Donkatsu restaurant by Bulgwangcheon, Seoul: combo plus extra cutlet

Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu (불광천왕돈까스) is a cutlet restaurant near Saejeol Station in Eungam-dong, right by Bulgwangcheon stream. My husband and I were wondering what to have for dinner, and then remembered that a place in our neighborhood serves kimchi stew with its cutlets. I'd wanted to try it since it first opened, and we finally made it!

It's already known as a local favorite in Eungam-dong, so when we went at dinner time there was even a wait. And since every cutlet order comes with kimchi stew, the cutlet and kimchi stew combo was really good. Now I get why it's so busy. Let me tell you all about Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu near Saejeol Station!

Who is Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu good for?

Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu suits anyone in Eungam-dong who wants a generous cutlet with kimchi stew on the side. It has high chairs too, so I'd also recommend it if you're looking for a place near Bulgwangcheon to eat with a child.

• People looking for a famous cutlet restaurant in Eungam-dong
• People who want a hearty cutlet plus kimchi stew
• People looking for somewhere to eat near Saejeol Station
• People looking for a family-friendly meal near Bulgwangcheon

How were the wait and parking at Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu?

We went on a weekday around 7 PM, and the restaurant was full with a line. Two cars can park in front, and if that's full you can use the nearby Eungam 3-dong public parking lot.

Turnover seemed pretty quick though, because we got in without waiting long. With a public parking lot nearby, it looked easy to come by car, too.

Inside Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu: good with kids?

Inside, there are seats good for eating solo as well as seats comfortable for families. High chairs are available too, so it looked like a good place to eat with a child in Eungam-dong.

The place was packed with customers, and you really feel it's a famous neighborhood spot. It seems comfortable to come with anyone.

At the self bar you can grab more side dishes if you run short, and besides the tableware there were even hair ties and dental floss, which showed how thoughtful the owner is.

The portions are big, so quite a few customers were getting takeout, and takeout containers were set out in one corner. I also took a photo of the origin-of-ingredients sign, so have a look.

Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu menu and how to order

The signature dishes at Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu are the king cutlet (wang donkatsu), fish cutlet and combo cutlet, and they also sell fresh-noodle bibim guksu. You order with the QR code on the table.

As a cutlet restaurant, the cutlet is the star, but reviews I read before coming said the fresh-noodle bibim guksu is really popular too. I wanted to try the whole menu, so we ordered like this.

• Combo cutlet ₩13,000
• Extra cutlet ₩6,000
• Fresh-noodle bibim guksu ₩10,000

The cutlet is great and all, but I was so curious about the bibim guksu. Hehe.

How big is the combo cutlet with an extra cutlet?

With one extra cutlet (₩6,000) added to the combo cutlet (₩13,000) at Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu, the portion was bigger than I expected. Green onion kimchi and kimchi stew come with it too, and we picked extra rice in the options.

It was a busy dinner hour, so the food took a little while to come out. The portion is seriously huge. Hahahahahahaha The extra rice choice... (well, we're piggy spouses)

But the cutlet looks totally legit, right? I loved that they didn't skimp even on the cutlet sauce. Running out of cutlet sauce is so annoying~ Oh, and there's a sauce-on-the-side option, so if you're a dipper, choose it when you order.

My husband cut up the cutlet for me. Thanks, hubby. You can tell just from the cut how juicy the inside is.

The basic cutlet at Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu

The basic cutlet is thick and covered in sauce, so it leans juicy rather than crispy. The meat was tender, you could taste the juices, and it was delicious.

The coating soaks up the sauce and feels moist, and the sweetish old-school cutlet sauce isn't too sweet and goes well with the meat. One bite and I understood why this is a famous cutlet place in Eungam-dong. Be sure to put the fried egg on top of your cutlet too.

The kimchi stew and green onion kimchi that come with the cutlet

At Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu, a cutlet order comes with kimchi stew, and you can add more for ₩3,000. Eating only cutlet can get heavy, but scooping up some kimchi stew in between is great!

The kimchi stew that comes with it pairs really well with the cutlet.

The cutlet goes really well with the green onion kimchi too!

How was the fish cutlet in the combo?

The fish cutlet in the combo comes piled with tartar sauce, crispy outside and full of soft fish inside. The more you chew, the more you taste its clean, mild flavor.

The tangy tartar sauce on top brings out the flavor of the fish cutlet even more.

Is the fresh-noodle bibim guksu good with the cutlet?

The fresh-noodle bibim guksu (₩10,000) at Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu is more sweet and tangy than spicy, so it was perfect alongside the cutlet. I'd been curious about it because it's so popular.

It's chewy fresh noodles seasoned with a sweet, tangy and slightly spicy sauce made with apple, pear, cucumber, onion and more. Shredded vegetables, a boiled egg and plenty of sesame seeds on top made it look quite generous.

It's packed with fresh noodles, so it was heavy! Hahahaha The sauce isn't spicy, just sweet and tangy, so I think kids could eat it too. It's a little thick, and there's a bit of minced meat in the sauce adding savory depth, so the balance was good. The fresh noodles are chewy, and with the crunchy cucumber and pear the texture was great.

And the cutlet with bibim guksu combo? Need I say more. Wrap some noodles in a piece of cutlet and the savory cutlet meets the sweet-tangy sauce, so you keep eating without feeling greasy. The fried dumplings (gunmandu) that came with it also went surprisingly well dipped in the noodle sauce.

As always, we finished with a clean-plate ending. The portions are so big I thought we couldn't finish, but we pulled it off again today. Yum.

Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu: our verdict

Bulgwangcheon Wang Donkatsu is an Eungam-dong cutlet restaurant where I especially liked the thick, juicy cutlet that comes with kimchi stew. I'd been curious since it opened, and now I see why it has so many customers.

The bibim guksu was sweet and tangy too, perfect with the cutlet. The portions are generous, so it makes a filling meal. If you're looking for a good cutlet place near Saejeol Station, it's worth a visit.