Seongnae-dong tonkatsu restaurant with no wait at 5pm: Riae Premium

I stopped by Riae Premium Olympic Park Branch, a tonkatsu place I often visit whenever I pass near Olympic Park. I've been a regular here for a while — it's a well-known spot in Seongnae-dong where you can taste proper Japanese-style katsu.

Where is Riae Premium Olympic Park Branch, and how are parking and waiting?

Riae Premium is located in Seongnae-dong, in a spot that's easy to reach from the Olympic Park gymnastics arena and swimming pool side.

On weekday lunches it's such a popular spot that there's often a wait, so I'd recommend booking ahead. I visited at 5pm right after break time ended, and I could sit down with plenty of room to spare — no waiting stress at all.

There's space for about two cars to double-park on the left side of the restaurant. I got lucky and found a spot. If there's no space, it's also fine to park at Olympic Park's P4 lot and walk over — it's not far.

Inside Riae Premium: an open kitchen with bar seating

The restaurant is on the larger side with plenty of tables. There's a good mix of 4-tops and 2-tops, plus bar seating, so it's also great for eating solo.

It's an open kitchen, and it felt very clean. The staff greeted me warmly the moment I walked in, which put me in a good mood. Even the chefs in the kitchen say hello 😎

What's on the Riae Premium menu?

As a proper Japanese-style katsu specialist, Riae's signature dishes are made with aged meat. My favorite is the set that pairs the premium special loin katsu (deungsim) with fillet katsu (hire) — apparently this combo is Riae's longest-loved, classic signature.

The two sets I ordered at Riae Premium

• Premium special loin katsu (deungsim) + fillet katsu (hire)
• Cold soba fillet (hire) set

Special loin katsu (deungsim) + fillet katsu (hire)

The special loin katsu is the dish where Riae's aged meat and frying skill really shine.

It's fried using the gabri top loin cut, and the fat is so tender and soft that every bite bursts with juice and rich meaty aroma 👍👍👍

That fatty part is exactly the reason to eat loin katsu. The lean part has a moist yet firm texture, and eating it together with the crispy batter is the kind of flavor that keeps pulling your chopsticks back.

Can you see that juice?? The fillet was cooked so moist that you can actually see the juices in the photo. If the loin is all about deep meaty flavor and chew, the fillet melts away smoothly — I'd recommend ordering both.

There's also a variety of sauces — salt, wasabi, truffle oil, and a Worcestershire-style sauce — so it was fun mixing and matching.

The cabbage salad is unbelievably good. I don't know what's in the dressing, but it's magic — I don't even like vegetables much and I finished that whole huge pile of cabbage.

Cold soba with fillet katsu (hire) set

My friend said it was hot out and wanted something cool, so she ordered the cold soba with fillet.

The cold soba noodles were springy and chewy with a great bite. Cucumber, carrot, shrimp, grated radish, and seaweed flakes were all piled on generously, so it was fun mixing them in too.

Alternating with the fillet (hire) katsu served alongside worked really well. Cleansing your palate with the tangy cold soba, then taking a crispy bite of fillet katsu, was a combo I kept wanting to repeat.

The potato croquette tasted like the classic flavor you'd expect, but it was extra good since it came out freshly fried and hot, and it was packed full inside for a satisfying portion.

Why I'd go back to Riae Premium at 5pm

From the quality of the aged katsu to the crispy batter, this visit reminded me once again why Riae Premium Olympic Park Branch is such a great tonkatsu spot near Olympic Park.