Ilwon-dong tonkatsu restaurant with tomato curry sauce: Sioldon Ilwon

Sioldon, a tonkatsu spot everyone raves about in Ilwon-dong! I usually love tonkatsu with thin, light batter, so I went in with high hopes. Here's my honest review!

Sioldon Ilwon Branch location, parking, and hours

Sioldon Ilwon Branch is a tonkatsu restaurant on the 1st floor of 12 Ilwon-ro 9-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in Ilwon-dong's food alley. It's open daily from 11:00 to 20:30, with a break time from 14:30 to 17:00, last order at 20:00, and parking is available right in front.

Ilwon-dong's food alley is near my office, so I stop by for meals now and then. It's a good spot when I need something quick for lunch, and since a lot of office workers come here, there's a surprising range of places — from spots great for eating alone to ones perfect for group meals. Today, I went to Sioldon Ilwon Branch for tonkatsu, one of my favorite dishes.

12 Ilwon-ro 9-gil, 1st floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul / Open daily 11:00–20:30 / Break time 14:30–17:00 / Last order 20:00 / Parking available in front

When looking for restaurants near Samsung Seoul Hospital, you often end up searching around Ilwon-dong, and I think Sioldon is a solid Ilwon-dong tonkatsu spot for anyone looking to eat near the hospital. Sioldon sits in Ilwon-dong's food alley, and being able to park right in front made it easy to visit by car. A lot of restaurants near offices have surprisingly inconvenient parking, so it's always a bit stressful bringing a car — but the shops in this Ilwon-dong food alley let you park right outside, which is exactly why I keep coming back.

Partitioned booths great for solo dining and office lunches

Inside Sioldon Ilwon Branch, there are sofa-style partitioned booths. It's a popular lunch spot for nearby office workers, and this seating was actually one of my favorite parts — compared to regular table seating, it naturally separates your sightline from the next table.

These days a lot of people eat alone, and seating like this makes it comfortable even solo. I visited with a coworker, and since we couldn't directly see the table next to us, it felt way more relaxed than expected. When eating lunch with coworkers, sitting too close to the next table can make you self-conscious about conversation or surroundings, but here, with some separation, it was easy to focus on the meal. Great for solo dining, and also a nice fit for office lunches or group meals with coworkers.

Honestly, I'm not usually a huge fan of fried food. Things like fried chicken or tonkatsu with thick, greasy batter can feel a bit heavy afterward. But every so often I still crave tonkatsu. The one reason I eat it: tonkatsu with thin batter, no greasy feeling, and meat that tastes clean on its own is genuinely delicious.

Ordering the tenderloin cutlet and cheese cutlet

Among tonkatsu menus, I especially love tenderloin cutlets. Loin is tasty too, but tenderloin's lean meat is more tender and light, making it feel less heavy with fried batter. So the moment I saw the menu, I naturally went for the tenderloin cutlet. My coworker ordered the cheese cutlet, and we decided to split both so we could compare flavors instead of sticking to just one dish.

The tenderloin cutlet I ordered

How the 72-hour aged tenderloin cutlet tasted

Sioldon's tenderloin cutlet was incredibly tender from the very first bite. Sioldon bills itself as a 72-hour aged tonkatsu specialist, and after tasting it, I understood why they emphasize the aging. The batter matters, but I think the texture of the meat itself is what really counts in tonkatsu, and this tenderloin cutlet chewed soft with no toughness or dryness at all.

You could really taste the clean, light flavor unique to tenderloin.

The batter was also exactly my style. Instead of a thick, greasy coating smothering the meat, it was crispy but relatively thin, letting the meat's flavor really come through. So even I, who usually finds fried food heavy, could eat it comfortably. After one bite, the cross-section showed a moist, tender grain of meat. Sioldon's best menu item is definitely the tenderloin cutlet!!

I wondered — can pork really be this tender? It's delicious with tonkatsu sauce, but since the meat itself is so clean-tasting, it was also great with just a light dip in salt. If you prefer a clean, tender Japanese-style tonkatsu over a greasy one, I'd recommend trying the tenderloin cutlet.

Cheese cascading like a waterfall from the cheese cutlet

How was the cheese cutlet

We also split the cheese cutlet we ordered, two pieces each. Honestly, the cheese cutlet grabs your attention just from the visuals. The moment you cut into it, the cheese inside stretches out — it really did feel like cheese cascading like a waterfall. There was a generous amount of cheese packed inside, not just a token bit, so it looked incredibly appetizing too. I usually get sick of cheese after a few bites if it's too greasy, but Sioldon's cheese cutlet had a nutty, well-balanced cheese flavor.

More than anything, the cheese itself tasted fresh and wholesome — the kind of dish kids would love too! Crispy batter, tender meat, and stretchy cheese together gave it a completely different appeal from the tenderloin cutlet. Personally, if I could only order one, I'd pick the tenderloin cutlet, but if you're visiting with a group, I'd also recommend ordering the cheese cutlet to share.

Highly recommend the side tomato curry sauce I ordered!!

Side tomato curry sauce — does it actually taste like tomato?

Sioldon Ilwon Branch's side menu, tomato curry sauce, barely tasted like tomato when I actually tried it. I added it on the side to go with the tonkatsu, initially expecting some tangy tomato flavor since it's a curry with tomato in it. But the tomato seemed to have simmered thoroughly into the curry, so instead of a sharp tomato tang, it melted naturally into the curry's savory depth. You could barely tell tomato was even in there, so kids who dislike tomatoes could probably eat it happily too. It was good enough that I'd want to learn to make it at home.

It had that soft, deep flavor characteristic of Japanese-style curry, with a subtle savoriness that paired really well with the tonkatsu. We only added one side to share at first, but it turned out so good that next time I think we'll each just order our own. It was great with the tonkatsu, but the curry itself was so tasty I'd want a bigger portion next time, not just a side.

Next time I visit, I'll definitely order the tenderloin cutlet with tomato curry sauce again.

When you're craving tonkatsu near Samsung Seoul Hospital

When you're craving tonkatsu near Samsung Seoul Hospital

Overall, this was close to my ideal style of Japanese tonkatsu. Rather than thick, greasy batter, it leaned into tender texture and clean flavor, which personally suited me much more. The tenderloin cutlet especially, being 72-hour aged meat, is worth trying.

What I appreciated most among the restaurants in Ilwon-dong's food alley was having parking right outside and partitioned booth seating for a comfortable meal. It seems like a good option for office workers who want to eat quietly alone or for office lunches, and also worth the short trip from Samsung Seoul Hospital if you're looking for somewhere to eat nearby.

When you're craving clean, tender tonkatsu in Ilwon-dong, give Sioldon Ilwon Branch a try.