Millak-dong tonkatsu with sauce on the side: Yangchonri Donkaseu

I was craving pork cutlet in Millak-dong, Uijeongbu, so I went to Yangchonri Donkaseu Millak Branch. This time I ordered cheese donkaseu and spicy donkaseu. I asked for the sauce on the side so I could dip instead of having it poured on top.

Personally, I like keeping the crispy breading intact rather than having the cutlet drowned in sauce from the start, so eating it this way was even better.

What really stuck with me was the sauce. Compared to a typical pork cutlet sauce, this one had a sweet fruity flavor that went really well with the cutlet.

How to find Yangchonri Donkaseu Millak Branch, and what the dining room is like

Yangchonri Donkaseu Millak Branch is on the 2nd floor of a building at 196 Omok-ro, Uijeongbu. To get in, just look for the escalator! We got a bit lost too, haha.

The store is clean and spacious~!

The main menu seems to be pork cutlet and grilled octopus rice bowl. Most people ordered set menus, but I stuck to just the pork cutlet since I'm dieting!

Nice touch — the broth and side dishes are self-serve.

Healthy, handmade cutlets.

First up in Millak-dong: the cheese pork cutlet

First up, cheese donkaseu. When you hear 'cheese pork cutlet,' you'd normally picture cheese stuffed inside the meat, but Yangchonri Donkaseu was a bit different — the cheese covers the top of the cutlet.

Eating the crispy fried cutlet with the cheese added a nice nuttiness, and dipping it lightly into the fruity sauce made the combination even better.

Asking for the sauce separately was a good call. At first I ate the cutlet crispy and plain, then adjusted how much sauce I dipped according to taste.

The spicy pork cutlet at Yangchonri Donkaseu, ordered alongside

Along with the cheese donkaseu, I also ordered the spicy donkaseu. One nutty cheese cutlet, one spicy cutlet — switching between the two was fun for comparing the two flavors.

If you're visiting with a group, instead of everyone ordering the same thing, it might be nice to order different cutlets like this and share.

Yangchonri Donkaseu's cutlet sauce: a fruity note worth dipping for

Personally, what I liked most that day was the sauce. It wasn't just sweet — as I ate, I could subtly taste the distinct fruit flavor. It had a refreshing, sweet character that cut through the greasiness of the fried cutlet.

Since the sauce itself was so good, I preferred dipping and controlling the amount rather than pouring it on generously. If you like the crispiness of pork cutlet breading like me, I'd recommend asking for the sauce separately and dipping it.

The surprise hit: cucumber peppers with ssamjang (soybean dipping paste)

Another thing that unexpectedly stuck with me at Yangchonri Donkaseu was the cucumber peppers and ssamjang (thick soybean-chili dipping sauce). Dipping a crunchy cucumber pepper into ssamjang halfway through the cutlet cleansed my palate and worked surprisingly well.

It reminded me of a pork cutlet place I liked in Nonhyeon — they pile up cucumber peppers there too, haha. It seems like such a small thing, but I kept reaching for it.

Next time in Millak-dong: the baby octopus rice bowl

Looking at the menu, what I want to try next time is the grilled octopus rice bowl. This time I came for pork cutlet and ordered cheese donkaseu and spicy donkaseu, but next time I'd like to try that dish too.

It's a bit unique for a pork cutlet place to have a grilled octopus rice bowl on the menu, and it's nice that there's an option for people who aren't in the mood for pork cutlet.

Why Yangchonri Donkaseu works for a pork cutlet lunch in Uijeongbu

I enjoyed both the cheese donkaseu and spicy donkaseu at Yangchonri Donkaseu Millak Branch. The cheese donkaseu, topped with cheese, was nutty, and switching between it and the spicy donkaseu made for a great combination.

What stood out most was the fruity pork cutlet sauce — it paired really well with the cutlet. And dipping cucumber peppers in ssamjang between bites was a surprisingly nice treat too.

If you're looking for an easy pork cutlet lunch in Millak-dong, Uijeongbu, this place is worth a visit. Next time I go back, I want to have the pork cutlet again and also try the grilled octopus rice bowl I was curious about this time.

The verdict in one line

• Cheese donkaseu: pork cutlet generously topped with cheese
• Spicy donkaseu: great to order alongside cheese donkaseu for switching between bites
• Pork cutlet sauce: subtle fruity flavor that's a perfect match for the cutlet
• Sauce tip: ask for it on the side if you want to keep the breading crispy, and dip
• Unexpected hit: cucumber peppers + ssamjang! Delicious to eat one between bites of cutlet
• Next menu: trying the grilled octopus rice bowl