Ilwon-dong tonkatsu restaurant near Samsung Seoul Hospital: Sioldon

I was looking for a good restaurant nearby after finishing up some errands and found Sioldon Ilwon Branch! I remembered seeing it on social media before, so I went and tried it out — this is my review after eating the kimchi cheese nabe, tomato curry udon, and both cheese and tenderloin tonkatsu. Even though it was a bit of a distance from Daecheong Station, the conclusion is: totally satisfying. This is a tonkatsu spot worth knowing near Samsung Seoul Hospital and in Ilwon-dong.

What kind of place is Sioldon Ilwon Branch? 72-hour cross-aged tonkatsu

Sioldon Ilwon Branch is a tonkatsu place in Ilwon-dong that cross-ages Korean tenderloin and loin for a whopping 72 hours to draw out deeper flavor. Maybe because of the carefully aged Korean pork, the tonkatsu's flavor and tender texture really stood out :) Even the exterior, done up in clean wood-and-white tones, caught my eye as I walked by!

Stepping inside, the interior was just as cozy, decorated with a warm wood feel that I loved. The overall vibe was clean yet relaxed — perfect for solo dining, and also great for a casual meal.

Sioldon Ilwon Branch menu and the best order combination

There was a wide range of dishes centered on tonkatsu. Here's a quick rundown of the main menu items :)

Cheese nabe, plus we added tenderloin katsu, cheese katsu, and a mini tomato curry udon.

Check the 'how to enjoy Sioldon' guide taped to the table, and don't forget to leave a Naver receipt review for a free drink.

Kimchi cheese nabe: how much cheese you actually get

The kimchi cheese nabe at Sioldon Ilwon Branch has so much cheese I wondered if the owner secretly runs a cheese factory — total heaven for cheese lovers. The spicy, tangy kimchi-jjigae-style broth was loaded with rich, stretchy cheese, and it was completely my taste.

I ate it alongside the cheese katsu and tenderloin katsu I'd ordered as sides, and whenever the katsu started to feel a bit rich, a bite of the spicy kimchi cheese nabe cut right through it! Alternating bites of katsu and nabe made for a really great combo haha.

I dipped the rice that comes with the meal into the kimchi cheese nabe broth and ate it with the cheese, and honestly... it was so good it nearly brought tears to my eyes. This ranks among the best kimchi nabes I've ever had.

Cheese katsu: thin, crisp coating with soft melted cheese

The moment I bit into Sioldon Ilwon Branch's cheese katsu, the crispy batter, juicy meat, and cheese all filled my mouth at once! The batter wasn't thick — thin and crispy — and the cheese was so soft it chewed through easily without much effort. That crispy-outside, moist-inside combo was spot on haha.

I'd also recommend pairing it with wasabi and whole grain mustard. The wasabi's sharp kick cleaned up the palate, so I kept eating without ever feeling greasy. Lastly, I tried mixing a bit of mustard into the tonkatsu sauce and dipping — the sweet-salty sauce with a hint of mustard's tang was perfect with rice.

Tenderloin katsu: rosy cross-section and juicy pork

Can you see the cross-section of the tenderloin katsu? 👀 The rosy, moist meat glistening with juices already earned a passing grade just from looks! Pressing it gently with my chopsticks, I could clearly see the juices seep out haha. It looked so tender and moist at a glance that I couldn't wait to dig in.

Pairing it with the cabbage salad topped with nutty black sesame dressing and a warm broth made for a pretty satisfying combo. Trying it in different ways, I ended up cleanly finishing every last piece haha.

Mini tomato curry udon: the right size to share with katsu

The mini tomato curry udon was really great to eat alongside the tonkatsu! The broth, blending tomato's fresh tang with curry's deep richness, went really well with the crispy katsu haha. Because it's mini-sized, ordering it alongside the katsu as a side didn't feel like too much at all!

The thick, hearty tomato curry udon has quite a generous amount of ground meat mixed into the sauce. Thanks to that, every bite of the udon felt like eating a meaty curry!

Verdict: is Sioldon Ilwon Branch worth it, and what to order

Seriously, every single dish was delicious without a weak point, and finishing with a Coke made for a perfect meal! It had been a while since I'd had truly great tonkatsu, and Sioldon in Ilwon-dong left me very satisfied! Maybe because the tonkatsu is made from Korean tenderloin and loin cross-aged for 72 hours, from the first bite I could clearly feel the meat's own moistness and tenderness — crispy outside, moist and tender inside, with savory juices bursting more with every chew. The tenderloin in particular was almost unbelievably soft, and I think anyone who loves tonkatsu would be satisfied!

Rather than ordering just one dish, I'd recommend getting the tonkatsu together with a side like the nabe so you can alternate between them. If you're visiting with a friend, ordering a variety of dishes to share would also be a great idea 👍🏻 The place is clean and the atmosphere is easy for solo dining too, so it seems like a solid option for anyone looking for a hearty solo meal near Samsung Seoul Hospital.

If you're craving a proper tonkatsu meal near Samsung Seoul Hospital, I highly recommend Sioldon! Between the crispy batter, juicy meat, various sauce combos, and side dishes, I left feeling full in both stomach and heart 💛 If you love tonkatsu or kimchi nabe, you should definitely go try it!