Gangnam tonkatsu restaurant with mini udon: Sioldon Ilwon

Tenderloin cutlet opposite Samsung Medical Center

I visited Sioldon Ilwon Branch (시올돈 일원점), a great place for lunch near Samsung Medical Center. I ordered the tenderloin cutlet, and the meat was so fluffy-soft it practically melted—so happy! Now, let me start my story of eating alone in Ilwon-dong!

Location and parking at Sioldon Ilwon Branch

The address is 12 Ilwon-ro 9-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea, on the first floor. It is located right opposite Samsung Medical Center. From Irwon Station, it takes about 13 minutes on foot.

Hours are daily from 11:00 to 20:30. There is a break from 14:30 to 17:00, and last orders are at 20:00.

Wi-Fi, group dining, takeout, a waiting area, delivery, parking, wheelchair access at the entrance, and ZeroPay are available. Two cars can park free at the restaurant. (The space is a little tight.)

Wood interior and seats for solo diners

The interior had a calm atmosphere, with clean brown wood furnishings. There were five four-person tables and four two-person tables, plus two bar seats looking out the window.

The chairs had high backs, making it easy to focus comfortably on conversation. I went for a solo meal before dinner, but customers kept coming in.

Seeing the sheet for writing down your place in line, I could tell it was already a well-known Ilwon-dong restaurant. How thoughtful of them to provide hair ties and disposable mouthwash too!

They were running a receipt event. Write a review including tags such as Samsung Medical Center, Ilwon-dong, and tonkatsu, and you get a free can of soda!

Tonkatsu and udon menu

Here is the menu at Sioldon, a popular tonkatsu spot in Ilwon-dong. The loin cutlet set is ₩12,900, the cheese cutlet set is ₩12,900, the tenderloin cutlet set is ₩14,900, kimchi cheese nabé is ₩13,900, and tomato curry udon is ₩9,000.

Tonkatsu was the main attraction, with udon, memil (buckwheat noodles), and curry available as sides.

At Sioldon, a popular Ilwon-dong restaurant, the ₩11,000 value set lets you choose cold memil, spicy Cheongyang chili, or tomato curry udon, along with tenderloin or cheese. Takeout gets a ₩2,000 discount.

After thinking and thinking for ages, I ordered the tenderloin cutlet set with an added mini fried-tofu udon, extra cheese cutlet, and a drink. So excited for the tonkatsu~

While waiting, I looked around the restaurant. The pork, cabbage, radish, and rice were all domestic. A poster on the wall also said that Sioldon cooks to order rather than preparing food in advance, and that its premium tonkatsu is aged for 72 hours, so my anticipation went way, way up.

The water was buckwheat tea, so it had a lovely nutty flavor.

Thick and tender tenderloin cutlet

After a short wait, Sioldon’s tenderloin cutlet arrived.

The tenderloin tonkatsu was thick, and there was a generous mound of salad and rice. It was fun to have so many sauces too: wasabi, Himalayan pink salt, tonkatsu sauce, whole-grain mustard, and more.

First, I took a big bite of loin. The breading was wonderfully crisp, while the tenderloin inside broke down softly, and that contrast in texture was so fun.

Sioldon is a great tonkatsu place by Samsung Medical Center. Dipping it into Himalayan pink salt really brought the seasoning of the tender lean meat to life.

Springy mini fried-tofu udon and cheese cutlet

The udon had plenty of scallions, fried tofu, and noodles. When I slurped up a bite, the noodles were so springy.

The deep bonito-flake broth was incredible. I totally approve of this Samsung Medical Center restaurant!

The cheese cutlet was packed with cheese, too.

The warm cheese stretched and stretched, with a rich, nutty flavor.

Even the side dishes were delicious here.

I finished with a cider and felt like I was about to burst.

Tonkatsu recommendation near Samsung Medical Center

Sioldon is an impressive Ilwon-dong restaurant because its tenderloin is so soft. It is right opposite Samsung Medical Center, and although the parking is tight, there is space for up to two cars, making it a perfect restaurant if you have errands nearby. The Japanese-style tenderloin cutlet is crispy outside and tender inside, so I strongly recommend Sioldon Ilwon Branch.