Chuncheon tonkatsu spot's fire-noodle-spicy katsu: Jeongseong Katsu

I heard there was a place in Toegye-dong famous for great tonkatsu, so I had to check it out. My husband is a total tonkatsu lover — doesn't matter what kind — so the moment I heard about a good spot, he immediately came to mind. So I dragged him along to Jeongseong Katsu Chuncheon Toegye Branch, curious just how good it could be. After eating there myself, I started to understand why people in Toegye-dong keep talking about this place as a tonkatsu must-visit. Today I'll honestly walk you through the vibe, the menu, and the tonkatsu we actually ate :)

Where is Jeongseong Katsu Toegye Branch, and is there parking?

Jeongseong Katsu Toegye Branch is on the 1st floor at 10-8 Toegye-ro 93beon-gil, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, open from 09:00 to 21:00. It's near the Namchuncheon Humansia Complex 1 apartments, so it wasn't hard to find from around the neighborhood.

We drove there, and luckily there were parking spots right in front of the restaurant, so we parked and went straight in.

Once inside, the place felt clean and tidy overall, which made a great first impression. The spacing between tables and the general atmosphere felt comfortable, so it seemed like a good spot for families too. It especially felt like a no-pressure place to bring kids, so next time I want to come back with ours.

Ordering and payment were easy through the table-order system. You don't need to flag down staff — you can browse the menu at your leisure and order right from your seat. Being able to pay at the table too meant no awkward trip to the register after eating. My husband and I spent a while going back and forth over the menu before each picking something we wanted.

After sitting down, they bring you water that has a nutty, savory taste — almost like drinking tea — and it really cuts through the richness of tonkatsu.

This is the menu board visible from outside, where you can see all the menu items and prices at a glance — so you could even check it out while just passing by. Prices overall were pretty affordable!

Mixed katsu set: pork loin katsu, fillet katsu and fried shrimp on one plate

My husband's pick, the mixed katsu set, comes with pork loin katsu, fillet katsu, and fried shrimp all together. Since he loves tonkatsu so much, instead of one single type he went for the mixed set so he could try a bit of everything.

Hot udon broth also comes with the set. You know it wouldn't feel right to skip this broth at a tonkatsu place, right? If you're low on rice, they'll happily give you more when you ask!

Japanese-style curry also came out, which we tried mixed into the rice. There's also a cabbage salad with a refreshing sauce — it was so good we ended up asking for a refill halfway through. The salad dressing especially was tangy, sweet and refreshing.

On top of that, wasabi, salt, tonkatsu sauce, pickles and kimchi all come out as part of the full spread to go with the tonkatsu.

With the mixed katsu at Jeongseong Katsu Chuncheon, each cut has a slightly different texture and flavor, so I liked being able to try a few different things in one order. From the light, tender fillet katsu to the juicy, flavorful pork loin katsu, and the crispy fried shrimp — there was a nice range, which seems especially perfect for tonkatsu lovers.

The way the food was neatly arranged on the tray was also impressive. The tonkatsu, fried shrimp and all the side dishes were laid out so tidily that each item felt like it had been made with extra care. The overall plating was clean and photo-friendly, and it put us in a good mood before we even took the first bite.

The fried shrimp was genuinely delicious too! Crispy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside, with great texture. The batter wasn't heavy either, so it paired nicely with the tonkatsu. And of course, the star of the show is the tonkatsu itself! It's great on its own, but personally I love adding a little wasabi on top. The savory tonkatsu flavor combined with the sharp kick of wasabi cuts the richness and kept me reaching for more. My husband agreed the wasabi combo was delicious and kept dipping his pieces in it too. If you love tonkatsu, you have to try it this way — it's seriously so good!

How spicy is the spicy tonkatsu set? About fire-noodle level

The spicy tonkatsu I ordered at Jeongseong Katsu Toegye Branch was, by my standards, about as spicy as fire noodles (buldak-bokkeummyeon). It's crispy fried tonkatsu topped with a spicy sauce. For some reason, whenever a menu says it's spicy, I feel compelled to take on the challenge; it delivers a completely different flavor from regular tonkatsu, and I think anyone who loves spicy food would enjoy it.

Being a full set, it comes with udon broth, kimchi and pickles, and here that broth really matters. With such a spicy tonkatsu, I kept reaching for it constantly.

The heat level, by my standards, was about as spicy as fire noodles — or maybe even a bit spicier depending on how you feel it. I even set aside some of the peppers that came with it at first, and it was still plenty spicy. People who love heat will probably enjoy this kind of intense flavor even more. If you can usually handle spicy food well, this is a menu worth trying! I'd recommend this spicy tonkatsu to anyone who's confident in their spice tolerance.

Because it was so spicy, I ended up eating way more cabbage salad than usual. Cooling my mouth down with the crunchy salad in between bites just made me want to dig into the tonkatsu again. The combo of the heat and the salad worked surprisingly well together, and I think I ended up finishing almost all the salad they gave us.

The sauce itself was definitely spicy, but the tonkatsu was thick-cut with great meat flavor, so it was still really enjoyable to eat. With a sauce this spicy, it could easily overpower everything else, but because the tonkatsu was thick, you could still properly taste the texture and flavor of the meat. It's the kind of dish where you're startled by the heat but your chopsticks just keep going back for more. The combination of the spicy sauce and thick-cut tonkatsu worked better than I expected, and I left having had a really satisfying meal.

Busy even at a late lunch: eating tonkatsu in Toegye-dong, Chuncheon

Even during the slightly late lunch hour when we visited, Jeongseong Katsu Toegye Branch had quite a few customers. In particular, seeing delivery riders coming and going constantly while we ate made it clear this is also a popular tonkatsu spot for delivery orders.

My husband was happy to try a variety of cuts with the mixed katsu, and I got to enjoy something different with the spicy tonkatsu — both of us ended up satisfied with our own dishes. The restaurant was clean and the food was served so neatly overall that we're planning to come back next time for a family meal with the kids. If you're looking for good tonkatsu in Toegye-dong, or a tonkatsu spot in Chuncheon in general, this one is worth a visit.