Ilwon-dong tonkatsu for a solo weekend dinner: Sioldon Ilwon
In short
Sioldon Ilwon Branch is a tonkatsu restaurant on the Ilwon-dong food street near Samsung Seoul Hospital in Gangnam, Seoul. On a cool weekend evening, one diner ordered the kimchi katsu nabe (kimchi stew with pork cutlet) topped with cheese and added 2 pieces of tenderloin katsu for 4,900 won to get both broth and fried cutlet in one meal. The bubbling earthenware pot and the melt-in-the-mouth tenderloin katsu made Sioldon Ilwon a satisfying choice for eating alone.
Good to know
- Location
- 12 Ilwon-ro 9-gil, 1st floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Ilwon-dong food street)
- Hours
- Daily 11:00–20:30
- Break time
- 14:30–17:00
- Last order
- 20:00
- Parking
- 2 cars in front of the restaurant (tight)
- Value set
- 11,000 won (choice of cold soba / cheongyang chili curry udon / tomato curry udon + choice of 1pc tenderloin katsu or cheese katsu)
- Extra tenderloin katsu (2pcs)
- 4,900 won
- Cooking time
- Cooking starts as soon as you order; about 15 minutes
- Getting there
- 5-minute walk from Samsung Seoul Hospital intersection; 8-minute walk from Daecheong Station (Line 3) Exit 4
- Price reference
- ₩11,000 ≈ $7.9 · ₩4,900 ≈ $3.5 (2026-09-20)
as written by the visitor on Sep 20, 2026
Scrolling through my phone on a weekend evening trying to figure out what to eat, I stumbled on kimchi katsu nabe! Mornings and evenings have gotten pretty cool these days. I wanted a hot bowl of kimchi katsu nabe, so I looked around and ended up at Sioldon Ilwon Branch, a well-known spot near Samsung Seoul Hospital that I'd visited before. Back I went, this time for the kimchi katsu nabe!
Where is Sioldon Ilwon Branch, and what are its hours?
📍Location 12 Ilwon-ro 9-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul ⏱️Hours Daily 11:00–20:30 Break time 14:30–17:00 Last order 20:00 🚗Parking 2 spots available in front of the restaurant
What the Ilwon-dong food street and the Sioldon dining room look like
Sioldon Ilwon Branch sits right on the Ilwon-dong food street, a favorite near Samsung Seoul Hospital. It's also famous as one of the best tonkatsu spots in Ilwon-dong, and this is why I came back.
Parking is available right in front, though the space is a bit tight — just two spots, so keep that in mind. It's a 5-minute walk from the Samsung Seoul Hospital intersection and an 8-minute walk from Daecheong Station (Line 3) Exit 4. This tonkatsu spot near Samsung Seoul Hospital is easy to reach on foot too.
Inside, each seat has a high backrest, which doubles as a comfy support and also gives a private, booth-like separation between tables — a nice setup for eating in peace.
Sioldon Ilwon Branch is genuinely great for solo dining. You can sit at the window seats or take a two-person table by yourself and still feel comfortable. I came that day specifically to eat alone, and I'd fully recommend it as a solo dining spot.
Tonkatsu is one of those dishes everyone loves, young and old. I saw a lot of students eating there too. I'm a huge tonkatsu fan myself, so I settled in to enjoy my solo meal.
Kiosk ordering at Sioldon and the 11,000 won value set
At the kiosk by the entrance, you choose dine-in or takeout and order whatever you like. Sioldon starts cooking the moment you order, so it takes about 15 minutes — just something to keep in mind.
Sioldon Ilwon Branch's value set is ₩11,000. ✔️Choose 1 — cold soba / cheongyang curry udon / tomato curry udon ✔️Choose 1 — 1pc tenderloin katsu / 1pc cheese katsu For ₩11,000 you get to try both udon and katsu in one reasonably priced combo!
I wanted both the cheese-topped kimchi nabe and some tonkatsu, so I added the tenderloin katsu (+₩4,900). I love that you can add just 2 pieces as a taste — such a nice option.
How do the kimchi katsu nabe and 2 pieces of tenderloin katsu taste?
My order arrived. The moment it hit the table, the smell of the kimchi katsu nabe was insane — an instant mouth-watering visual.
Writing this review is making me hungry all over again — I might have to run back for more. The kimchi katsu nabe, bubbling away in a piping-hot stone pot, was genuinely delicious. Made at a place that specializes in tonkatsu, you can just trust this dish blindly.
How can you resist this visual? A thick layer of cheese piled on top of the concentrated kimchi katsu nabe adds a whole extra layer of savoriness — how could this not be delicious?
Spoon it over warm white rice and this is officially rice-thief material.
Wanting both the kimchi katsu nabe and tonkatsu, my choice was to add the 2-piece tenderloin katsu taster. Genuinely a smart call, and I think it's a very smart menu item on Sioldon's part too. For customers like me who want to try two things but can't order two full dishes, this two-piece taster option is a really clever strategy.
Tenderloin really lives up to its name. Dipped in the sauce, it was seriously amazing — melting in my mouth. This tenderloin katsu earns Sioldon its reputation as a top tonkatsu spot near Samsung Seoul Hospital. I heard Sioldon uses fresh meat and pays close attention to aging, salting, and the batter. No wonder it's this good... I took a bite and the breading didn't even peel off. Crispy on the outside, so moist and tender inside.
No tonkatsu meal is complete without cabbage. Finely shredded cabbage drizzled generously with a nutty black sesame sauce — the perfect side to the kimchi katsu nabe.
Is Sioldon Ilwon worth it for a solo dinner?
Finished off the whole bowl of kimchi katsu nabe and polished off the 2 pieces of tenderloin katsu neatly too. If you're looking for a great tonkatsu place in Ilwon-dong or a good restaurant near Samsung Seoul Hospital, give Sioldon Ilwon Branch a try! I want to go again already…
Where it is
12 Ilwon-ro 9-gil, 1st floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 강남구 일원로9길 12 1층
