Gangdong Seoul tonkatsu restaurant with cheese cutlet: Katsu Monster

Solo tonkatsu near Gangdong Office Station

Today, I’m here with a review of a tonkatsu and memil noodle spot near Gangdong Office Station that I’d like to recommend to fellow solo diners‼️ It’s just right when office workers are pondering lunch, or when you want a light yet filling meal after work: Katsu Monster Gangdong Office Branch.

Katsu Monster Gangdong Office Branch 📍 551 Seongnae-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul ⏰ Daily 10:00–21:30 🅿️ Parking available in front of the restaurant I ordered cheese katsu & cold memil noodles :)

Katsu Monster Gangdong Office Branch exterior and menu

Katsu Monster is not far on foot from Gangdong Office Station. Its yellow sign, complete with a cute monster character, made it easy to find. It looked neat and tidy from the outside, too!

I had a look at Katsu Monster’s menu. As you’d expect from a premium tonkatsu specialist, there are several kinds of pork cutlet, including loin katsu, tenderloin katsu, and cheese katsu. The premium loin katsu is a limited-quantity special cut combining pork neck and lean meat, so I definitely want to try it next time 😋

The open kitchen and bar-style seating

The first thing that caught my eye as soon as I walked in was the open kitchen. It instantly gave me complete confidence in the hygiene. The kitchen itself was kept very clean, too, so I could eat with peace of mind 👍🏻

Most of the seating is bar-style tables, which was perfect for solo diners, haha.

They’re also running a receipt review event!

Tonkatsu sauce and salad dressing are set out on the table, so you can enjoy them however you like.

When you order tonkatsu at Katsu Monster, rice and miso soup come with it. The rice was mixed-grain rice, and the miso soup was savory rather than salty, making it a great accompaniment to the cutlet!

So, how were the cheese katsu and cold memil noodles?

Cold memil noodles with floating ice

The cold memil noodles had a generous portion of buckwheat noodles in broth with little shards of ice floating on top, generously garnished with grated daikon, seaweed flakes, and green onion. The broth had a subtle katsuobushi aroma while still being sweet. Mixing in wasabi and daikon juice to taste gave it the best spicy, refreshing kick 😋⭐️

Cheese katsu with an epic cheese pull

The thick pork cutlet was packed with mozzarella, and when I took a bite, the cheese stretched out sooo beautifully. The breadcrumb coating was wonderfully crisp, while the tender meat and nutty cheese inside came together for that perfect crispy-outside, juicy-inside bite.

Personally, I recommend dipping it lightly in the salt served alongside so you can fully enjoy the meat’s natural flavor and the cheese. A little wasabi cuts through the richness and makes it even cleaner to eat 🤍

Alternating a bite of cheese katsu with a chopstickful of cold memil noodles meant I could enjoy it deliciously right to the end without getting tired of it.

A filling meal that feels comfortable even alone

This spot has a trustworthy open kitchen and, above all, great food. The atmosphere makes it easy to eat comfortably even when you come alone, so you can drop in without any pressure 👍🏻 If you’re looking for a filling, delicious meal near Gangdong Office Station, I strongly recommend Katsu Monster. Please experience the fantastic pairing of crispy tonkatsu and refreshing cold memil noodles for yourself ~~