Stroller-friendly pork cutlet lunch near Seoul Botanic Park: Tteudon

On a weekday lunch, I met a friend and we debated what to eat — but on a nice day, you have to eat pork cutlet, so we headed to Tteudon Magok Branch, a spot near Seoul Botanic Park. Pork cutlet is always the right answer. Though honestly, with udon and pasta also on the menu, it's a tough call.

Tteudon Magok Branch

Tteudon Magok Branch menu and the lunchtime discount

Tteudon Magok Branch has an incredible variety of pork cutlets. Made with Korea's top fresh chilled Hanwoo pork and fried in premium soybean oil — how good must that taste? I was still drooling over the menu in my head.

During lunch hours you can get pork cutlet for 1,000 won off, which seems perfect for nearby office workers or anyone taking a lunchtime stroll through Seoul Botanic Park.

Tteudon Magok Branch address, hours and parking

• Address: 194 Gonghang-daero, Unit 216, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 10:30–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• Underground parking supported at Magok Queens Park 12
• Baby chairs available

Is there room for a stroller? Table spacing and the playroom

I had no idea there was such a spacious pork cutlet restaurant in Magok. The moment we walked in, the space felt huge. There seemed to be more than 10 tables for four, and the gaps between them were wide enough for a stroller — I really appreciated not having to worry about the next table while bringing a baby along.

Our little Ppangwool has been turning to look at people nearby and trying to get picked up lately, so the first thing I check when we go out to eat is table spacing. The playroom also has all kinds of dolls and game consoles, which will be great once she's a bit older.

What's on the free self-bar at Tteudon Magok Branch

Tteudon Magok Branch near Seoul Botanic Park is genuinely generous with service. It's not just a good pork cutlet place — there's a huge amount of complimentary food. The self-bar has diced radish kimchi, pickles, and danmuji, of course, but also free soup, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), udon broth, and butter bread with jam. All my favorite foods are just sitting there in the self-bar — how did they even think to offer this kind of service? Thank you, I'll eat well haha.

We only placed our order, and this whole spread appeared. I had to resist the urge to bring the tteokbokki over in a big serving bowl. The soup had that classic old-school pork cutlet restaurant feel, and the tteokbokki wasn't just thrown together either — chewy rice cakes and soft fish cakes matched perfectly with the sweet and spicy sauce.

I left the baby with my friend, who knows nothing about parenting, while I went to the self-bar. When I came back, I found the bread already cut up — turns out she'd tried to feed our 8-month-old some butter bread, which made me laugh. I guess my friend, unfamiliar with babies, got so flustered by Ppangwool's food obsession that she tried to give her just a bite. Sorry, Ppangwool, you can't have that yet. Mom will eat it deliciously for you instead.

Hot pot pork cutlet, 12,900 won: cheese hiding inside

I decided to eat everything I'd been craving lately: the hot pot pork cutlet for 12,900 won (1,000 won off at lunch), and the mala stir-fried pasta for 10,900 won. Warm hot pot rice soup, cheese-loaded cutlet, and something between mala xiangguo and pasta — all the dishes I wanted, at such an affordable price. Great value and great taste at this Tteudon spot near Seoul Botanic Park. My mouth was watering just from the visuals.

I thought it was just a cutlet in broth in a hot pot, but there was a surprising amount of hidden cheese. They say it's made with top-grade pork loin, top-grade breadcrumbs, and premium soybean oil. Honestly, even without knowing that, you can taste that Tteudon Magok Branch's pork cutlet is different. Sitting in broth, it's not soggy at all, and despite the cheese, it's not greasy — it's genuinely delicious.

It's spicy and hearty, but with so much cheese piled on, it doesn't come across as overly spicy. If anything, the cheese-loaded cutlet, which could be heavy, gets balanced out nicely with the vegetables and broth you can add on top — making the flavor even richer.

How does the mala stir-fried pasta, 10,900 won, taste?

The mala stir-fried pasta really feels like mala xiangguo and pasta combined. Even my friend, who can't handle mala tang, said it reminded her of Vietnamese food and ate it happily. There's the distinct numbing kick of mala, but it's not overwhelming.

There's a generous amount of beef brisket slices — enough that even in a mala xiangguo, this amount would make it taste incredibly smooth. The noodles are super springy and chewy, making for a satisfying slurp. And the smoky mala sauce lands somewhere delicious between jjamppong, mala xiangguo, and pasta.

Free ice cream for dessert as well

And the long-awaited dessert — the delicious ice cream is free too. I honestly didn't expect much and took one bite, but it didn't taste cheap at all. I ate it on my way out and thought, if it's this good, I should have sat down and had five cups before leaving.

From starter to dessert, Tteudon Magok Branch near Seoul Botanic Park delivers perfect flavor at a reasonable price. And there's a way to enjoy it even more — leave a Naver receipt review and get a free soda or cheese balls. Sounds like a great way to make a perfect meal at Tteudon Magok Branch even more perfect.