Cheese katsu and mala udong at Kitsuki, a Goyang tonkatsu restaurant

© Kangcream

I went to Kitsuki, where you can enjoy Japanese-style tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) on Ilsan's Bamridan-gil, and they had all kinds of things ready — from crispy fried katsu to some sides you can enjoy in a different way — so I ordered a bunch to try together.

Hours and parking

They're open 11:30 - 20:30.

Parking is possible along the Bamridan-gil street, but it can be hard to find a spot during busy hours or on weekends.

The vibe at Kitsuki on Bamridan-gil

Kitsuki Ilsan Bamridan-gil Branch had a clean yet hip feel even from the outside, so the interior caught my eye before I even walked in.

Once inside, there were more seats than I expected and the tables had decent spacing between them, so I could eat comfortably without feeling cramped.

Menu lineup and reserved seating

Kitsuki's main focus is Japanese-style tonkatsu, and the side menu is kept simple with just udon, fried shrimp, and meat rice bowls, that sort of thing.

If you make a reservation, you get seated at a reserved table, so we got to eat in a slightly more comfortable spot.

The table had the basics ready ahead of time — water, salad dressing, perilla oil, small plates — everything you'd need for the meal. The salad comes without dressing on it, so you just pour on the sauce provided at the table.

Cheese katsu — check the Naver menu

The cheese katsu wasn't listed on the in-store menu board, which threw me off, but it turned up on the Naver menu, so I was able to order the fillet + cheese katsu after all.

What we ordered

• Fillet + Cheese Katsu ₩16,000
• Loin Katsu ₩13,000
• Mala Yupodong ₩13,000

The standard side dishes that come with the katsu dishes are rice, doenjang soup, sauce, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), jeotgal (salted seafood), salt, danmuji (pickled radish), wasabi, and cabbage — a spread that pairs deliciously with the tonkatsu.

Fillet + Cheese Katsu — cheese that stretches

After a bit of a wait, the fillet + cheese katsu arrived. It was packed with cheese inside the cutlet, so you get the clean flavor of the meat along with the savory taste of the cheese together. The cheese was generous enough to stretch, so if you're a fan of cheese katsu, this one would really satisfy you.

The fillet katsu was extremely tender with no chewiness at all, making for a nice moist bite.

Loin Katsu — crispy outside, juicy inside

Next up was the loin katsu. Like the fillet, it was tender to chew, and you could really taste the crispy-outside, juicy-inside texture clearly.

I tried dipping it in wasabi, salt, and perilla oil, enjoying the tonkatsu flavor in several different ways.

What does mala yupodong taste like?

Next was the side dish, mala yupodong. It's a Chinese-style mixed noodle dish where udon noodles are topped with meat garnish and various vegetables, then finished with boiling oil poured over the top before mixing — the mala spice hits with a tingling numbness, and it also had a bit of a mazesoba feel to it.

There were plenty of peanuts mixed in too, adding a nice crunch, and it was rich and spicy enough that I kept reaching back for more. Eating it alongside the tonkatsu right as it started to feel a bit heavy, the spiciness cleaned up my palate, so switching back and forth between the two worked really well.

Wrap-up

I visited Kitsuki, a well-known tonkatsu spot on Bamridan-gil, and overall the meat was tender no matter which cut, and with the variety of side dishes to pair it with, even a single menu item could be enjoyed in several different ways.