# Songpa pork cutlet restaurant: Pine Katsu's standout tenderloin

- By Jiwoo (https://superchart.com/en/@neon-glass-evening/)
- Written Sep 10, 2026
- Updated Sep 13, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Songpa, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written after receiving a complimentary visit from the restaurant.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@neon-glass-evening/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/
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## In short

Pine Katsu Jamsil Main Branch is a pork cutlet restaurant in Samjeon-dong, Songpa, Seoul. I compared cheese, tenderloin, and loin cutlets with udon, and the juicy tenderloin, crisp-yet-moist salad, and after-meal pineapple were all memorable. Verdict: I would come back specifically for the tenderloin cutlet.

## Good to know

- **Address**: Room 101, 35 Baekjegobun-ro 21-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- **Access**: Within walking distance of Samjeon Station
- **Parking**: Parking is available in front of the restaurant
- **Reservations**: Reservations are indicated as available
- **What we ordered**: Cheese cutlet, tenderloin cutlet, loin cutlet, and udon

*as written by the visitor on Sep 10, 2026*

I wasn't planning to make this much of a fuss over pork cutlets. But this place was genuinely insanely good. Not just a good pork cutlet place in Songpa—it was the best pork cutlet I've ever had. I've been to plenty of supposedly famous places, places with huge waits... I've tried all sorts of them.

I don't particularly want to name names and compare which place was better or worse, but if we're looking at pork cutlets alone, Pine Katsu in Songpa was overwhelmingly the best for me. Especially the tenderloin. It feels like a waste to stop at calling this a great Songpa restaurant. It would not be strange at all if it became known nationwide.

I paused for a moment as soon as I ate it. Like... was tenderloin pork cutlet always this delicious? Haha. Without a doubt, it is the number-one pork cutlet in Jamsil's Samjeon-dong.

## Pine Katsu Jamsil Main Branch: location and parking

![Location guide for Pine Katsu Jamsil Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-01-nqhse-900.webp)

![Pine Katsu restaurant location in Samjeon-dong](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-02-5ydmo-900.webp)

Pine Katsu is in Samjeon-dong, Songpa-gu: Room 101, 35 Baekjegobun-ro 21-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul. It is walkable from Samjeon Station, so getting there by public transport is not difficult either.

If you're looking for a pork cutlet restaurant around Jamsil or Seokchon Lake, keep this one in mind too. Rather than being in the middle of a hectic commercial strip, it feels more like a hidden neighborhood favorite, which made it even more surprising that a pork cutlet place this good was here. If you're looking for pork cutlets in Jamsil and don't go here, you're a fool. A real fool.

Parking matters for those driving. You can park in front of the restaurant. In Songpa and Jamsil, finding a great restaurant can often turn into a parking headache, so this is another advantage for drivers. Conditions can vary by the time of your visit, though, so I recommend checking with the restaurant beforehand if you plan to drive.

## What about waiting and reservations?

![Waiting information at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-03-ehbii-900.webp)

![Reservation information at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-04-1rnrd-900.webp)

![Pine Katsu waiting guide](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-05-9vnly-900.webp)

![Visitor information for Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-06-117ml-900.webp)

Pine Katsu is indicated as a place where reservations are possible. To me, it feels like the kind of restaurant where waiting will become the concern once it gets even more famous. Whether you can be seated right away at lunch or dinner peak times will depend on the day, so if you don't want to wait, visit a little early or check on reservations in advance.

And personally... try this tenderloin cutlet before it gets more famous. I honestly wondered why it has not become nationally known yet.

## I forgot the chef lookalike talk after one bite

Something was a little funny from the moment I first walked in. I looked toward the kitchen, and the chef looked so much like someone I'd seen before. Then it came to me: Chef Choi Kang-rok. Of course, that is only my opinion that he looked similar, haha. He was wearing a mask, so I don't know whether his actual face looks alike, but the vibe was similar..!

![Chef in the Pine Katsu kitchen](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-07-1i4wt-900.webp)

![Pine Katsu restaurant kitchen](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-08-12ze1-900.webp)

So at first I was saying, “Wow, he looks like Chef Choi Kang-rok.” But after one bite of the pork cutlet, I blurted out, “Wait, the flavor is Black and White Chef level too?”

![A full pork cutlet meal at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-09-aqsky-900.webp)

![Pork cutlet menu at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-10-5uh5x-900.webp)

![Meal menu at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-11-88erm-900.webp)

![Pork cutlet meal components at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-12-182wx-900.webp)

![Dining at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-13-19pb8-900.webp)

A restaurant being on television does not automatically make it delicious, and fame and the actual flavor of the food are separate matters. I've visited quite a few popular places featured on Black and White Chef too. I won't say which ones. But purely in terms of the shock I felt from eating, Pine Katsu was overwhelming. It did not need a TV appearance or a famous-chef title. One bite of pork cutlet was enough.

![Pork cutlet at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-14-jfuux-900.webp)

![A bite of Pine Katsu pork cutlet](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-15-jr08w-900.webp)

![Pork cutlet meal at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-16-d8n49-900.webp)

## Cheese, tenderloin, and loin cutlets—with udon too

We really ate properly that day: cheese cutlet, tenderloin cutlet, loin cutlet, and udon. With three kinds of pork cutlet, I could compare them properly. Usually when you order several kinds, one menu item makes you think, “I don't need to order this next time.” Here, all three were good. Still, if I had to pick just one, it would be the tenderloin cutlet without hesitation.

## Why the tenderloin cutlet stayed with me most

![Tenderloin cutlet menu at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-17-yny9i-900.webp)

It was the best pork cutlet I've eaten in my life. Even as I write this, I thought several times that I might be exaggerating, but after thinking again, it's still true. It is number one by my standards.

Tenderloin cutlets can turn dry if done wrong, and if they are made only too soft, sometimes the actual chew of the meat disappears. Pine Katsu hits that line exquisitely. You can see the moisture in the center, and it is even clearer when you put it in your mouth. It is incredibly tender without being mushy; when you chew, juicy moisture comes out and the pork's own flavor comes alive.

The breading was great too. It was not thick or soaked with oil so that it covered the meat's flavor; it crisply held the outside together while preserving the tenderloin's moisture inside.

![Cross-section of Pine Katsu tenderloin cutlet](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-18-1r3eh-900.webp)

In the end, what stayed with me after eating was not, “They fry well here,” but, “Why is the meat so delicious here?” I was not someone who deliberately sought out tenderloin cutlets before. But this changed me. I could come back to Pine Katsu just for this tenderloin. Really.

Rather than simply calling it a great pork cutlet restaurant in Songpa, I want to say it is a place worth going out of your way to try if you love tenderloin cutlets. And the pairing with basil salt... the pairing with truffle sauce... I have so much to say about that too. Not one ingredient jumps out shouting, “It's all about me!” Everything is controlled,,,, creating an incredibly harmonious flavor.

## The loin: meaty flavor and savory fat

![Loin cutlet menu at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-19-1advl-900.webp)

The loin was good too. If the tenderloin is a crazy menu item for its moisture and tenderness, the loin has a stronger meaty flavor and savory richness from the fat when you chew it. A loin cutlet is a little dull if only the lean meat tastes good; the fatty part needs to be delicious too. Here, that savory flavor really came up when the meat and fat were eaten together. It was not so oily that it became burdensome to keep eating, either.

So ordering both tenderloin and loin was such a good choice. They are completely different. Choose tenderloin if you like the juicy, tender side; choose loin if you love meaty flavor and the savory richness of fat. Personally, though, tenderloin still won by a landslide. The tenderloin was just too strong.

## The cheese cutlet still let the meat shine

![Cheese cutlet menu at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-20-p01pd-900.webp)

![Cheese cutlet meal components at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-21-1ltrq-900.webp)

The cheese cutlet was properly done too. You know when cheese cutlet goes wrong and the cheese is so strong that you wonder, “Am I eating pork cutlet or cheese...?” Here, it was packed with cheese, but the pork cutlet itself did not disappear. The meat, crisp breading, and cheese worked well together in each bite. If you love cheese, it would be great to order one to share. But if I went back? Tenderloin would be non-negotiable. I could never leave out the tenderloin.

## A meal that still made sense after adding udon

![Udon menu at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-22-3h3x1-900.webp)

I remembered while organizing the photos that we even had udon that day. Three kinds of pork cutlet and udon too. Which makes it even more ridiculous, because now I need to talk about value for money.

Based on the flavor alone, I naturally assumed it would be a somewhat pricey place. These days, a meal at even a decent premium pork cutlet specialty restaurant quickly adds up. Especially at a place that pays this much attention to meat quality and does proper aging, I thought, “It must still cost a bit.” But Pine Katsu surprised me again when I saw the prices.

Honestly, I could not quite understand how you could eat pork cutlets of this quality at these prices. Based on the flavor alone, it would make sense even if they charged more, but the prices are instead at a level where you can comfortably come for a neighborhood meal. So it does not stop at “a delicious pork cutlet place”—it becomes, “Wait, they sell this at this price?”

And we had cheese, tenderloin, loin, and udon. Even after putting together such a full meal, my first thought was not, “We spent some money today...” but, “This is so good for this quality and price?” There are many delicious places. There are many places with decent prices too. But places that are unbelievably delicious and also so reasonably priced that you can barely believe it are not common.

## Even the salad was crisp and moist

![Salad at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-23-egpom-900.webp)

The salad was another surprise. I never thought I would talk this much about a pork cutlet restaurant's salad. It was so, so moist. I do not mean it was soggy because it had lots of dressing. The cabbage was extremely crisp. Its crunchy texture was completely intact, yet it was amazingly moist when you ate it.

So after a piece of pork cutlet, one bite of salad completely resets your mouth. One piece of pork cutlet. One bite of salad. One piece of pork cutlet. One bite of salad. You just keep eating in that pattern, haha. At most pork cutlet places, you might leave a little salad at the end or eat it without thinking much about it. Here, the salad was delicious too, so I finished it all. You can tell they do not just do the main dish well; they have considered every single thing that comes on the tray.

## A tray complete with aged pineapple and candy

Something was a little unusual from the moment the tray arrived. It was not just pork cutlet and salad; aged pineapple for after the meal and a palate-cleansing candy came on the same tray. I thought, wait, a pork cutlet restaurant takes care of all this too?

After fried food, no matter how delicious it is, a little oily flavor can remain in your mouth toward the end. Eat one piece of pineapple then, and its sweetness and tart freshness clear your mouth right up. It was thoughtful to provide pineapple with digestion in mind too. And the truly final touch was the candy. It seems like nothing, right? But little things like that stay in my memory for a surprisingly long time.

It did not feel like a place that simply puts down one plate of pork cutlet. From the salad and main pork cutlet to the udon, after-meal pineapple, and final candy, it felt like a restaurant serving a whole meal with care. So when I left, it was not simply, “Ah, that pork cutlet was good.” I felt like I had been properly treated to a meal.

## If I could recommend only one Songpa pork cutlet

![Recommended tenderloin cutlet at Pine Katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil/songpa-samjeon-ansimkatsu-pinekatsu-jamsil-24-f7idu-900.webp)

I've visited various restaurants run by chefs who appeared on Black and White Chef, and each clearly had its own reason for being famous. Naturally, everyone's tastes differ too. But if I had to say just one thing, the shock of flavor I got from actually eating at Pine Katsu was overwhelming. Take away TV appearances, famous-chef titles, social-media followers, and hours of waiting, and if you put only the food in front of me and asked me to choose again, I would choose Pine Katsu's tenderloin cutlet.

If someone asks me to recommend just one great pork cutlet restaurant in Songpa now, I think I will name this place. Actually, I do not think it even needs the Songpa label. Pine Katsu's tenderloin is genuinely national-level. I've been to many delicious pork cutlet places and all sorts of famous spots from Black and White Chef, but if you ask which pork cutlet has been the best I've ever eaten, right now it is this one. And by quite a wide margin.

At first, I was saying, “Oh? He really does look like Chef Choi Kang-rok, haha,” because there was a chef who resembled him. But after eating, I forgot all about the resemblance. The pork cutlet is just insanely delicious. Then there is the moist, crunchy salad; aged pineapple and candy; udon too; and prices that make no sense. I am worried about what they possibly have left as profit, haha.

If you like pork cutlets in Songpa, go to Pine Katsu at least once. You can choose the other dishes according to your taste, but please, really do order the tenderloin. I consider this restaurant's tenderloin cutlet national-level.

## Where it is

- Pine Katsu Jamsil Main Branch (파인카츠 잠실본점)
- Room 101, 35 Baekjegobun-ro 21-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 송파구 백제고분로21길 35 101호
- 37.5069001, 127.0914287
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%8C%8C%EC%9D%B8%EC%B9%B4%EC%B8%A0%20%EC%9E%A0%EC%8B%A4%EB%B3%B8%EC%A0%90/@37.5069001,127.0914287,17z

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