Counter-seat tonkatsu restaurant near Amsa Station, Seoul: Tonka

I was craving crispy Japanese-style tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) this weekend, so I dragged my partner along to Tonka, a tonkatsu spot in Amsadong. We went on a whim, but it turns out that when you search it on Naver, it comes up as a place with lots of repeat visitors! I went in with no expectations but got wowed by the taste, the vibe, and the owner's sense of style. Here's my honest review. Let's go-🎵

Where is Tonka, and what are its hours?

Tonka is a 5-minute walk from Exit 4 of Amsa Station!

• Tue-Sun: 11:00-20:30
• Monday: closed regularly ❌
• Break time: 15:00-17:00
• Last order: 14:30, 20:00

*Every Sunday is the day before their regular closing day, so apparently that's when you can catch some special cuts as they manage stock!

No sign outside Tonka, and parking for just one car

There's no separate sign, so I wondered if I had the right place, but I could tell from the banner out front! The vibe was very much café-chic. It felt surprisingly hip for a tonkatsu restaurant.

* Parking for 1 car is apparently available right in front of the restaurant!

Inside Tonka: 7 counter seats for solo diners and couples

Tonka only has counter seating! Perfect for eating solo~ There was seating for about 7 people. Sitting side by side as a couple wasn't uncomfortable at all!

And it left a real impression that, despite being a tonkatsu restaurant, there was no oil smell — instead a faint incense scent haha. It felt like eating tonkatsu in a café ~.~

And best of all, since it's an open kitchen, I could watch exactly how the food was being prepared! Watching the owner slice the tonkatsu made my mouth water and made me want to eat it even faster….🥹

Tonka's menu and prices

Tonka has three menu items!

• Tonkatsu, the signature menu where you can enjoy both loin and tenderloin together
• Special loin katsu, a premium loin katsu menu made in limited quantity
• Sasami katsu, made with soft chicken breast (clean, light flavor)

I wanted to try both the tonkatsu and the special loin katsu, but the special loin katsu was sold out, so my partner and I both ordered the tonkatsu!

How does Tonka's tonkatsu (tenderloin + loin) at 15,000 won taste?

Tonkatsu (tenderloin + loin), ₩15,000. It's here, it's here, the tonkatsu is here! It comes with tonkatsu, cabbage, mustard and wasabi salt, plus a bowl of rice, shiitake mushroom soup, and pickles.

Doesn't it look crispy outside, juicy inside just from the photo..? It came sliced into 5 pieces of loin and 2 pieces of tenderloin! I dipped each piece into the wasabi salt and mustard.

Let's take a look at the loin and tenderloin's visuals first…

The loin's inside was truly pale and very moist. On the very first bite there was a satisfying crunch of the breading, and the meat was super tender and juicy!

Crispy, crunchy breading… I loved that there was no oil smell whatsoever!

The loin in its crispy coat >..<

Why the tenderloin at Tonka looks pink inside

This is the tenderloin, my favorite cut! Like the loin, it was crispy outside and juicy inside!

*The menu noted that the pink you see inside the tonkatsu isn't undercooked meat — it's normal for pork to keep a pink hue after cooking due to myoglobin, so you can eat it without worry! So I ate my tenderloin without a worry in my heart (lol).

Take a look at the tenderloin's crispy coat too~

A bite out of the tenderloin. You're delicious too, huh?

Cabbage salad dressing and tonkatsu sauce were set out on the counter table, so I could drizzle on as much as I liked.

And the soup was way more delicious than I expected! Since it's brewed from shiitake mushrooms, the mushroom aroma really comes through, and the flavor was deep and rich — genuinely delicious!!

Verdict on Tonka: a light eater cleared the whole plate

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Everyone!!! I!!! Finished the whole thing!!!! Me, who can never finish a single tonkatsu, finished it all!!! That's how good it was…! Now I get why it has so many repeat visitors. I think I'm going to become one of those repeat visitors too haha.

It was delicious, the atmosphere was great, and the owner was so kind it made for an enjoyable meal! For taste/atmosphere/cleanliness/sense, I'm giving it a full thumbs up across the board…! (bang bang) That's my honest, light-as-Tonka review!