Gunpo pork cutlet restaurant with soba: Onjeong Gyeongyang Sikdang

While deciding on dinner in Sanbon’s academy district, I visited Onjeong Gyeongyang Sikdang, Sanbon Hagwonga Branch (온정경양식당 산본학원가점). I was curious about its old-style Korean pork cutlet and ordered two sets that came with memil-soba (buckwheat noodles).

Where is it in Sanbon’s academy district, and what is it like?

The restaurant is on the first floor of Samdae Building on Sanbon-ro 386beon-gil. Its yellow sign was easy to spot from a distance.

The interior was neat and comfortable. The tables were not packed tightly together, so it seemed easy enough to eat alone or with one other person. Being near the academy district, I thought it could work for a meal before or after class, or for a family visit.

Which pork cutlet and buckwheat soba sets did I order?

I ordered at the kiosk. Besides the classic-style pork cutlet, there were spicy, cheddar cheese, and curry pork cutlets, along with sets paired with udon or buckwheat soba. We chose one buckwheat soba & classic-style pork cutlet set and one buckwheat soba & spicy pork cutlet set.

Kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and danmuji (pickled yellow radish) arrived first as part of the basic setting. Additional rice and side dishes were self-serve, and I could add more cabbage as well.

What were the buckwheat soba sets and portions like?

After a short wait, each set arrived neatly arranged on a tray. The pork cutlet plate came with rice, cabbage salad, corn, and a morning roll, plus warm soup. With the buckwheat soba added, the meal felt more substantial than I expected.

How did the classic and spicy pork cutlets differ?

I tried the spicy pork cutlet first. The crisp-fried cutlet was topped with a spicy sauce. It was clearly hotter than the classic sauce and felt less rich as I ate, but it may be difficult for anyone who does not handle spicy food well.

The classic-style pork cutlet had a familiar, lightly sweet sauce. The meat was moist and tender, making it easy to eat with rice.

How did I pair the soup, morning roll, and buckwheat soba?

The warm, smooth soup had an old-style Korean Western dining feel, so it was nice to have a spoonful before the pork cutlet. I filled the morning roll with pork cutlet and cabbage, then added a little strawberry jam to make a mini pork cutlet burger. The sweet jam paired better with the cutlet than I expected.

The buckwheat soba was also a fairly generous portion. It came in chilled broth with buckwheat noodles, shredded seaweed, and radish. Having it between bites of pork cutlet felt refreshing, and alternating between the two worked well.

What I liked about this meal was having several sides and buckwheat soba along with the pork cutlet. It is a place I might think of when I want a filling meal of old-style pork cutlet in Sanbon’s academy district.