Udon and pasta pork cutlet sets in Dongtan Mokdong: Insaeng Donkatsu

What is Insaeng Donkatsu Dongtan Mokdong Branch like?

Insaeng Donkatsu Dongtan Mokdong Branch (인생돈가스 동탄목동점) is a newly opened pork cutlet (donkatsu) restaurant in a shopping building near our home in Dongtan Mokdong. The exterior is unusual and it always has customers, so I'd been curious for ages. One weekend we slept in and didn't feel like cooking, so we said, "Oh, shall we try that new place?" And that's how we met our life cutlet!

• Address: 487-9 Mokdong, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi
• Hours: daily 10:50–21:00
• Break time: 15:30–17:00 / last order 15:00 and 20:30

What are the exterior and parking like?

The restaurant is styled like an old train station and sits in the Lotteria building, so it's easy to find. It's the quirkiest, cutest-looking spot in the area and catches your eye. Haha! The parking lot in the building is spacious and they give you plenty of parking time, so it's good for a stroll over or for coming by car!

Inside: atmosphere and seating

As you can see above, the inside is very clean and roomy. The seats are well spaced, and there are even train-style hand straps, which is fun to look at. The weather was gorgeous the day we went, and with green trees visible through the big windows, it honestly felt like going on a trip!!

Is there a wait at weekend lunch?

Insaeng Donkatsu filled up fast at weekend lunch. Did I see that wrong...??? We arrived a little before lunchtime and were eating at our leisure when the door kept opening, and suddenly every seat was taken! This is a neighborhood favorite that packs out on weekend lunchtimes, with people of all ages enjoying their meals!

How to order, and what we ate

Every table has a kiosk, so ordering and paying are easy. The discounted set changes every day of the week, so you won't get bored even if you come daily, and even without a discount the prices are a steal!

• Udon cutlet set ₩12,900
• Pasta cutlet set ₩16,900
• Cola (complimentary)
• Ebi fry (fried shrimp, complimentary)
• Total ₩29,800

Oh, another curious thing: there were no spoon and chopstick sets on the tables, so I asked, and they're sanitized at the self-serve bar and you just take your own! It actually feels cleaner and more hygienic, so I like it even more!!!!!!! :-)

What comes in the udon cutlet set (₩12,900)?

The udon cutlet set is ₩12,900, with a half portion of cutlet and fish cake udon as the main. My husband ordered this udon + cutlet set, and I thought the cutlet was the main and the udon the side, but the udon is totally the main! Turns out with these sets the cutlet comes as a half and the other dish is the main. Even better! The udon is piled with bonito flakes (katsuobushi), so the sweet, savory smell is amazing.

Maybe because it's fish cake udon, it's loaded with so much fish cake it feels like fish cake soup. My husband said while eating, "Did I order fish cake soup??" Hahaha! It was piping hot and sweet, and he enjoyed it so much!

Is the pasta cutlet set (₩16,900) enough food?

The pasta cutlet set is ₩16,900, with tomato pasta as the main, and the portion was generous, about 1.5 servings for the two of us. This is what I ordered. I'd been craving tomato pasta for a while, and it was right there on the menu, so I ordered it immediately. Here too the pasta is the main, so honestly, even better!!!!

The tangy, sweet pasta sauce was really plentiful, so I never felt short on sauce and enjoyed it so much. As I ate, I realized the portion was huge..!?! About 1.5 servings for us, I think!

How are the half cutlet and the cutlet sauce?

Each set comes with a half cutlet, so we could eat plenty to our own taste. However, the cutlet sauce isn't the usual kind you taste; it has a heavier, richer base, so personally it wasn't for me! I'd like it a bit lighter.

Would we go back to Insaeng Donkatsu Dongtan Mokdong Branch?

We had a lovely meal under a clear sky, looking at fresh green trees, for the first time in a while. Friendly staff, great-value prices and huge portions were all satisfying, so I recommend it as a place we'd happily revisit!