Seocho Japanese restaurant: 3-fry katsudon and cold soba, Baek Sojeong

On a day when I was craving cold buckwheat noodles and tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), I headed to Baek Sojeong Nambu Bus Terminal, near Nambu Bus Terminal Station.

It's a Japanese restaurant franchise with more than 190 branches nationwide, so I went in with confidence and tried the Special Katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl) and the cold soba and tonkatsu set.

As expected from a proven restaurant, I really enjoyed my meal. In this post I'll share my visit to Baek Sojeong Nambu Bus Terminal.

Baek Sojeong Nambu Bus Terminal: location and hours

The restaurant is at 39 Hyoryeong-ro 55-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, Unit 3, 316 m from Exit 6 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station. It is open daily 11:00–21:00, with a break time of 15:00–17:00 every day, last order at 20:00, and no days off.

It's a 4–5 minute walk from Exit 6 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station on Line 3, so it was easy to reach by public transport.

It fills up fast at peak lunch time, so if you want a relaxed meal, I recommend arriving right after 11:00 or after 17:00 when the break time ends.

Atmosphere, seating and how to order

The inside is spacious and pleasant. You order on a tablet at the table, and there are solo seats, tables for 2 and 4, and even baby chairs.

It isn't over-decorated; it has the casual, tidy feel of a Japanese specialty restaurant, which made it comfortable to eat in. With solo seats, 2- and 4-person tables and baby chairs, it works whether you come alone or with a child.

You order on the tablet at your table, so there's no need to call a staff member: you pick your menu and pay in one go. There's also a card on the table explaining how to enjoy each dish, so first-timers don't have to wonder how to eat. Food came out in about 10 minutes, which is perfect for a lunch break.

Special Katsudon: a full tray of three fried items

Baek Sojeong's Special Katsudon is a rice bowl piled with three fried items: tonkatsu, shrimp tempura and karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken). It comes with a mini soba-udon soup, onsen tamago (hot spring egg), salad and condensed-milk cheese rice cake, all on one tray.

The look of it is overwhelming the moment the tray arrives. The word "Special" in the name really fits.

First move the fried items to one side of the plate, pop the onsen tamago, and mix it into the rice with the house-made sauce. Baek Sojeong's rice bowl sauce tasted a little sweeter and deeper in flavor than ordinary tonkatsu sauce.

Maybe because it was freshly fried, the tempura stayed crispy even on top of the rice, and it wasn't greasy, so I could finish it without feeling weighed down. I liked tasting all three fried items at once, and with the mini udon the portion was quite generous. I was completely full afterward.

It's especially good for anyone who wants to enjoy several kinds of fried food in one bowl.

Cold soba and tonkatsu set for a hot day

The cold soba and tonkatsu set at Baek Sojeong Nambu Bus Terminal pairs soba that's chilled as if with a thin layer of ice with a thick tonkatsu cutlet served alongside. The soba is topped with plenty of fried tofu pouches (yubu) and fresh vegetables.

If you're craving cold buckwheat noodles in hot weather, this set is perfect. The fried tofu isn't something you usually see with cold noodles, but it goes surprisingly well. The broth is clean and refreshing, easy to slurp down, and the crunchy vegetables made it fun to chew.

The tonkatsu beside it was thick, yet crisp outside and moist inside, with no dryness at all. Eating cold soba and then taking a bite of warm, crunchy tonkatsu gave a pleasant contrast of temperature and texture.

Alternating a bite of soba with a piece of tonkatsu, I was full in no time; the portion is generous. I'd recommend this set to anyone who wants cold noodles and hearty fried food together.

Verdict: an easy Nambu Bus Terminal Japanese meal, solo or with family

With the Special Katsudon, I was especially impressed by the generous lineup of three fried items and the distinctive flavor of the house-made sauce. The cold soba and tonkatsu set suited the hot weather well, with the cool soba and crunchy tonkatsu making a nice temperature contrast.

The tonkatsu was excellent in thickness and juiciness, with nothing to complain about. I also liked that the solo seats and baby chairs make it easy to visit alone or with family.

It's a place I'd return to when I want a filling, neat Japanese meal near Nambu Bus Terminal, and I'm happy to recommend it for office lunches, solo meals or a casual family outing.