made only with Dodram Korean pork, so you can trust what you're eating. There was a father who brought his elementary-school-aged daughter too. Usually it's one menu item per person, but they had ordered a set to share. I don't usually pay attention to other tables, but on my way out for a smoke I glanced over and noticed the kind female owner had given them a big bowl to make sharing easier. This kind of thoughtfulness is exactly why the locals in Sanbon-dong, Gunpo, keep coming back.

Western-style vs spicy pork cutlet: how do they taste?

My friend can't handle spicy food, so she ordered the udon and Western-style pork cutlet (small), while I ordered the buckwheat soba and spicy pork cutlet (small). One bite of my friend's Western-style pork cutlet and — wow, this is actually really good. It was her first time trying Korean-style pork cutlet, so she asked how the Western-style cutlet sauce was made, and I asked GPT and told her the answer.

The dinner roll is optional, so you can choose yes or no. I ordered without it, but they gave it to us anyway, so I passed it on to my friend. That day we ate until we were nearly bursting, so afterward we walked for over 10 minutes to help bring our blood sugar down a bit.

When they slice the spicy pork cutlet with a knife, this is what the cross-section looks like. The cutlet is on the larger side, which gave a really satisfying sense of fullness. In a world where school kids love pork cutlet and even the guys at the office get excited when someone suggests cutlet or grilled pork, Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang Sanbon Academy District Branch is a ray of light. It's near Sanbon Juegong 11-danji Apartments, Jumong Juegong 10-danji Apartments, Ubang Mongnyeon Apartments, and Hanyang Mongnyeon Apartments, so a lot of local residents must stop by.

What comes with the set, including the mushroom soup

The set is pork cutlet, a small amount of rice, salad, and a dinner roll, and they give you mushroom soup as a default side, which is a real treat. It's packed with mushrooms and tastes true to what a soup should be. There's pepper at the self-serve bar, so grabbing some, sprinkling it on, and stirring it in makes it even better. Diced radish kimchi and pickled radish also come out.

They also thoughtfully provide single-serving Ottogi strawberry jam to go with the dinner roll. That kind of consideration isn't common — the owner really has good sense.

Udon packed with fishcake and cold soba as a hangover cure

Onjeong's udon isn't just plain udon — it's packed with fishcake inside, just like the fishcake udon sold at Kkang Udon, which made it great for enjoying fishcake. It's also loaded with fried tofu, finished off with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes on top. Drinking a big gulp of the udon broth is also great as a hangover cure. The reason I chose cold soba (buckwheat noodles) is that for a hangover, I actually prefer cold soba. Cold broth — I often eat cold soba like I'm drinking pyeongyang naengmyeon broth.

There was a bussing station, but when I asked the owner, she told me to just leave everything as it was, so after the meal I left it on the table, said thanks for the meal, and left comfortably.

Inside Onjeong: atmosphere and eating alone

The inside was cool, comfortable, and well kept, and the owner was kind too, so I could finish my meal feeling good.

It's also easy to eat solo here

Near Sanbon Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang there's a Himchan Taekwondo academy, so it's an easy spot for the elementary school kids doing taekwondo to stop by for pork cutlet too — good location accessibility. This isn't a store-bought product but handmade Western-style pork cutlet, pounded with an actual meat mallet. I liked that the batter wasn't too thick, and while the spicy pork cutlet is tough for spice wimps, I'm planning to come back again for the Western-style pork cutlet.