Yeonnam-dong early-lunch tonkatsu, two fillet cutlets: Katsu Monster

Finding Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch by its alley signboard for an early lunch

I had plans in Hongdae and had some time to kill, so I stopped by Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch, a well-known spot in Yeonnam-dong, for an early lunch. The restaurant sits in an alley a little off the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, and there was a signboard right at the entrance of the alley, so I found it easily.

Solo bar seats and table setup at Katsu Monster

Inside, it was mostly one 4-top, some 2-tops, and solo seats. The space was on the small side, but that made it feel great for a date or eating alone.

I came alone, so I took a spot at the bar table haha. Each seat had salad sauce, tonkatsu sauce, and little dishes all neatly set out.

What comes in the ₩22,000 solo set at Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch

Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch mainly serves tonkatsu and noodle dishes individually, but they also have solo and two-person set menus, which I thought was a nice touch!

I ordered the solo set (₩22,000) with the hirekatsu (fillet) upgrade (₩2,000) and cold soba. For the tonkatsu, you can choose from loin, fillet, cheese, pork collar, assorted, or mix, and for noodles you can pick cold soba, cold udon, katsuo fish cake udon, or spicy fish cake udon. A lot of places don't serve hot udon in summer, but Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch actually had hot udon available too!

After ordering, it wasn't long before the solo set arrived, filling the whole tray haha. Pour the salad sauce over the salad, add tonkatsu sauce and sesame powder to the little dish, and you're ready to eat!

Alongside the main hirekatsu and cold soba, it also came with kimchi, gangjeong (sweet crispy rice snack), rice, and miso soup.

First, I started with the salad to keep my blood sugar in check haha.

Two thick fillet pieces: how big is the hirekatsu portion?

The main hirekatsu had the biggest portion of any fillet katsu I've had recently! It was two whole thick pieces of fillet, so much that I wondered if I should've just ordered it as a standalone dish instead haha.

The round fillet pieces had a thin, well-coated crust that stayed crispy, and the meat was dense, so each bite filled my mouth and felt really satisfying.

Personally, I think tonkatsu sauce beats plain salt every time haha, so I dipped generously into the sauce! The thickness gave it a really great texture!

Miso soup and kelp rice with the set

The miso soup that came with it was rich and had plenty of meat and cabbage in it, so I mixed it with rice haha. The rice wasn't just plain white rice either — it had kelp mixed in, which made it feel a bit more special.

The cold soba in the set is nearly a full portion

I thought the cold soba would just be a side, but it was almost a full portion, so eating it along with everything else nearly made me burst haha. Scallions, seaweed, and shaved ice — the whole classic cold soba setup!

The broth was refreshingly cold, so I kept slurping down the noodles without stopping. It was summer, so I was craving something cold, and the cold soba hit exactly the spot!

Gangjeong to finish, and why 'Monster' is in the restaurant's name

To finish, I had the gangjeong that came with the set as dessert. It was crispy and sweet, perfect for cleansing the palate haha. Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch has great solo and two-person set options, so I could enjoy tonkatsu and noodles together at a good price! The taste was good, but the portions were on the generous side too, so I left satisfied haha. I'd wondered why 'Monster' was in the restaurant's name, but it turns out it's because the tonkatsu portions are monster-sized. Visit once and the name will make total sense!

Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch / 42-6 Donggyo-ro 38-gil, 1st floor (Unit 101), Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea / Daily 10:30–21:00 (last order 20:30)