Tonkatsu spot at Isu Station: solo mixed katsu set and kake udon, Kosi

This is my honest review of Kosi Isu Branch, a tonkatsu restaurant in the Sadang area that offers free parking. What I ate this time was the mixed katsu set (kake udon) for ₩18,000.

• Location: 1st floor, Units 126 and 127, 300 Sadang-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul
• Hours: daily 11:20–21:00 (break time 15:20–17:00 / last order 14:50 and 20:30)
• Parking: Isu Xi Complex Mall, basement level 2 or 3, 1 hour free
• Good for: people looking for a tonkatsu place near Isu Station, people who want an easy solo meal on the way home from work, and people hunting for a filling meal in Isu or Sadang

Where is Kosi Isu Branch? Isu Station Exit 9, behind Megabox Isu

Kosi Isu Branch sits right in front of Exit 9 of Isu Station, in the back alley behind Megabox Isu, so it's really easy to get to. The location and atmosphere were perfect for eating alone.

I'd stopped at a hospital in the Sadang area on my way home from work and headed here for a hearty dinner. It's right in front of Exit 9 of Isu Station and in the alley behind Megabox Isu, so access was really good.

Is there a wait at Kosi Isu Branch on a weekday evening?

When I arrived around 6:30 pm on a weekday, the restaurant was quite busy, but I was shown to a seat right away. The hall is large with 48 seats and turnover is fast.

I got there around 6:30 pm and the place was already pretty full of diners. But with 48 seats the hall is fairly spacious and turnover is quick, so seats keep emptying and filling, and I was seated right away.

Ordering the mixed katsu set on the tablet kiosk

You order on a tablet kiosk at each table. Add ₩3,500 to a single item and it becomes a set that comes with warm kake udon (udon in a light, hot broth).

After browsing the menu, I finally decided on the "mixed katsu set," which lets you taste pork cutlet, shrimp katsu and udon all at once. Order done! Since this is a house-made udon restaurant that follows the traditional Sanuki style, I figured the udon was a must.

Looking around, there were lots of people like me who had dropped in alone on the way home from work, plus couples, friends and families of all ages. You could really feel that this is an Isu Station favorite that everyone likes.

How is Kosi's mixed katsu? Plump ebi katsu and thick house-made loin katsu

The mixed katsu set at Kosi Isu Branch comes with a big fried shrimp (ebi katsu) and a pork cutlet. What impressed me was that they serve scissors alongside because of the shrimp.

Before long, the generous mixed katsu set arrived, neatly arranged. The mixed katsu includes a big fried shrimp (ebi katsu), and I was impressed that scissors were served with it.

Snip, snip, I trimmed off the head and tail, haha, dipped it lightly in the tartar sauce and took a bite... wow! The crunch, and then the plump, juicy bite of the shrimp inside, were just amazing!

The batter isn't greasy and stays crispy, so much so that I vowed to order the ebi katsu on its own next time!

The pork cutlet that came with it is hand-pounded loin made fresh every day, and maybe that's why the meat was thick yet not dry, and mild and savory the more I chewed. Dipped lightly in the sauce, the rich meat juices and the crispy coating went together beautifully.

How are the house-made noodles and broth in Kosi's kake udon?

The kake udon noodles are said to be made from dough aged over 48 hours, and they were springy, chewy and slid down smoothly. The broth, made with anchovies from the southern coast and kelp, tasted clean and went well with the tonkatsu.

Next I went straight to the kake udon I'd been looking forward to. I understood right away why it has such a reputation for udon.

Maybe because the noodles are made from dough aged over 48 hours, I could feel the springy bounce in my fingertips as soon as I lifted them with my chopsticks. Slurping them up, they were chewy yet soft, and so smooth going down. The noodles themselves are so appealing that of course it tastes good!

The broth had the clean, deep flavor of southern-coast anchovies and kelp, subtle but with real presence, and it left my mouth feeling light and refreshed. It isn't harsh, just neat and clean, which made it the best partner for the tonkatsu. A great place to enjoy excellent house-made udon and tonkatsu together near Isu Station. Approved!

Kosi Isu Branch parking and final verdict

Kosi Isu Branch offers one hour of free parking in the building's underground garage, so it's convenient if you come by car from Sadang or Bangbae. After the meal, I left feeling very full but not weighed down.

From the sticky, carefully aged house-made udon noodles to the mixed katsu that's crunchy outside and juicy inside, plus the friendly, fast service, I was satisfied with everything.

If you're looking for a good place to eat in Sadang near Isu Station, or a tonkatsu restaurant near Isu Station where you can enjoy a tasty meal alone without any pressure, I recommend dropping by Kosi Isu Branch.

Kosi Isu Branch FAQ

Does Kosi Isu Branch offer free parking, and where is it?

If you park in the underground garage of the building where Kosi Isu Branch is located, you get one hour of free parking. By public transport, it's a 1-minute walk from Exit 9 of Isu Station (Chongshin Univ. Station), behind Megabox Isu.

Is Kosi Isu Branch good for eating alone?

Kosi Isu Branch has a spacious, clean hall with 48 seats, including bar seats and tables for two, and turnover is fast. On the weekday evening I visited, many diners were eating alone after work, so I could eat comfortably without feeling self-conscious.

How big is the udon in the Kosi set, and what should you order?

At Kosi Isu Branch, adding ₩3,500 to a single katsu item turns it into a set with a kake udon that's more generous than a mini size. The 48-hour aged noodles and the southern-coast anchovy broth were excellent, so I recommend the ebi katsu set, which includes udon.