Geomdan Japanese restaurant with butter-grilled gyukatsu: HOKATSU

I visited HOKATSU while looking for a good tonkatsu place around Geomdan New Town! I already love tonkatsu, so I went in with high expectations, and I was happy with how varied the menu was and how good each dish turned out to be. There are quite a few tonkatsu places that come up when you search for good food in Geomdan New Town, but this one stuck with me because it really let me experience the appeal of Japanese-style tonkatsu.

HOKATSU’s location and atmosphere on Geomam Megabox’s first floor

HOKATSU is on the first floor of the Geomam Megabox building. Since it is in a cinema building, it is great for catching a movie before or after your meal, and it was easy to find too. There was also a Blue Ribbon sign at the entrance, which made me even more excited for some reason. It seems popular, so there may be a wait depending on the time, but there is a space to wait in front of the restaurant.

Inside, everything felt neat and well organized. Japanese music was playing too, so it had a little Japanese feel not only in the food but in the atmosphere as well. If you are looking for a restaurant with a clean atmosphere in Geomdan, I thought it was a nice place to visit among the good spots in Geomdan New Town.

What comes with the Signature Two-Person Set A

The menu has plenty of options, including two-person sets, single sets, à la carte dishes, and sides, so you can choose based on how many people are dining or what you feel like eating. We wanted to try several things at once, so we ordered the Signature Two-Person Set A.

Once we sat down, they first brought us yogurt as a pre-meal treat. It was not just plain yogurt: you could add honey for a sweet bite, and it was nice and light before the meal. Little bits of service like this are quietly lovely.

Our Signature Two-Person Set A came with the three popular cutlets, 130 g of Ho Gyukatsu (beef cutlet), and tonkotsu ramen. I wondered if a set for two might be a little small, but once the dishes started arriving one by one, there was much more food than I expected.

The crisp three-cutlet platter

The three popular cutlets were cheese, tenderloin, and loin. Since the tonkatsu seemed to be fried as soon as we ordered, the crispness was really on another level. The breading was not at all soggy and stayed wonderfully crisp, so the texture was satisfying from the very first bite.

The cheese cutlet had cheese in the middle, so I loved its nutty, soft flavor; the cheese went beautifully with the crispy breading. The tenderloin cutlet had that clean, lean-meat taste. It was tender rather than dry, which made it one of my personal favorites. The loin cutlet was great for tasting the flavor of the pork itself. It had a nice thickness, and the more I chewed, the more savory it became. Each of the three had a different texture and flavor, so it was fun to try them one by one. HOKATSU’s tonkatsu was especially memorable for its crisp breading, and I think frying it right after ordering is what preserves that crunch.

Ho Gyukatsu grilled in butter at the table

The gyukatsu was meant to be grilled yourself with the butter that came alongside it. The moment the butter hit the grill, its rich aroma spread everywhere and really got my appetite going.

I also loved being able to cook the meat to exactly the doneness I wanted. Giving it a quick sear in butter added an even nuttier aroma to the meat, making the flavor feel much richer. It had a charm completely different from the tonkatsu, and it made me feel we had done well ordering the set.

If you are looking for a good restaurant in Geomdan New Town and want to try gyukatsu as well as tonkatsu, this kind of set is a pretty good option.

Mild, smooth tonkotsu ramen

The tonkotsu ramen included in the set was better than expected too. Tonkotsu ramen can sometimes be very rich and salty, but this one was less salty than I expected, with a smooth broth that was easy to enjoy. It still had the flavor of a rich pork broth without being overly salty or intense, so it paired well with the tonkatsu. Listening to the Japanese music while eating ramen even made me feel, for a moment, as if I were dining in Japan. Tonkatsu alone can get a little rich, but having sips of ramen broth in between made for a great combination. That is why I would recommend enjoying several dishes as a set at HOKATSU rather than having just one tonkatsu.

A filling set for two

I assumed the Signature Two-Person Set A would be just right for two, but it was actually quite substantial. With tonkatsu, gyukatsu, and ramen, you really fill up as you work through each dish. I think two women would leave very full, while two men would also find it plenty satisfying. Being able to taste a range of dishes at once is another advantage of the set for two! It also seemed like a good choice among Geomdan New Town restaurants when several people want to visit and share a variety of dishes.

Overall, HOKATSU was satisfying in everything from its tidy dining room to the crispy texture of the food and its generous set. I especially enjoyed having crisp, freshly fried tonkatsu, butter-grilled gyukatsu, and mild, smooth tonkotsu ramen all at once. With the Japanese music playing in the background, the meal even felt a little like a trip to Japan.

Being on the first floor of the Geomam Megabox building makes it easy to visit before or after a movie, and since it is popular enough to have a wait, I think it is worth visiting if you are looking for good food in Geomdan New Town. If you love tonkatsu in particular, I would definitely recommend trying HOKATSU’s three popular cutlets. It was fun to taste cheese, tenderloin, and loin all at once and pick out the tonkatsu that suited my taste. If you are looking for a place in Geomdan to enjoy Japanese-style tonkatsu, gyukatsu, and ramen together, I recommend HOKATSU! I was satisfied enough to want to try other à la carte dishes next time. I think I will remember HOKATSU as a tonkatsu restaurant I want to revisit.