After-work katsudon set with udon near Suyu Station: Katsu Shokudou

A katsudon craving on the way home: Katsu Shokudou Suyu

I went looking for katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl) and ended up at Katsu Shokudou Suyu (카츠쇼쿠도우 수유점), a Japanese-style handmade tonkatsu restaurant near Suyu Station. Is it just me? On the way home from work, there's only one thing on my mind: what should I eat tonight so I can say I ate really well? Today I got a sign from heaven! I suddenly wanted warm katsudon with that salty-sweet sauce soaked right in.

Crispy fried cutlet topped with silky egg and sauce, so delicious! Today I visited Katsu Shokudou Suyu, a well-known tonkatsu spot in Suyu. A Japanese-style handmade tonkatsu specialist? I was excited.

A Blue Ribbon katsu place in Pangyo with lines out the door? Wow, it's the real deal. I had no idea. Expectations: max.

Katsu Shokudou Suyu location, hours and parking

Katsu Shokudou Suyu is at Unit 114, 1st floor, Episode Suyu 838, 315 Dobong-ro, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, near Exit 5 of Suyu Station on Line 4. It is open 11:10–21:00 on weekdays and 11:30–21:00 on weekends. If you use the Episode Suyu 838 building car park, you get up to 1 hour of free parking. Takeout is available too.

Is it a good spot for a solo lunch near Suyu Station?

Katsu Shokudou Suyu has a long bar table that's easy to sit at alone, plus tables for 2 and 4, so it works well for a solo lunch. It's on the ground floor of an officetel (studio apartment building) shopping arcade, so I found it quickly, and it's very close to Suyu Station. The moment I walked in, the clean, pleasant space made me hungry. I liked the variety of seating, and office workers around Suyu Station would find it great for a solo lunch.

I could tell it's a go-to tonkatsu place in Suyu because the Baemin (Korean food delivery app) order bell never stopped ringing while I ate.. It's hot out, so everyone's ordering in, I guess.

Katsu Shokudou Suyu menu

The menu at Katsu Shokudou Suyu runs from loin katsu and tenderloin katsu to rice bowls and curry. True to a Japanese-style handmade tonkatsu specialist, there's a wide range of katsu, and I've picked out just a few of the main ones here. The menu is full of delicious things.

Katsudon set with an udon side

What I ate at Katsu Shokudou Suyu was the katsudon set. If you pick a set menu, you can choose soba (buckwheat noodles) or udon (thick wheat noodles) as a side, and I went with udon. And a cola on top! Fried food without cola would feel wrong.

Is the katsudon cutlet thick but tender?

The cutlet in the Katsu Shokudou katsudon was thick, yet the meat itself was incredibly tender. Right after I ordered, a tray full of neatly arranged katsudon set came out! On a big bowl sat a golden, thick cutlet and softly set egg, and it really got my appetite going. This is the katsudon I wanted. 🥹

Steam was rising.. I don't like chewing much, but the texture of the cutlet in the Katsu Shokudou katsudon was soft, so I really liked it.

A thick, appetizing cutlet. One bite fills your mouth and it's just so satisfying to eat.

How are the katsudon sauce seasoning and rice portion?

In the katsudon set, the special katsudon sauce had soaked in just right, so the seasoning was perfect, and the rice portion was substantial too. The mushrooms in the middle added a wonderfully savory depth. When the flavor starts to feel a little mild, popping one in gives you a salty kick that kind of refreshes everything again.

The rice portion is big, so this is a place where you can have a truly filling meal.

How big is the udon side?

The udon side that comes with the katsudon set is a moderate portion, neither too much nor too little. Eating it between bites of katsudon is perfect for wetting your throat.

Lunch near Suyu Station: do I recommend Katsu Shokudou Suyu?

If you're wondering where to have lunch near Suyu Station, I recommend Katsu Shokudou Suyu! Finish with a refreshing Coca-Cola and digestion is done. There's seating for everything from solo meals to group gatherings, and the portions are hearty, so you can have a perfect lunch.