Weekday tonkatsu lunch with Mom at Amsa Station, Seoul: Tonka

What kind of tonkatsu restaurant is Tonka near Amsa Station?

Tonka (TONKA) is an authentic Japanese-style tonkatsu restaurant that recently opened near Amsa Station. The menu is short and the place radiates pride, a pretty unusual vibe, so I'd been meaning to drop by whenever I was passing. I finally made it!

Here's Tonka, the Amsa Station tonkatsu spot where you can enjoy a real tonkatsu experience built on authentic Japanese style.

• Location: 78 Sangam-ro 5-gil, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Unit 102, 1st floor)
• Hours: 11:00–20:30, closed every Monday
• Break time: 15:00–17:00

Parking and waiting at Tonka in Amsa

Tonka is close to Amsa Station. If you drive, you can use the nearby Amsa public car park, or if there's a spot in front of the shop, they said it's fine to park briefly while you eat. Even though it only just opened, I hear it's full on weekday lunches and weekends.

Outside there are bar chairs where you can sit while waiting, before or after your meal.

The menu is posted outside too, so it's easy to choose. There's an Instagram link as well, and I got the sense that the owner put a great deal of care into preparing and opening this place around tonkatsu.

Inside Tonka: counter seating and open kitchen

Tonka has an open kitchen, so you can watch the whole cooking process right in front of you.

The L-shaped counter seats about 8 people, and even on a weekday it filled up a little before noon.

The ingredients were handled so carefully and cleanly that, watching the owner make the katsu while I ordered, I thought, okay, I can trust this.

The seats were comfortable, and the warm wood tones suit the food and the shop nicely.

The lighting isn't harshly bright, so it's relaxing to linger. Sauces and trays are already set at each table, and that's very tidy too.

Seeing the katsu and cabbage prepped for the day ahead of the rush, I could tell word of mouth has already spread.

So glad a place like this opened in my neighborhood, haha. I'll have to come often!

Tonka menu and prices

At Tonka you choose from three items: signature tonkatsu, special loin katsu and sasami katsu. Prices are very reasonable, in the mid to high ₩10,000s. Basics done right!

The portion of katsu is bigger than I expected, generous enough that I thought it was quite a lot for one adult woman.

From measuring the exact oil temperature with a thermometer to slicing the freshly fried tonkatsu, every step was very clean. I felt I'd found a tonkatsu place that sticks to the basics.

What comes with Tonka's 15,000-won signature tonkatsu?

We ordered two signature tonkatsu at ₩15,000 each. It's a combo plate where you get a big piece of loin and tenderloin together.

The basic set comes with miso radish soup, white rice and gobdeulppaegi (Korean sow thistle, a slightly bitter pickled green).

This gobdeulppaegi is seriously good.

It does a great job of finishing things cleanly, right to the last bite. The seasoning is good too.

The white rice is grown in Cheongyang, they told us, with a slightly fluffy, firm texture, and it goes really well with the miso soup served alongside. The soup especially is packed with sweet radish, which I loved!! It's not just broth; every spoonful feels hearty.

Tonkatsu sauce was poured into a small dish, and the main plate arrived with fresh cabbage and temptingly fried katsu..!

The color is so lovely, isn't it? You know it's delicious before even tasting.

How do Tonka's loin and tenderloin cutlets taste?

Tonka's signature tonkatsu balanced crispness and tenderness well. Texture and frying are a hair's breadth apart: when it's too crunchy and overcooked, the tenderness and snowflake-like crispiness typical of Japanese katsu disappear, which has disappointed me many times.

At Tonka the coating shatters crisply as it melts softly in your mouth. Superb.

The meat inside was really tender too, and in the loin the chewy fat and lean, mild meat made a fantastic combination.

The tenderloin was very mild, and I loved its rosy pink color. It was so tender, a little chewy? yet soft to bite, and juices came through the texture.

I'd put sauce aside, but wanting to taste the katsu as it is, I ate nearly all of it plain, apart from a piece or two.

What is Tonka's sasami katsu like?

Sasami katsu is chicken katsu (made from chicken tenderloin). It's common in Japan, but not many places make it in Korea, I hear. Tonka's sasami katsu was quite unique.

I was unfamiliar with it and hesitated to order, but the owner gave me one to try.. and I'm coming back soon just for this. It's so tender I wondered whether it's really chicken. Melts in your mouth is truly the right expression.

The color is very white and pretty too, and they say only precise low-temperature frying can keep both this texture and color. Dipped lightly in the salt beside the mustard, it was cleanliness itself. Now I really want to try sasami katsu on its own.

Mom raved about it the whole time, haha. You can feel the owner put sincerity into every single menu item. It's clean and delicious, and next time I want to come back with my partner.

It was Tonka at Amsa Station, where I could finally enjoy proper, authentic Japanese katsu again after a long while.