Amsa Station tonkatsu that sells out: 20-minute weekday wait at Tonka

I really love tonkatsu, and on the way home I spotted a place that looked delicious. This is "Tonka," near Amsa Station.

Where is Tonka? Five minutes from Amsa Station Exit 4

Tonka is about a 5-minute walk from Exit 4 of Amsa Station. I usually just pass through Amsa Station on the subway, but more people got off than I expected, and the restaurant street was pretty lively. When I arrived, the place was already full, and one customer was waiting. The shop itself wasn't big.

On the door was a month's schedule posted up. Looked like the owner is currently doing civil defense duty. I'm still in the reserves myself, so he's a senior who's already finished active duty, haha.

How long is the wait at Tonka at 7:10pm on a weekday?

I arrived at Tonka around 7:10pm on a weekday (the place isn't big, so it seemed like around 7–8 people made it full) and waited my turn in line. People kept showing up behind us too. Seems like the place has built up a decent name around the neighborhood.

It looked like the owner was running the place alone. As you'll see later, it's an open kitchen, so you can watch the cooking the whole time. He was quite friendly.

After two more parties came in behind us, it seemed the prepared meat had run out. A lot of neighborhood locals seem to visit.

Tonka's menu and prices: basic tonkatsu at 15,000 won

After waiting about 15–20 minutes (turnover wasn't fast), our turn came, and you order via QR code. Maybe because it was dinner, only the basic tonkatsu (served with both loin and tenderloin) was available (₩15,000). Other menu items include the special loin katsu made with a select cut (₩17,000) and the sasami katsu made with chicken breast (₩14,000).

The owner fries and cuts the tonkatsu right in front of you. It's fun to watch. Looking closely, the number of prepared cutlets was down to the last few. It sold out right after us. Seems like he prepares one day's worth in advance and runs the shop that way.

The knife looked great. It sliced through with a satisfying sound.

What the loin and tenderloin plate at Tonka is like

That was a long intro. Our tonkatsu arrived, and the composition was good — two chunks of tenderloin and one row of loin. Plus doenjang soup, salad, and that seasoned side dish, forming the basic set. The tenderloin was a really pale, milky color.

The taste lived up to expectations. The loin was chewy, and the tenderloin was soft and satisfying. That batter especially tasted like a cracker — so good. I gave up one piece of tenderloin to my wife, who loves it, and got two pieces of loin in return (honestly the better deal). It's a little disappointing I only got to try one piece of tenderloin, but quantity matters most, so it wasn't bad at all.

Why Tonka's tonkatsu never turns greasy, right to the last bite

(I did steal one piece, but) the portion was generous enough to fill us up, and the taste, first and foremost, was really good. It wasn't at all the frozen-tonkatsu feel you get at a place like Gimbap Cheonguk — it had that flavor of the trendy Japanese-style tonkatsu these days. That style of tonkatsu can easily look good on the surface but turn greasy and tiresome after just 2–3 pieces if made even slightly wrong, but Tonka's tonkatsu had none of that — clean and delicious all the way through. The owner even had a bit of that Culinary Class Wars vibe about him.

This visit came about through a good opportunity, but next time I'm craving tonkatsu, I'm glad I now have a good option — there really wasn't a tasty tonkatsu place near my home before.