Mapo pork cutlet restaurant for solo diners: Katsu Monster

Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch, Unit 101, 1F, 42-6 Donggyo-ro 38-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea Fri–Tue 10:30–23:00 / Wed–Thu 10:30–21:00 No parking available

Katsu Monster, found for a solo meal in Yeonnam-dong

I visited Katsu Monster Yeonnam Branch for a solo meal in Yeonnam-dong for the first time in ages. I was looking for a great pork cutlet spot with a crisp coating and tender meat—crisp outside, juicy inside—and Katsu Monster popped up in Yeonnam-dong! Well then, of course I had to try it, right? If you come to a dead end while walking, look down to the right. You’ve found Katsu Monster Yeonnam Branch, a great pork cutlet spot in Yeonnam-dong 🎶

The menu board at the entrance has photos, so international visitors can choose easily too. Ever since I found Katsu Monster, I had decided on the Triple Katsu, but I still looked over the other pork cutlet photos.

Inside, from solo-dining seats to high chairs

Here’s the compact interior of Katsu Monster in Yeonnam-dong. There aren’t a lot of tables, but Katsu Monster Yeonnam has a good mix of two-person tables, four-person tables, and even a row of solo-dining seats.

I love places with solo-dining seats. A row of seats where you can eat without feeling self-conscious— There are hangers for your outerwear and high chairs as well. Around the tables, you’ll find wasabi, salt, salad dressing, pork cutlet sauce, and more. If it had been hot, I think I would have wanted cold buckwheat noodles, but it was cool and breezy on the day I visited, so I didn’t try them. I also debated the kimchi katsu nabe (pork cutlet hot pot) for a long time, then gave it up because it seemed like it would be too much food.

Tablet ordering and the pork cutlet menu

You order on the tablet at your seat. Along with the menu, the tablet has a QR code for how to enjoy the food and the Wi-Fi details, so keep that in mind.

• Loin Katsu ₩14,000
• Tenderloin Katsu ₩16,000
• Premium Loin Katsu (pork neck) ₩16,000
• Cheese Katsu ₩17,000
• Assorted Katsu (loin + tenderloin) ₩18,000
• Mixed Katsu A (loin + cheese) ₩19,000
• Mixed Katsu B (tenderloin + cheese) ₩19,000
• Triple Katsu (loin + tenderloin + cheese) ₩21,000

There are one-person and two-person sets as well, so check the menu.

• Chicken curry udon ₩12,000
• Kimchi katsu nabe ₩16,000
• Cold buckwheat noodles ₩10,000
• Katsuobushi udon ₩10,000
• Small curry ₩4,000

Before the food arrives, I get the salt, wasabi, and pork cutlet sauce ready.

Before the food arrived, I scanned the QR code on the tablet, and Katsu Monster showed me how to enjoy its pork cutlets. I tried it exactly that way too.

Triple Katsu with loin, tenderloin, and cheese

My Yeonnam-dong pork cutlets from Katsu Monster arrived soon after I ordered—Triple Katsu ₩21,000, small curry ₩4,000, and Zero Coke ₩3,000. My solo-dining seat was completely filled with my meal.

The cheese katsu, loin katsu, and tenderloin katsu all looked delicious—none of them lagged behind. Just looking at them, you could see what crisp outside and juicy inside is all about.

Pile on plenty of wasabi

One bite dipped in salt, one bite topped with wasabi—I liked it better with wasabi, so I piled it on generously. It took away any richness from the cutlet, and the sharp flavor went so well with the crispy, juicy pork.

Cheese katsu with cheese stretching looong—the nutty cheese and crispy fried cutlet? No need to say more; of course it was delicious. I saved it for later, and the cheese firmed up a little. But somehow, that was delicious too 👍🏻

Pairing it with small curry and napa cabbage doenjang soup

I also ordered the small curry. I usually love curry, so the moment I saw it, I thought, I have to get this! It comes with a full bowl of rice too. I sprinkled on lots of shichimi pepper for a little more heat. Dipping the cutlet right into it made every trace of richness disappear—it was a flavor I kept thinking about.

The small curry was delicious mixed into the rice too. The napa cabbage doenjang soup (soybean paste soup) that came with it was also great for soothing the richness. It was a little disappointing that the rice hardened later, but I keep thinking about Katsu Monster’s crisp-outside, juicy-inside pork cutlets. Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch is a great choice for solo dining in Yeonnam-dong—you can taste all three kinds of pork cutlet, while the wasabi, small curry, and napa cabbage doenjang soup help balance the richness and make Katsu Monster even better. If you’re planning a Yeonnam-dong date, a solo meal, or a visit with kids, give Katsu Monster Yeonnam Main Branch a try ✨