Geumjeong, Busan tonkatsu with kids: fish cake udon at Gatjidong

Today I want to share a visit to Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch, a place I went looking for a spot to eat with my kid in Geumjeong, Busan. I'd actually been to Gatjidong (갓지동) before.

I remembered the tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) being tasty and the place being easy to visit with a child, so I decided to go back again :) This time I ordered a bit differently from last time — the Gatjidong signature half-and-half tonkatsu, old-school tonkatsu, and skewered fish cake udon.

Where is Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch, and where do you park?

Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch is located at 11 Sikmulwon-ro, 1st floor, Geumjeong-gu, Busan. It's open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, last order at 21:00, with no regular closing day.

It's a good spot to look for a meal near Busan National University and Oncheonjang Station. We drove there, and there's parking for about 7 cars right beside the store, which made moving around with a child fairly easy.

Parking matters more than you'd think when eating out with a kid. If the restaurant and the parking lot are too far apart, just getting your child there becomes a whole ordeal. So being able to park right next to the store was a real plus.

The yellow sign that marks Gatjidong in Jangjeon-dong

After parking and walking toward the restaurant, the yellow sign was easy to spot from a distance.

Since I'd visited before, the familiar look felt welcoming.

Even for first-time visitors, the yellow sign should make it easy to find.

Inside Gatjidong: seats for solo diners and family meals

Walking in, the interior of Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch was clean overall. There were several tables, and the atmosphere felt fine for a family meal.

There were seats good for eating alone as well as tables for larger groups, so it seemed to work well for anything from solo dining to family outings.

Gatjidong is in fact described as suitable for both solo diners and family meals, with solo seats, window seats, and group seating available.

Even visiting with a child like us, we could eat comfortably without much hassle :)

The self-serve bar at Gatjidong: rice, soup and broth

The self-serve bar at Gatjidong had rice, soup, broth, and side dishes ready.

Being able to take as much as you need yourself was really convenient.

Especially when eating out with a child, sometimes you need to feed them a bit more rice,

and sometimes you need more soup or side dishes — being able to just go grab them yourself was great.

Baby chairs, kids' dishes and disposable aprons at Gatjidong

Taking photos this time, I noticed a baby chair set up that's handy when visiting with a child.

And there was a disposable apron for when you're worried your child might spill food on their clothes. If you eat out with kids often, you know how these small touches quietly matter.

The taste of the food matters, but so does whether your child can sit comfortably and whether their clothes will get dirty while eating. Having a baby chair and kids' dishes ready definitely felt convenient from a parent's perspective.

What's on the Gatjidong menu?

We sat down and took our time going through the menu. Turns out Gatjidong doesn't only serve tonkatsu.

From tonkatsu to udon, curry, rice bowls, and salmon dishes, there was a wide range, so even if everyone in the group has different tastes, there was plenty for each person to choose from.

What we ordered at Gatjidong that day

After some thought, we ordered three things: the Gatjidong signature half-and-half tonkatsu, old-school tonkatsu, and skewered fish cake udon.

We ordered two kinds of tonkatsu plus one udon, so we could share several dishes together.

Once we ordered, the tables around us started filling up one by one :)

Gatjidong signature half-and-half tonkatsu

Since it's one of Gatjidong's signature dishes, I wanted to try it again this time.

Getting two kinds of tonkatsu on one plate was a nice touch.

The tonkatsu came out fried to a nice golden brown and looked quite appetizing. Cutting into it, the breading felt crisp and the meat inside was moist.

The half-and-half plate that adds cheese tonkatsu

The advantage of half-and-half tonkatsu is really being able to enjoy two flavors at once. Going from the regular tonkatsu to the cheese tonkatsu, the savory cheese flavor added a whole different feel.

My kid ate the tonkatsu well too, so we got to eat comfortably ourselves :)

I remembered enjoying the tonkatsu on my last visit too,

and eating it again this time, I could see why I kept coming back.

Old-school tonkatsu at Gatjidong

The second dish was the old-school tonkatsu.

The old-school tonkatsu came with plenty of sauce poured on top, looking exactly like the familiar old-school tonkatsu we all know. The crisp breading and tender meat combined with the old-school-style sauce made it great to eat with rice.

Eating just the tonkatsu alone can feel a bit heavy, but paired with the cabbage salad it was really tasty.

Skewered fish cake udon at Gatjidong

There was one more dish I was personally looking forward to on this visit.

It was the skewered fish cake udon.

With skewered fish cake in the warm udon broth, I thought it'd be a really good combination to order alongside tonkatsu.

With the udon noodles and the warm broth together, it was nice to sip a spoonful of soup between bites of tonkatsu.

Is Gatjidong in Geumjeong, Busan worth a family visit?

To sum up this visit:

• Gatjidong, located on Sikmulwon-ro in Geumjeong, Busan
• Parking available right beside the store
• Clean, comfortable store atmosphere
• A wide menu from tonkatsu to udon, curry, and rice bowls
• Gatjidong signature half-and-half tonkatsu
• Old-school tonkatsu with sauce that worked well
• Warm, filling skewered fish cake udon
• A self-serve bar with rice, soup, and more
• Baby chair and kids' dishes provided
• A comfortable place to visit with a child

Overall, we had another satisfying meal. Especially when eating out with a child, you end up paying attention to more than just the food — parking, seating, baby supplies all come into play.

Taking all that into account, I think it's a place worth visiting once if you're looking for somewhere to eat with your child in Geumjeong, Busan. We enjoyed our meal again this time too :)