Seongnae-dong tonkatsu restaurant for sharing three dishes: Riae

A premium Japanese-style tonkatsu restaurant built on 24 years of research — a Seongnae-dong tonkatsu spot locals all recommend

Hi, this is Ddoksuni-saedaek :) There's a place I remembered fondly from a visit with my husband a while back — the tonkatsu (pork cutlet) was that good. This time, my family of three had a reason to eat together, so I went back after a long while. Since I'd already tried it once and wanted to return, this time we ordered a few different menus to share, and once again it was delicious — I could see exactly why I'd wanted to come back.

Where is Riae Premium Olympic Park Branch, and what about parking and hours?

Riae Premium Olympic Park Branch is located at 469-4 Seongnae-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul. It's right across the crosswalk from Olympic Park's North Gate 2, so it's easy to find if you're coming from the park. It's about a 10-minute walk from Exit 3 of Olympic Park Station (Lines 5 and 9) or Exit 3 of Dunchon-dong Station (Line 5). It's about a 3-minute walk from JYP Entertainment, and about 7 minutes from Korea National Sport University or Gangdong-gu Office, so it's a convenient spot for a meal if you have plans in the area. From Jamsil Station, you can take bus 3411 and get off at 'Yoon's English School' or 'Oryun Church' stop, then walk 1–2 minutes. Parking is available in front of the store, and if it's full, there's a dedicated lot near the back entrance, so driving there was fairly convenient too. Hours are daily 11:00–20:00 with a break time from 15:00–16:00. Last order is 19:30.

Inside Riae Premium: seating and whether it works with kids

The inside of Riae Premium Olympic Park Branch had an overall clean, calm atmosphere. The tables and aisles were spaced fairly wide apart, so I wasn't bothered by the next table over, and it was comfortable for our family to chat while we ate.

There were also bar seats set up that looked good for solo visits — perfect for eating alone.

There was a good range of seating, from 2-person tables to larger tables for bigger groups, so it seemed to work well whether you're on a date, out for a family meal, or meeting with a group. Baby chairs were available too, so families with young kids could eat comfortably. Overall, it felt less like a loud, bustling tonkatsu joint and more like a relaxed place to focus on your meal.

Riae Premium tonkatsu menu and prices

Riae has everything from basic loin and tenderloin cutlets to signature menus that let you try several cuts at once. The Riae Signature Trio comes with tenderloin, minced-pork, and king prawn cutlets together for ₩25,000. The Signature Premium Special Loin Katsu is ₩22,500 and reportedly uses the gabri top loin cut. The Premium Special Loin Katsu + Hire Katsu is ₩22,000 and lets you try both loin and tenderloin together.

The Riae Signature Minced Hamburg Katsu is ₩20,000, the Filet Mignon Tenderloin (Hire) Katsu is ₩19,000, and the Jirisan Loin (Rosu) Katsu is ₩18,500. The Fish (Hiro Sakana) Katsu is also sold at ₩18,500, so it's easy to pick according to taste. It's fine to just pick one cut, but if you're visiting with several people like we were, I'd also recommend ordering different menus and sharing.

What sets Riae's tonkatsu apart: why loin and tenderloin taste different

Riae says it's run on 24 years of accumulated tonkatsu research and know-how. In particular, they carefully manage everything from the raw meat to aging to frying, tailored to the characteristics of each cut. They use carefully selected meat such as YBD spotted pork and Cheongdo persimmon-fed pork, and the signature loin katsu is reportedly aged at about 2.2cm thick and fried to order right after you order it. They apparently use different cooking methods for loin, to bring out the meat's own flavor and grain, versus tenderloin, to bring out a soft, clean texture. So even though it's the same tonkatsu, the loin and tenderloin definitely felt different in texture and flavor.

How was the Premium Special Rosu Katsu at Riae Premium?

My husband's order was the Premium Special Loin Katsu.

The tonkatsu came out sliced quite thick, so the meat's presence was obvious from the first look. I wondered if something this thick might end up dry, but once I actually tried it, the inside was moist and tender, so it was much easier to chew than expected.

The outside was fried crispy while the inside kept its juices, so it felt like really eating a thick cut of meat properly. Dipping it in sauce was delicious too, but at first, dipping it in just a little salt to taste the meat itself was also great.

There was a rich, savory flavor to the meat, so it was plenty good even without any extras. Back when my husband and I first visited, this place's tonkatsu stuck in my memory, and trying it again, I thought it really was worth coming back for.

Cold Soba Hire Katsu: the lighter choice when fried food feels too rich

The Cold Soba Hire Katsu, which lets you eat cool soba noodles together with tender tenderloin katsu, was the one I picked.

Unlike the loin katsu, the tenderloin has less fat and a lighter, softer texture, so it was a bit cleaner to eat. Pairing it with cold soba on top made the whole meal feel less heavy.

This combination would suit anyone who's eating in hot weather or who finds tonkatsu a bit too rich. Personally, I loved the flavor of the loin, but I also really liked the soft texture of the tenderloin. If it's hard to pick just one, I'd suggest ordering a combo that lets you try both loin and tenderloin.

Riae Signature Trio: the best set for sharing with family

Since my family wanted to try several menus, we also ordered the Riae Signature Trio. It's a dish with tenderloin, minced-pork, and king prawn cutlets all on one plate, so it looked hearty right from the visual.

The tenderloin was light and soft, and the minced-pork cutlet was juicy, so even though both are fried, each had its own distinct charm. In particular, the king prawn cutlet stood out for its size — it looked filling just to look at.

Instead of just eating tonkatsu, being able to enjoy several fried dishes at once made this a great option for sharing when visiting with family or a group. The three menus each had different flavors and textures, so it would suit anyone who wants to try a bit of everything.

Which sides and refills are free at Riae Premium?

At Riae, the tonkatsu came with a neat spread of rice, soup, salad, radish kimchi (kkakdugi), and salt. I especially liked that you could easily refill rice, soup, radish kimchi, and salt whenever they ran low during the meal. The tonkatsu is already thick and generously portioned, but being able to keep the rice topped up too made it feel like a really filling meal. When you want to taste the meat on its own, a little salt works well, and when you want the more familiar tonkatsu flavor, dipping it in sauce does the trick — nice to mix and match depending on your mood.

Final verdict after a family of three shared three dishes

As I mentioned, Riae is a place I paid for myself on a previous visit and liked enough to come back to. This time, with my family of three, we tried the Premium Special Loin Katsu, Cold Soba Hire Katsu, and Signature Trio, and once again it was delicious. With rice, soup, salad, sauce, radish kimchi, and salt all served together, it felt less like just eating tonkatsu and more like a proper full meal. If you want a proper Japanese-style tonkatsu near Olympic Park, or you're looking for a good spot for a family meal or date in Seongnae-dong, I'd recommend Riae. If I ever go on another Olympic Park date with my husband, I think I'll come back here again :)