Tendon lunch near Dongtan Central Park: cheese menchi katsu don, Onsen

What is Onsen Dongtan like?

Onsen Dongtan (온센 동탄점) is a tendon (tempura rice bowl) specialist near Dongtan Central Park, and I'd happily recommend it for lunch. I already like tendon, so I went in with high hopes, and the crunchy tempura and generous portions left me really satisfied. This visit used a Supermembers discount, and part of the meal was paid out of my own pocket.

I think this will also help anyone in Dongtan looking for a tidy Japanese rice bowl place, or a spot in Bansong-dong where eating alone is easy.

• 📍 Onsen Dongtan: 33-14 Dongtangongwon-ro 2-gil, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (1st floor)
• ⏰ Hours 11:30 – 21:00
• ⏰ Break time 14:40 – 17:00

Onsen Dongtan menu and prices

This time I ordered ika tendon for ₩15,900, menchi katsu don for ₩14,900 and onsen soba for ₩8,900.

• ✔️ Ika tendon ₩15,900
• ✔️ Menchi katsu don ₩14,900
• ✔️ Onsen soba ₩8,900

Why does tendon at Onsen take time?

Onsen starts frying as soon as your order goes in, so expect at least 20 minutes. The upside is that you get tempura straight out of the fryer.

They reportedly use a frying oil blended from soybean and corn oil developed specifically for frying, and replace it with fresh oil every day. Maybe that's why the tempura looked clean in color and felt less greasy afterward.

Atmosphere at Onsen Dongtan: is it okay to eat alone?

The inside was kept clean, and the ventilation was good, so there was hardly any of that typical fried-food smell. Plenty of people were dining alone, so it felt relaxed for anyone in Bansong-dong looking for a solo meal.

Ika tendon: squid, cuttlefish and shrimp seafood tendon

First up is one of Onsen's signature dishes, the ika tendon (₩15,900). It's piled high with squid, cuttlefish, shrimp, an onsen egg (soft-cooked egg), seaweed tempura, kabocha squash tempura and shishito pepper tempura.

It looked really generous, and the big squid tempura caught my eye first. One bite and it was crisp outside and moist inside.

The squid had that lovely chewiness, and the cuttlefish got nuttier the more I chewed. The shrimp tempura was packed with plump shrimp meat too, so I was happy.

Best of all, break the onsen egg and mix it into the rice, and the rich yolk takes the tendon up another level. Sweet-savory sauce plus a soft-set egg is just such a good combination.

Menchi katsu don: a hearty bowl with stretchy cheese

Next is the menchi katsu don (₩14,900), topped with cheese menchi katsu (breaded minced-meat cutlet), shishito pepper tempura, seaweed tempura and an onsen egg.

When I cut the menchi katsu in half, the cheese stretched out, and it passed the looks test right away. It was crisp outside and filled with a juicy meat patty inside.

With the rich cheese flavor on top, meat lovers will be very happy with this one. Personally, if the ika tendon shows off the charm of seafood, the menchi katsu don felt much more like a hearty, filling meal.

Onsen soba: cold noodles to cleanse the palate between tempura

The onsen soba (₩8,900) I ordered alongside was good too. When you're eating fried food you need a palate cleanser halfway through, and the cold soba did exactly that.

Clean broth and chewy noodles made it a great pairing with the tendon. The richness of the tempura and the coolness of the soba go well together, so everything tasted even better.

Is Onsen Dongtan worth it for lunch near Dongtan Central Park?

Onsen Dongtan is close to Dongtan Central Park, so it's great for a meal after a walk, and the mood is casual enough for eating alone or a date. With the Supermembers discount this time, the meal felt even more worthwhile.

If you're looking for lunch near Dongtan Central Park, a place to eat solo in Bansong-dong, or a proper Japanese restaurant in Dongtan, I recommend Onsen Dongtan :)