Tenderloin katsu and shrimp rosé pasta in Gwangju: Filling Donkatsu

Hey everyone! If you talk about tonkatsu in Gwangju, chances are you've heard of this place at least once — Filling Donkatsu, a popular date spot in Yongbong-dong. This is the main branch located in Yongbong-dong, and I went for a weekday lunch. It's such a popular spot that I made a Naver reservation beforehand. Since it's always busy even on regular days, I'd recommend booking ahead if you're planning a lunchtime visit.

Where Filling Donkatsu Yongbong Branch is, and where to park

Filling Donkatsu Yongbong Branch is located at 297 Seoljuk-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, and it's open 11:30–21:00. There's a paid parking lot right next to the entrance, and it's valid for up to 1 hour 30 minutes.

Filling Donkatsu Yongbong Branch is located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the building.

Weekday lunch at noon: was there a wait at Filling Donkatsu?

We went in around noon and the place was already almost full. People kept coming in while we were eating, and eventually a waiting line formed. Apparently the 3rd floor operates as a separate waiting area. Living up to its reputation as a famous tonkatsu spot in Gwangju, it was packed even on a weekday lunch.

What we ordered: tenderloin katsu and shrimp rosé pasta

This place has a really wide menu — not just tonkatsu but pasta and risotto too. Last time I visited I had the spicy onion katsu, which was great, but today I ordered my favorites: tenderloin katsu and shrimp rosé pasta.

The pickles, salad and soup that come with every meal

They gave us pickles, salad, and soup as the basics.

The salad had chicory-like greens with a subtle bitterness that actually went really well with the dressing.

And the soup here was genuinely delicious.

My coworker gave it a fancy flourish and sprinkled some pepper on top, haha — with the pepper it tasted even better.

I ended up scraping the bowl clean, haha.

How did the shrimp rosé pasta taste?

While we were waiting, the shrimp rosé pasta arrived first, and it looked incredibly appetizing right away.

There was a light dusting of grated cheese on top.

The shrimp were plump and there were quite a lot of them.

There were also plenty of mushrooms. I love menus with vegetables and mushrooms like this, so it was right up my alley.

I mixed the sauce in well and tried it — it was rich, with the smooth flavor of the cream and a slightly spicy kick coming through together, which I really liked.

Six pieces of tenderloin katsu and the sauces served with it

Then the tenderloin katsu I'd been waiting for arrived, filling up the table.

It comes as roughly six pieces. I prefer tenderloin katsu over loin — the tenderloin feels softer and juicier, so it's personally my favorite.

There was also a good variety of dipping sauces to go with the katsu, so I could switch it up as I ate. Thanks to that, I could finish the whole thing without it feeling too heavy.

Rice and soup came alongside it too, making it a pretty filling meal.

But still, my favorite combo is dipping it in Maldon salt!!!! Meat really is all about salt in the end...

The breading was crispy and the meat was juicy — it was genuinely delicious.

There was also this garlic cheese-flavored sauce, which felt different from typical tonkatsu sauce — unique and tasty.

The free shrimp tempura from the review event

They're currently running a review event where you can choose between a drink or shrimp tempura. Since this place is known for frying things really well, I picked the shrimp tempura without hesitation, haha.

The shrimp tempura came out fried nice and crispy, and dipped in the sauce it was also really tasty.

From tonkatsu to pasta to the shrimp tempura at the end, we left completely full. There's a reason Filling Donkatsu is so well known as a tonkatsu spot in Gwangju and stays packed at lunchtime. If you're looking for a tonkatsu spot in Yongbong-dong or want to enjoy tenderloin katsu alongside pasta, I highly recommend Filling Donkatsu Yongbong Branch.