Irwon-dong family tonkatsu, 3 generations for ₩36,800: Sioldon

A first bike ride and a three-generation tonkatsu dinner in Irwon-dong

Having the kids all to myself on a weekend is my greatest joy, but looking after two alone is honestly a stamina test. My heart is happy, but my lower back tells the truth.

That day was the youngest's very first time on a bike, and my eldest is at the age where she wants something special to happen every weekend. So I sent an SOS to my parents, and they came over to our neighborhood. We pedaled to our hearts' content on the elementary school playground, rested at home for a bit, and suddenly it was dinner time.

The dinner decision didn't take long. My eldest doesn't usually like fried meat, but amazingly she eats the cheese tonkatsu at Sioldon Irwon Branch (시올돈 일원점) well, and she loves curry too.

My parents said they were craving cold soba, so we headed to Sioldon Irwon Branch on the Irwon-dong food street, which solves everyone's needs at once. It's also a place whose name keeps coming up among people stopping by after appointments as a good eat near Samsung Seoul Hospital.

Where is Sioldon Irwon Branch, and what are its hours?

Sioldon Irwon Branch is at 12 Irwon-ro 9-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, tucked inside the Irwon-dong food street alley, close to the big medical complex. It's an alley full of restaurants, so it's not hard to find even on a first visit. On days when the wait at the hospital was long, it's a convenient location for family members looking for restaurants near Samsung Seoul Hospital.

• Hours: daily 11:00–20:30
• Break time: 14:30–17:00
• Last order: 20:00
• Specialty: fried aged pork

Dinner service ends at 8:30 p.m., so if you're going with kids, I'd recommend getting there a bit early. It wasn't crowded that day and we got a table quickly, and among Irwon-dong tonkatsu restaurants it's one of the easier ones for families.

Is there parking at Sioldon Irwon Branch?

You can park in front of Sioldon Irwon Branch. There isn't much space, but I've never had trouble parking. However, the food street isn't very wide, so novice drivers take note. The alley gets busy in the evening, so if you're bringing a car, check ahead of time.

Sioldon's atmosphere and meat-aging cabinet

The evening atmosphere at Sioldon Irwon Branch was just right, neither packed nor empty. Couples on dates, families and local students were evenly mixed, so it felt like a neighborhood hangout.

What caught my eye was the aging fridge on one side of the restaurant. It's equipment that rests the meat at a set temperature and humidity, and putting it where customers can see it suggests confidence in the basics. When choosing an Irwon-dong tonkatsu place, I always check whether there's an aging fridge like this.

What's on the menu at Sioldon Irwon Branch?

The menu at Sioldon Irwon Branch centers on fried aged meat such as cheese and tenderloin, with cold soba and curry to go alongside. You can add extra pieces of tenderloin on its own, which made it easy to adjust the kids' portions. If I were making a list of Irwon-dong tonkatsu, this place would rank near the top on menu variety alone.

What a family of five ordered, and the prices

• Cheese tonkatsu: ₩12,900
• Extra 2 pieces of tenderloin katsu: ₩4,900
• Cold soba, 2 bowls: ₩8,000 × 2
• Tomato curry (side): ₩3,000

Secretly I hoped my parents would order lots of things, but they said they eat light at dinner and settled on cold soba. I had the cheese tonkatsu, and my eldest had tomato curry with two pieces of tenderloin.

How was Sioldon's cheese tonkatsu?

The cheese tonkatsu at Sioldon Irwon Branch is made by tucking mozzarella between thick cuts of pork and frying it, and the moment you put a knife in, the cheese stretches out. Japanese-style katsu is usually cooked slowly through at a relatively low temperature of around 170 degrees, then fried once more at a higher temperature to finish the outside crisp.

During aging, enzymes in the meat break proteins into smaller pieces, which makes the texture tender and increases the amino acids that give umami. So even though it was thick, it wasn't dry and the juices stayed moist. I could see why word has spread that it's a great tonkatsu spot near Samsung Seoul Hospital. Thanks to the crisp coating, it seems reviews always praise the texture.

The cabbage served alongside was crunchy too. Finely shredded cabbage has to soak briefly in cold water so its cells fill with moisture, which gives that crisp bite. Cabbage contains vitamin U, known to help protect the stomach lining, so there's a reason it's paired with fried food.

Is tomato curry with extra tenderloin a good kids' meal?

My eldest chose the ₩3,000 side tomato curry. Restaurants near Samsung Seoul Hospital with a decent kids' option are surprisingly rare, so having a side curry was a big plus at Sioldon Irwon Branch. The acidity of the tomato lightly balances the richness of the curry, so it was easy on a kid's palate.

Tenderloin has less fat than sirloin and a fine grain, so it chews tenderly, and my eldest finished both pieces all by herself. The youngest filled up with a strategy of picking little bites off her big sister's plate.

How was the cold soba my parents ordered?

The cold soba (buckwheat noodles) at Sioldon Irwon Branch was the style where you stir grated radish and scallions into a katsuobushi (dried bonito) tsuyu dipping sauce. Buckwheat contains rutin, known to be good for blood vessel health, and the noodles have to be rinsed hard in cold water to wash off starch so their chewy bounce comes back. Seeing both my father and mother eating well, I was sure today's choice was a success.

Verdict: a family tonkatsu spot in Irwon-dong for three generations

• Price range: around ₩10,000 to the mid-₩10,000s per person (₩36,800 total for 5 that day)
• Strengths: solid aged-meat basics, crunchy cabbage, a menu wide enough for three generations

I'd recommend Sioldon Irwon Branch both to anyone looking for Irwon-dong tonkatsu and to anyone who needs a hearty meal after an appointment. If you're hunting for a tonkatsu place near Samsung Seoul Hospital, put it at the top of your list. Many people come after searching for good eats near Samsung Seoul Hospital, but as a local resident it's also somewhere I reach for often, and I think it's especially comfortable for families with kids.

It was a simple but lacking-nothing, wholesome dinner. The youngest's first bike ride, the eldest's special weekend and my parents' cold soba all fit on one table. As the kids grow, I think the memories in this place will pile up layer by layer.