After-academy tonkatsu dinner with my daughter in Amsa-dong: Tonka

This is the most memorable cutlet I've ever eaten, at Tonka, a tonkatsu restaurant near the Han River in Amsa-dong. It's a fairly new spot, but it's already become the talk of the neighborhood. It's conveniently right in front of my daughter's academy, so we end up going together for dinner pretty often. Let me review my personal favorite cutlet spot, Tonka, right now :)

Amsa-dong Han River tonkatsu spot Tonka TONKA

Is there a wait at Tonka, and what are the counter seats like?

Tonka is the kind of Amsa-dong tonkatsu spot where there's usually a wait if you arrive at dinnertime. This time we came 10 minutes earlier than usual and got seated right away. Leaving work 10 minutes early really paid off haha.

Tonka, the Amsa-dong Han River tonkatsu spot, is all counter seating. You can watch the chef cook right in front of you.

Tonka's menu: the tonkatsu with both loin and tenderloin

Tonka doesn't bother with other menu items — it's all about the tonkatsu. I ordered the tonkatsu that comes with both loin and tenderloin. It's always the one I order.

Cooking starts the moment you order at Tonka. I always notice the chef has a set routine. Once it's cooked to a certain point, he adds the cabbage; once the temperature check is done, he scoops the rice, then the soup. It feels like he's timing everything — even the rice and soup — for the best moment to eat.

The tonkatsu my daughter and I ordered arrived. It's loin and tenderloin, but they gave us a free sashimi katsu on top too. The sashimi katsu is made with chicken tenderloin. One piece each of loin, tenderloin, and sashimi — the portion is really generous. Such a varied tonkatsu set.

Rice, soup and pepper leaf side dish at Tonka

By the way, Tonka's rice, soup, and even the pepper leaf side dish are all delicious. Every single thing is good. And the rice is so sticky it's tasty even on its own.

I'll eat the cabbage salad first, then get into the tonkatsu properly.

Tonka's loin katsu, dipped lightly in salt

The loin is no joke haha. It's loin with the juices locked in tight. I usually prefer tenderloin over loin, but I really love Tonka's loin.

Dipping it in tonkatsu sauce is good too, but salt is my favorite. Tap it in salt — I usually eat tonkatsu for the crunch, but at Tonka I eat it for the real meat flavor. Not that it's not crunchy, of course. It's very crunchy haha. My daughter says her mouth feels scraped every time she eats here — that's how crunchy it is.

How moist is Tonka's tenderloin katsu?

The tenderloin katsu I love has zero dryness. It's Tonka's tenderloin katsu, moist with the juices locked in tight.

It's so moist and tender I feel like I could tear it apart along the grain haha. A tenderloin katsu you can eat soft and juicy.

Free chicken tenderloin sashimi katsu from the chef

Sashimi katsu made from chicken tenderloin, which is trendy these days. I recommend eating sashimi katsu with just salt, no sauce!

It's unbelievably soft. Tonkatsu is soft too, but the chicken tenderloin is even softer. A sashimi katsu so soft it practically melts in your mouth. My daughter, who loves soft food, was shocked the moment she took her first bite.

Would I go back to Tonka in Amsa-dong?

Another really delicious meal at Tonka, my personal favorite cutlet. When I first visited, I kind of hoped it wouldn't get too famous... but of course everyone finds the good places haha. It's already become super popular. A place run by an owner who's truly dedicated to tonkatsu — I recommend Tonka, the Amsa-dong Han River tonkatsu spot.