Jeonpo Japanese restaurant with tender tonkatsu: Katsu Gimseondo

At Katsu Gimseondo (카츠김선도) in Jeonpo, I ate the half-and-half tonkatsu set and katsu sando. I especially liked the tenderloin’s juicy texture, while the loin had a good balance of lean meat and fat. The combination of thick katsu sando with mulberry jam also stayed in my memory.

Where in Jeonpo is it, and are there seats for solo diners?

Katsu Gimseondo is on the first floor of a newly built building near Jeonpo Fire Station. It is also close to Jeonpo Cafe Street, so it was a convenient place to stop for a meal after coming out to this area.

The interior was neat, and I felt it would suit a date or a meal with friends. I also thought it would be fine to visit with my parents.

There were two-person and four-person tables, as well as bar seats that worked well for eating alone.

What is on the menu, and what did I order alone?

The five main options were loin, tenderloin, half-and-half, the Gimseondo set, and the gabri-loin set. The sides included katsu sando, curry, and fried shrimp.

I like both loin and tenderloin, so I added katsu sando to the half-and-half set. It seemed like a little much for one person, but I had read that the katsu sando was good, so I ordered it intending to pack it if I had leftovers.

The back of the menu explained the meaning of the name Katsu Gimseondo. As I read the story, I felt the name reflected the intention to make well-balanced tonkatsu.

How were the tenderloin and loin in the half-and-half set different?

The half-and-half tonkatsu I received consisted of four pieces of tenderloin and five pieces of loin.

The restaurant explained that the meat was aged for 200 hours. The tenderloin had pinkish, juicy meat and a soft texture. Because the breading was thin, I could appreciate the tenderloin’s texture, and of the two cuts, it suited my taste especially well.

The loin appeared to have a good balance of fat and lean meat. The restaurant said it was made juicy and tender through ice-temperature aging and brine aging.

I usually like adding wasabi, so I tried placing a little on top of the loin.

The loin was soft rather than dry. Thanks to the thin, crisp breading, it tasted clean and not greasy to me through the end of the meal.

Did the katsu sando pair well with mulberry jam?

The katsu sando came in four pieces with mulberry jam. The katsu inside was much thicker and larger than the loin in the half-and-half set, giving it a different appeal from the set.

I first tasted a little of the mulberry jam, which was served as a special sauce. It was gently sweet and reminded me of blueberry jam, though it was not exactly the same. It tasted like something I would also enjoy with toast.

Following the staff member’s recommendation, I put the mulberry jam on the katsu sando. The added sweetness gave it a dessert-like feel and also reminded me of a sandwich I had eaten while traveling in Japan.

I also dipped it in the tonkatsu sauce. The sauce was smooth and savory, and it paired well with the katsu sando.

Was it too much to eat both dishes alone, and did I pack the leftovers?

Since I do not usually eat large portions, the half-and-half set and katsu sando together were too much for me. I had some katsu sando, tenderloin, and loin left, so I asked to pack them, and the staff neatly prepared everything without hesitation.

The balance of juicy meat and thin, crisp breading made me want to visit again. It was a lot for me, but I was satisfied that I got to try the katsu sando with mulberry jam too.