Tonkatsu near Yangjae Station with a fast-moving line: Yangjae Katsu

Where is Yangjae Katsu and what are its hours?

Yangjae Katsu is a tonkatsu restaurant at 56 Nonhyeon-ro 31-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul (1st floor), 644m from Exit 8 of Yangjae Station~ It's open 11:00 ~ 21:00.

Is there parking at Yangjae Katsu?

There's no parking in front of Yangjae Katsu, but it's an easy walk from Yangjae Station, so public transport is convenient. There are lots of offices nearby too, so it looked very accessible for office workers at lunchtime or after work 🏃‍♀️

The Yangjae Katsu sign is a unique one: clean, modern design with a touch of cuteness! It stands out from far away, so first-time visitors shouldn't have trouble finding it~

How long is the wait at Yangjae Katsu?

When I visited Yangjae Katsu, there were about 7 teams ahead of us, but we got in after waiting less than 10 minutes. Of course there was a line, since it's a famous Yangjae spot haha. I'd settled in expecting a bit of a wait, but the turnover was incredibly fast! We could go straight in and start our meal in a good mood.

Even from a distance, the inside of Yangjae Katsu looked packed with customers, it's that popular. The interior is bigger than I expected, with quite a lot of tables, so it looked fine for several groups at once.

How clean is the open kitchen at Yangjae Katsu?

What I liked most about Yangjae Katsu was the open kitchen, where you can see the hygiene at a glance! Even though it's a kitchen that deals with frying, everywhere was neatly kept.

I once worked part-time at a dooijjonku factory (the Dubai-style chewy cookie trend), so my eyes naturally go to kitchens. Woks and walls are surprisingly hard to keep clean, because oil splatters easily and builds up.

Places that mainly fry, like tonkatsu restaurants, get grimy fast if they slack even a little, so it was impressive to see Yangjae Katsu's kitchen so tidy everywhere. It seems they clean and maintain it steadily every day.

It made me really feel the saying that hygiene and cleanliness connect to the taste of the food. As a customer, seeing that cleanliness made me trust the meal even more, and I could see why so many people come.

What we ordered at Yangjae Katsu

We ordered the loin katsu and the cheese katsu at Yangjae Katsu. There were many menu items and I agonized, but this time I decided to try these two~ A loin katsu that sticks to the basics plus a cheese katsu with rich cheese flavor sounded like a great combo. I waited excitedly to see how they'd taste.

Sides and condiments served with Yangjae Katsu's tonkatsu

The tonkatsu came neatly served with tonkatsu sauce, salad, rice, soup, pickled onion and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi)~ There was also a lemon slice, pink salt and wasabi, so you can enjoy it in different ways to your taste. It's a small thing, but the thoughtful setup made me even happier.

How does Yangjae Katsu's loin katsu taste, and how big is the portion?

The loin katsu at Yangjae Katsu was crispy outside and juicy inside, and the portion was so generous that two of us couldn't finish it and left a little. From the photos the cutlet looked a bit small and I wondered if it would fill me up. But when it arrived it was much bigger than I expected, which surprised me!

It had a decent thickness and a generous amount, so my friend and I ended up leaving a little~

The crispy-outside, juicy-inside texture of the loin katsu was impressive. The coating wasn't overly thick and there was hardly any greasy feeling, so it was easy to eat haha. The more I chewed, the more I could taste the mild flavor of the meat, and it went well with the crispy coating. A satisfying plate, as a basic menu item should be.

Is Yangjae Katsu's natural mozzarella cheese katsu worth ordering?

I ordered the cheese katsu at Yangjae Katsu! 🧀✨ I decided right away when I saw the menu say it uses natural mozzarella cheese.

These days many cheese dishes use processed cheese or cheese blends for cost and texture reasons, so at first I considered ordering something with more meat, like the loin katsu. But then I spotted the line saying Yangjae Katsu uses natural mozzarella!

I like cheese, and I especially like the flavor and chewy texture of natural cheese, so that line swayed me immediately. Natural cheese is also well known as a protein-rich food, which I liked even more. I didn't agonize long haha. Cheese katsu it was!

I'm quite sensitive about cheese texture! Imitation cheese gets rubbery when it cools and is uncomfortable to chew, while natural cheese tends to stay soft and supple even after cooling.

I'd been taking photos and couldn't eat right away, so it had cooled a bit, yet the cheese still flowed out this softly! You can see how moist and stretchy it is just from the photo, right? It didn't stiffen after cooling and the soft texture lived on, which satisfied me even more. Probably thanks to the natural mozzarella, the savory flavor was rich too.

Is Yangjae Katsu worth it for tonkatsu near Yangjae Station?

If you're looking for a tasty tonkatsu place near Yangjae Station or in Yangjae-dong, I'd recommend Yangjae Katsu! With its neatly kept kitchen, friendly owner and food you can feel the care in, it was a satisfying meal in many ways.

Above all, the crispy yet not heavy tonkatsu and the generous portions stood out. It's a place where you can have a filling, happy meal, so I want to come back! If you're hunting for a great tonkatsu spot in Yangjae, give it a try. I think you'll have a hearty meal with no regrets~ 💕🍴