Yeonnam-dong katsu restaurant for an after-work date: Katsu Monster

A Yeonnam-dong date night tonkatsu spot — the loin katsu at Katsu Monster Yeonnam is the one to know.

Yesterday I finally had an after-work date in Yeonnam-dong! One of the fun things about Yeonnam-dong is hunting down hidden gems tucked into its alleys haha. Today I'm introducing Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch, known as a tonkatsu spot in the area~~

• 📍 Location: 42-6 Donggyo-ro 38-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 10:30–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• *Open as usual this Chuseok, apparently*

Where is Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch, and is the alley hard to find?

Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch sits one alley deeper off Donggyo-ro 38-gil in Yeonnam-dong. As you walk into the Yeonnam-dong alleys, you'll hit yet another side alley! It's tucked in a bit, so it might not be easy to just stumble upon, but there's a sign right at the entrance to the alley so you'll find it quickly!

Doesn't it have a bit of an outdoor pojangmacha (street tent) feel? It's the perfect place for an open-air date on a cool day like this! Other famous outdoor spots can get too loud and crowded, right...? I actually prefer finding a restaurant that just opens its doors and windows on cool days like this haha.

You can comfortably check the menu and prices from outside before going in!

Seating and table setup at Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch

Inside Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch there's a mix of 4-person tables, 2-person tables, and solo-dining seats, so it works whether you're eating alone, with friends, or on a date!

✅ Loin katsu ✅ Fillet katsu ✅ Cheese katsu — these three seem to be the signature menu items!

Every table has a neat lineup of ✅ salad dressing ✅ tonkatsu sauce ✅ salt ✅ pepper ✅ wasabi ✅ shichimi, so you can enjoy your katsu however you like! I'm personally team salt + wasabi haha.

It wasn't hot at all, but there was this cute little fan sitting there anyway... this place has a nice Japanese-restaurant feel haha.

The kitchen is open, which makes it feel even more trustworthy! They bring the food out straight from the kitchen like this haha.

What we ordered: premium loin katsu, fillet katsu and spicy curry

At Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch we ordered ✅ loin katsu ✅ fillet katsu ✅ spicy curry — three things haha. We like dipping tonkatsu in curry and also mixing it into the rice that comes with it, so whenever we go to a tonkatsu place we always order curry.

Premium loin katsu: why it has two layers of fat

First up, the loin katsu! It has the extra shoulder loin muscle attached, so the meaty aroma is much richer. Among loin katsu cuts, I love the fatty part the most! The rich, savory taste of the fat combined with the meat just makes it taste even better. But the loin katsu at Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch has such a thick fat layer that it might be the best loin katsu I've ever had...!

It's a shaky photo because I snapped it in a hurry haha, but the fat layer is double, so you get to enjoy even more of that rich flavor! The meat is fresh, so it's fried to just the right doneness with a bit of pink remaining. Because it's not overcooked, the meat and fat can be a little hard to tell apart visually, but the balance between the two was so, so delicious.

How big is the fillet katsu portion at Katsu Monster?

Next up, the fillet katsu! At first I thought they'd brought the wrong order. It came out looking like almost two servings haha — most places just give you one strip like that, right...?

The spicy curry we also ordered came out together on the fillet katsu tray haha. The kimchi here is the kind Koreans actually like! It's a bit different from the sweet, pre-chopped kimchi you get at regular tonkatsu places — it has just the right amount of sourness, so it went really well with the curry haha. And even though it's called spicy curry, honestly it didn't taste that spicy to us! Just so you know haha.

Fillet katsu has no fat layer, and it was genuinely tender to bite into! No chewiness at all — you can just bite through it smoothly, and the fillet katsu too was cooked just enough to keep a slight pink tint, so it was so good! No off smell, just that good meaty aroma — felt like eating truly great tonkatsu for the first time in a while!

Rice and soup refills, the meaty doenjang soup and sesame candy dessert

At Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch, both rice and soup are refillable! Even without refilling, the portions are plenty haha. But guys might want to refill the rice for sure!

The soup was so good! At regular tonkatsu places you usually get miso soup, right? Here it's loaded with big chunks of meat, napa cabbage, burdock root, and more, so it feels less like doenjang (soybean paste) soup and more like a meat stew! Above all, the napa cabbage and burdock root were so refreshing that this wasn't just some throwaway side soup!

For dessert, you get two pieces of sesame candy! I don't usually like sesame candy so I was going to just leave it, but I figured I'd try one piece.... I would have regretted it if I hadn't eaten it!! It tasted like something familiar... don't leave this one, definitely try it haha.

Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch

Is Katsu Monster Yeonnam worth it for a date dinner?

If you're looking for a delicious tonkatsu place in Yeonnam-dong! Definitely check out Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch haha. It's tasty and the portions are seriously huge... the whole meal is well put together and every single side dish was delicious!