Japanese restaurant in Geumjeong, Busan: shrimp bowl at Gatjidong

I came to Pusan National University with my younger sibling to grab a meal. I’ve been hanging out around Pusan National University a lot lately~ Since we each wanted something different, we decided to head to Gatjidong (갓지동), which has a wide variety of dishes, for a delicious meal!

Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch: location and parking

Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch, on the first floor at 11 Singmullwon-ro, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, is open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with last orders at 21:00.

There is parking at the building that houses Gatjidong. If it is full, it seems like you could use a nearby public or private lot, or park at Homeplus. Homeplus offers two hours of free parking with purchases of ₩10,000 or more.

Seating for solo diners and families with children

We went after the lunch rush, so it seemed like there were plenty of seats, haha. The whole restaurant was neat and clean.

There are tables for two and four, plus counter seats that are great for eating alone. It looks like you could have a relaxed meal without feeling self-conscious even if you visit solo. I liked that it seemed so comfortable for solo dining.

High chairs are available too, so it looks like a good place to visit with kids!

Tablet ordering and lunch specials

Each table has a tablet, so you can browse the menu and order there. Just note that Gatjidong requires one menu item per person~

Tonkatsu (Japanese pork cutlet), curry, and gyudon (beef rice bowl) are the best-selling dishes 🍽 The prices did not seem too high either.

During lunch hours, from 11:00 to 14:00, you can get set meals at a discounted price.

The children’s service caught my eye. They offer free gim (roasted seaweed), furikake seasoning, and vitamins for children age 7 and under, so be sure to take advantage of it, haha.

If you write a receipt review, you can also get one can of soda or 3 vegetable croquettes, so keep that in mind!

A self-serve bar for side dishes and soup

Gatjidong has a self-serve bar, where you can take as much danmuji (pickled yellow radish), kimchi, and other side dishes as you want.

And there is clear soup, cream soup, and white rice too! I love soup, so it was amazing to be able to have as much as I wanted without worrying about it.

We ordered quickly, then set the table with the things we wanted from the self-serve bar~ Cream soup for the first time in a while! It tasted so nostalgic, haha.

The bouncy Sunchang soy-marinated shrimp rice bowl

I had been craving marinated shrimp lately, so I ordered the Sunchang soy-marinated shrimp rice bowl. The presentation was absolutely on point…🤍

The egg yolk in the middle was perfect too. It looked chewy and delicious at a glance, and it tasted every bit as good as it looked. There were around 10 shrimp, and they were so plump and springy.

There was rice underneath, so I put shrimp and wasabi on top of it and dug in 😋 The shrimp rice bowl was so good that I finished it in no time. Anyone who loves chewy, springy marinated shrimp would enjoy this so much~

Gatjidong assorted cutlets with three flavors

My younger sibling ordered tonkatsu. Gatjidong’s assorted cutlet platter comes loaded with cheese tonkatsu, regular tonkatsu covered in sauce, and a crispy unsauced tonkatsu.

An hourglass came with the cutlets. They say the cheese tonkatsu is best when you wait one minute, then cut off one or two pieces at a time. Somehow that one minute felt so long, haha.

They also gave us a generous amount of the cabbage salad I love. Since the platter has three kinds of cutlets, it was nice to enjoy several flavors at once 👍

The cutlets have that old-school Korean-style tonkatsu feel. The pork inside was tender, and the sweet sauce went really well with it. Personally, I thought the sauce-covered cutlet was moister and more delicious ♥

After one minute, we cut into the cheese tonkatsu and found a cheese explosion 🧀 Cheese lovers absolutely have to order thisㅠㅠㅠ The cheese stretched so beautifully, and it was so nutty that I want to eat it again even while writing this postㅠㅠ

With rice and salad included, I was incredibly full, haha. And since I had enjoyed the pre-meal soup too, it really felt like I had properly enjoyed an old-school Korean-style tonkatsu restaurant! It is not common to find a restaurant selling so many different dishes in one place, and I loved being able to choose from tonkatsu, udon, salmon, rice bowls, and curry according to our tastes. If you are looking for a hearty, delicious meal near Pusan National University, I recommend Gatjidong!! 🤍