Euljiro-ipgu tonkatsu restaurant: 11am open run, Hunta Euljiro

Picking where to eat lunch in Euljiro seems like it should be easy, but it's oddly hard. There are just so many offices around that by noon, any halfway decent restaurant fills up with workers in an instant.

A proper katsu — crispy outside, moist and tender inside — with the fun of alternating between fillet and loin, plus scallion kimchi that made the whole combo click. A genuine Euljiro lunch find.

Getting a table at Hunta Euljiro with an 11am open run

Hunta Euljiro is a tonkatsu restaurant on the 1st floor of Fastfive on Namdaemun-ro 9-gil near Euljiro-ipgu Station, and it opens at 11am on weekdays. So this time I made a point of doing the full 11am opening rush, haha.

This is Hunta, the tonkatsu specialist in Euljiro! I was eating comfortably at first, but as it got close to noon, customers started streaming in one after another until the place was nearly full. Eating a little early really is a skill in Euljiro, haha.

• 📍 24 Namdaemun-ro 9-gil, Fastfive 1F Unit 106, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏰ Weekdays 11:00–20:30 / break time 15:00–17:00 / closed every Sunday
• 🚗 Paid parking available in the building

Is Hunta Euljiro comfortable for office lunches and solo diners?

The Hunta Euljiro space is clean and calm, mostly black and wood tones. There are regular tables, but also seats set up for solo diners, so it never felt like an awkward place to eat alone.

It was also convenient that every table has a tablet, so you can look at the menu and order right from your seat.

Hunta Euljiro menu and prices

• Mixed Katsu Set 19.0
• Premium Loin Katsu Set 17.0
• Loin & Fillet Katsu Set 17.0
• Neck Loin Tare Katsudon 23.0
• Loin Tare Katsudon 16.0
• Hunta Kimchi Jjigae Set (loin) 15.0

There was a wider range than I expected — loin, fillet, cheese katsu, katsudon, even a lunchtime kimchi jjigae set. After some deliberation I went with the Loin & Fillet Katsu Set so I could have both.

Fillet is tender, loin has the chew

The Loin & Fillet Katsu Set is fried fresh to order, so it took a little while to come out. But once the plate arrived, I understood why it was worth the wait.

The cross-section of the fillet grabbed my attention first, haha. Inside the thick piece of meat, that moist pink color was still intact, and one bite in, it really was tender.

Each piece was also large, so instead of nibbling small bites like usual katsu, you get to open wide and really bite in. The breading outside was thin and crisp while the meat inside stayed moist — a nice contrast.

The loin had a bit more chew than the fillet, which made it feel more filling. The bit of fat still attached added some nice richness too.

Pepper, shichimi and scallion kimchi: switching up every bite

At Hunta Euljiro, there's no need to just dip your katsu in sauce and leave it at that.

I heard pepper goes well with the loin, so I tried sprinkling some on, and the fat's richness paired quite nicely with the pepper's aroma. A little shichimi on top and the same katsu felt completely different again.

What I personally loved was the house scallion kimchi! Slightly spicy with that distinct scallion aroma, it cuts through the richness every time. Like in the photo, put a piece of katsu on the rice and top it with the scallion kimchi — it's basically a bowl-clearing combo, haha.

There's also cubed radish kimchi on the side, and the refreshing cabbage salad is refillable, so I never got tired of it, right to the last bite.

I could totally see why the place fills up around noon on weekdays. If you're looking for restaurants near Euljiro-ipgu Station, a proper tonkatsu restaurant in Euljiro, or a filling Euljiro lunch spot, this one's worth a visit.

Is Hunta Euljiro worth the 11am visit?

• 🍖 The fillet was thick yet remarkably tender and moist.
• 🥩 The loin had a different appeal — a good amount of fat and satisfying chew.
• 🌶️ Pepper, shichimi and the house scallion kimchi gave enough variety that it never got boring.
• 🍚 Rice, soup and cabbage all came together for a filling lunch.
• 👤 With solo seats and an 11am opening, it suits office lunches or an early solo meal.