Yeonnam-dong katsu lunch: hirekatsu and kimchi nabe at Katsu Monster

I went to eat some delicious tonkatsu in Yeonnam-dong. The restaurant has an open layout so it never feels stuffy, and the atmosphere was nice enough that you could easily have a beer there too. It seems like a great Yeonnam-dong date spot where you can grab a meal and a casual beer in the evening. Let me introduce Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch, where the tenderloin hirekatsu was especially good.

Where is Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch, and what are the hours by day?

Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch is 404m, about a 10-minute walk, from Exit 3 of Hongik University Station. The hours vary by day, so it's worth checking before you go.

• Mon, Tue, Fri 10:30–23:00 (last order 22:30)
• Wed, Thu 10:30–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• Sat 08:30–23:00 (last order 22:30)
• Sun 09:30–23:00 (last order 22:30)
• Takeout, delivery, wifi, group seating available, baby chair, corkage available (free)
• No pets, no parking

Since the hours at this Yeonnam-dong tonkatsu restaurant differ by day, be sure to check before visiting.

Katsu Monster sits on a street full of Yeonnam-dong's popular restaurants, so it was really easy to find. There are so many pretty little shops along the way that time flies while you're browsing on a relaxed date. With plenty of good food and plenty to look at, Yeonnam-dong street feels like the best date spot.

Inside Katsu Monster: bar seats that make solo dining easy

The Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch space is small but well put together. There are bar seats too, so I thought it'd be great for solo dining — and sure enough, once lunchtime hit, a lot of nearby office workers came in to eat alone.

Being a popular tonkatsu spot in Yeonnam-dong with a lot of younger customers, the delivery orders kept ringing in nonstop, really nonstop.

Every seat has its own kiosk, and there's a variety of sauces and water at each table, so it was easy to eat freely at your own pace.

Katsu Monster menu: hirekatsu and kimchi nabe katsu, 16,000 won each

• Hirekatsu (tenderloin / ₩16,000)
• Kimchi katsu nabe (loin / ₩16,000)

Kimchi nabe katsu (16,000 won): spicy broth that cuts the grease

At Katsu Monster you can choose loin, tenderloin, or cheese katsu for your cutlet. Since I ordered the tenderloin hirekatsu on its own, I picked loin for the katsu that goes into the kimchi nabe.

It arrives bubbling away with a great-looking presentation, smelling almost like kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew). Fried katsu can easily get greasy, but the well-fermented kimchi and spicy broth made it much less so.

Hirekatsu (16,000 won): how tender is the tenderloin cutlet?

This tenderloin hirekatsu has no fat layer, so you get a soft texture and rich meaty flavor. If you'd rather have the lean meat and fat balanced together, which can make for a slightly drier cutlet, loin is the better choice.

The portion was generous and the meat had no off smell, so the hirekatsu was, as expected, delicious. It tasted great with the tonkatsu sauce, and just as good with salt or wasabi. Being able to pair it with different sauces meant I could enjoy the hirekatsu without getting bored of it.

Is Katsu Monster a good Yeonnam-dong date spot?

I visited Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch, a great tonkatsu date spot in Yeonnam-dong. I already liked tenderloin katsu to begin with, and this one had a generous portion and great flavor, so I ate a satisfying, filling meal. Eating the hirekatsu and kimchi nabe katsu together was a nice way to enjoy something different without it feeling greasy.

Yeonnam-dong has plenty to see, so you can stroll around at a relaxed pace, and with so many good restaurants around it makes a great date spot. If you're looking for a Yeonnam-dong tonkatsu place that's easy to like and hard to dislike, Katsu Monster is worth a visit.