Seongsu tonkatsu: chicken sasami katsu and premium loin at Katsuryu

This is Katsuryu, where I went for tonkatsu in Seongsu! Seongsu has so many great places to eat, but that day I really wanted a proper tonkatsu, so I gave it a try haha. The atmosphere is unique and the tonkatsu choices are varied, so it stuck with me. Let me tell you about the premium loin katsu set and the sasami and asparagus katsu set I tried!

What's the atmosphere like at Katsuryu in Seongsu?

Katsuryu is a Japanese-style tonkatsu restaurant in a black-toned building on Sangwon 1-gil in Seongsu, and both the exterior and the interior are black. It's on the second floor of a building near Seongsu Station.

The building's clean black look made it feel like something you'd see in Japan. I liked the vibe even before going in.

The inside is black throughout too. It feels clean and stylish, but the windows are big and bright light comes in along the wall, so it wasn't as dark as I expected. Overall it was calm yet bright.

Every seat at Katsuryu is a counter seat

What made Katsuryu unique is that every seat is a counter seat (datchi-seok, a bar-style seat)!

Each seat has its own table setting and a menu. It looks fine for eating alone, and it would also work for sitting side by side with a friend. If you're looking for a Japanese-style tonkatsu place in Seongsu, it's worth keeping an eye on.

How do you order at Katsuryu?

At Katsuryu you write the quantity of each dish you want on the order sheet at your seat. The ordering method was unique too, and it reminded me of ordering at Ichiran Ramen in Japan lol

You check the menu at your seat and write the quantity you want, so it was easy to take your time choosing. We ordered two dishes that day!

• Premium loin katsu set (teuksang deungsim rosu katsu jeongsik)
• Sasami and asparagus katsu set

We added curry on the side and tried that too.

How is the premium loin katsu set at Katsuryu?

The premium loin katsu set comes with two pieces of loin katsu, cut into bite-size slices, and the meat has a fatty layer and a lean layer. This premium loin katsu set was the first dish to arrive!

That look is just brutal ❤️

Maybe because it's premium loin, the meat clearly separates into a fatty layer and a lean layer, which stood out.

The tonkatsu set comes on a big tray, with salt and wasabi on one side. You can dip the tonkatsu in salt or have it with wasabi, so it's fun to eat different ways depending on your taste.

The curry we ordered on the side

And the cabbage salad that came with the set! The portion was quite generous, which I liked. You pour the yuzu dressing they provide over it, and it's a nice thing to eat between bites of tonkatsu. With rice and salad included, the set made a hearty meal.

Is the sasami katsu at Katsuryu dry, since it's chicken breast?

The sasami in the sasami and asparagus katsu set is chicken breast katsu, and it was much more tender than I expected. This sasami and asparagus katsu set was the next dish to arrive!

Here, sasami means chicken breast katsu. Personally, chicken breast can turn dry if it's cooked badly, so I was curious how the texture would be.

Two kinds of sauce came with it. First, I was surprised by how big the portion was haha

I took a bite and it was much more tender than I expected! I could barely feel that dryness chicken breast usually has, so I enjoyed it. It seems like a good pick if you like chicken breast katsu or want something different from pork tonkatsu.

It has a different charm from the premium loin katsu, so I was glad we ordered both. If you're looking for a good tonkatsu place in Seongsu and want to try a slightly different katsu, take a look at the sasami menu!

What does the extra curry at Katsuryu taste like?

Katsuryu's curry is topped with garlic flakes and has onion and meat in it, and it's slightly spicier than regular curry. We ordered it with the sets that day.

I liked that it had a slightly spicier kick than ordinary curry. It's good with rice, and it also went well as a dip for the tonkatsu! After eating just tonkatsu, adding curry gave it a different flavor, and I was happy with that. Dipping the loin katsu or the sasami katsu in the curry in particular had a different charm from eating it with rice haha. Adding curry to the tonkatsu set made the meal even more generous.

Who is Katsuryu in Seongsu recommended for?

I was impressed by Katsuryu's clean black interior and Japanese-restaurant feel, and the counter-only seating was unique. Filling in the order sheet by hand reminded me of Ichiran in Japan, which was fun.

With the premium loin katsu I could enjoy both the fatty and the lean parts, and I liked how tender the sasami katsu was even though it's chicken breast. Adding the spicy curry let me enjoy the tonkatsu in more ways.

It's a good place to visit when you want tonkatsu in Seongsu, or a hearty set meal in a clean setting. It also seems like a good match for people who like a Japanese atmosphere or want to try a variety of tonkatsu dishes. If you're out exploring good food in Seongsu, add Katsuryu to your list haha