Fillet and chicken katsu dinner with my daughter: Hunta Euljiro

My office is in Euljiro so I come to this area a lot, but I've been busy lately and it had been a while since I visited Hunta Euljiro. It's across the street from Lotte Department Store and Lotte Hotel. (There's no good restaurant inside Lotte Department Store's main branch haha. Come to Hunta across the street 😘 Euljiro-1(il)ga Station Exit 1)

There are a lot of pork cutlet places nearby, but Hunta is the best of them! 😍

Lunch means a wait, later means sold out

This place is popular enough that you'll get a wait if you visit at lunchtime, and if you go a bit late the popular menus sell out. That's how popular it is!

The owner is seriously obsessed with katsu — he spent five years touring famous katsu places in Korea and Japan to build up his know-how, and you'll nod along once you taste it.

Solo-dining seats and the menu board

There's plenty of space for solo diners too.

I didn't know they had kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), but it looks like it'll be really good. I'll try it next time and write it up!

Today's order: the hire (pork fillet) katsu set and the chicken (thigh meat) katsu set.

What's the texture of the hire (fillet) katsu like?

Hire (fillet) katsu uses pork tenderloin, and at Hunta the tender texture really stood out. With pork cutlet I think a crispy coating matters, but ultimately the meat's texture is what counts most — and Hunta's hire katsu is softer than most other places' meat. The coating isn't too thick either, so the balance between meat and coating was solid. Crispy outside, super tender inside — if you like pork cutlet, this is a menu you'll be genuinely satisfied with.

Chicken (thigh meat) katsu — not dry at all

Chicken (thigh meat) katsu. My daughter, who only ever orders fillet katsu at other pork cutlet places, always gets this one when we come to Hunta! The combination of tender chicken and crispy coating 👍👍 It's a totally different vibe from the pork cutlet, so I'd recommend ordering both and sharing!

Most other places use thigh meat and it ends up dry, but Hunta's chicken katsu is completely delicious 😍 Especially if you're visiting with a group, instead of ordering just one menu, I'd suggest trying a bit of everything — hire katsu, loin katsu, chicken katsu.

The scallion kimchi side

And the side scallion kimchi. This sweet, salty, spicy scallion kimchi isn't something you'll see as a side anywhere else. It's pretty spicy. If they sold it on its own, I'd want to buy some sometimes and eat it at home. This is the first restaurant I've been to where the scallion kimchi itself is delicious — it's a surprisingly great match with pork cutlet.

Overall thoughts and the best time to visit

Personally, what I liked just as much as the food was how kind the owner is. When you eat out often, the food matters, but the mood the staff or owner sets can change how you feel too. Every time I visit Hunta Euljiro, they treat me so kindly that I leave in a good mood.

If you're visiting Hunta Euljiro for the first time, I'd recommend avoiding the lunch peak a little. During lunch hours it fills up with office workers, so there may be no seats, and if you go late the popular menus might be sold out. If you go after 5pm like I did, or on weekends, it's relatively quiet and you get a wider range of menu choices.

Today I had a delicious dinner with the hire katsu and chicken katsu sets. If you're ever near Lotte Department Store's main branch, Euljiro, or Myeongdong wanting pork cutlet and haven't tried Hunta yet, I really recommend it 🤩