Tonkatsu and king bibimbap in Maewol-dong, Gwangju: Jinsimwang

Tonkatsu — a dish that actually passes as a gestational diabetes-friendly meal! I brought you a Maewol-dong tonkatsu spot haha. It somehow turned into my cheat day meal too ㅠㅠ let's get into it~

Where is Jinsimwang Donkatsu Seogwangju Branch, and where do you park?

Jinsimwang Donkatsu Seogwangju Branch is at 1 Seogwangju-ro, 1st floor, units 101-102, Seo-gu, Gwangju. Hours are 11:00–20:40, with a break time from 15:00–16:30, and there's a parking lot behind the store.

There's a big agricultural and marine products center in Maewol-dong, and I was trying to figure out what to eat for lunch before heading over — tonkatsu, the option least likely to spike my blood sugar! So I came to 'Jinsimwang Donkatsu,' the tonkatsu spot in Maewol-dong.

There's a parking lot behind the store, so it's convenient. Next to the Daiso is an exit, so turn right along the store to find the entrance. Parking is free for 1 hour, which can feel a bit tight.

Inside Jinsimwang Donkatsu: solo seats and kids' chairs

The interior of Jinsimwang Donkatsu Seogwangju Branch is spacious and large. It could easily accommodate a group. There are also solo seats for eating alone.

There are kids' chairs too, so you can dine comfortably even with a baby. The facilities are well set up.

Menu ⬇️

There's a huge variety of tonkatsu. There are noodle dishes that pair well with tonkatsu, and for rice dishes there's curry and bibimbap.

You order and pay right at the table. Following the restaurant's name, we ordered the Jinsim King Tonkatsu and Jinsim King Bibimbap.

What's on the self bar: soup, broth, side dishes and lettuce

The self bar at Jinsimwang has soup, broth, and side dishes. That's something you'd hate to miss at a tonkatsu place. There's also a self-serve packing station, so if you have leftover tonkatsu, you can pack it up to take home.

There was lettuce, so I wrapped the tonkatsu in it and it was so good. As someone managing gestational diabetes, vegetables like this are very welcome.

You can't skip the soup and broth when eating tonkatsu, right? The soup wasn't too thin and had a good flavor. The broth wasn't salty either and went well with rice.

There's a notice posted on the table. Take only what you'll eat, and pack leftovers yourself~ It also says the reddish tint in the tonkatsu is because it's fresh, unfrozen Korean pork loin — so please don't misunderstand❗️❗️

How does the Jinsim King Tonkatsu taste?

True to its name, the Jinsim King Tonkatsu is king-sized. It comes with the tonkatsu, cabbage salad, cucumber peppers, and rice, and the bibimbap sauce is served separately.

The tonkatsu sauce is apparently homemade.

The tonkatsu is really crispy. The meat inside is thin but tender. As you can see, it has a slight reddish tint. It gave off that classic old-school tonkatsu feel.

The parts with sauce were delicious, but even the plain parts were savory, probably because the coating was so crispy. It was good even without adding extra sauce! The homemade sauce also felt different from store-bought — not too sweet or heavy, with a clean flavor.

Just look at the color of that lettuce. So fresh haha. Wrapping the tonkatsu in it kept it from feeling greasy, and I just kept eating.

Does the Jinsim King Bibimbap go well with tonkatsu?

The toppings on the Jinsim King Bibimbap were genuinely generous, so eating it felt like eating a salad poke bowl. I almost ordered noodles instead but went with rice, and it had plenty of minced meat too, giving it a good texture to chew on.

Add the sauce to your taste. The sauce wasn't harsh either. I thought tonkatsu paired best with noodles, but it turns out bibimbap goes great with tonkatsu too. Maybe it's because the bibimbap has so many vegetables that it felt refreshing alongside it.

The portion was truly king-sized, so I had some tonkatsu left over. I grabbed a box from the self-serve packing station and packed it up. If you have leftovers, pack them up like I did.

Final verdict on Jinsimwang Donkatsu in Maewol-dong

• Taste — The crispiness of the tonkatsu really held up, and the meat was tender. The bibimbap toppings were generous and fresh.
• Service — You can eat freely from the self bar, and the staff were friendly.
• Value — Generous portions for a reasonable price.

That's my review of 'Jinsimwang Donkatsu,' the tonkatsu spot in Maewol-dong. If you want a simple but filling meal, come get some tonkatsu~