Cheese katsu and yam cream katsu near Wonkwang University, Iksan

Wonkwang Katsu at the Wonkwang University branch — my donkatsu (pork cutlet) recommendation for a trip to Iksan.

Don't you sometimes just suddenly crave donkatsu out of nowhere? Honestly I used to think donkatsu was pretty much the same everywhere.

But I heard there was a donkatsu place with a twist on the university road by Wonkwang University in Iksan, so I went and checked it out!! It's called Wonkwang Katsu.

True to its claim of "the miracle of 360 hours of fresh yam aging," they have a signature menu you can only get at Wonkwang Katsu. I ate as much as I expected, super satisfied, so let me share the review right away!

Location and parking for Wonkwang Katsu Iksan Wonkwang University branch

Wonkwang Katsu sits right on the university road by Wonkwang University, so it's easy to get to. It's near the main street of the university road, not hard to find at all, and thanks to its red-roofed exterior it really stands out even while just walking by.

Since it's tucked in an alley, a lot of people probably worry about parking. If you're driving, you can park in the alley or use the nearby Wonkwang University street public parking lot.

The interior and the self-serve bar

Walking inside, the place was overall clean, with plenty of tables and comfortable seating.

It felt totally fine for eating alone, and just as good for a cozy meal with friends or a partner!! haha

You can also get unlimited refills of banchan (side dishes) and soup from the self-serve bar, so make sure to use it! I only noticed the self-serve bar on my way out,,ㅠㅠ

Cheese katsu & yam cream gyeongyang katsu review

Ordering was easy, done through the tablet on the table. I ordered the popular cheese katsu, the signature yam cream gyeongyang katsu, and udon on the side. Prices were reasonable too, in the ₩12,000–13,000 range.

Cheese katsu — loaded with cheese, plus salt on the side

The cheese katsu couldn't possibly be bad just from the look of it. There was genuinely SO much cheese packed inside the fried cutlet, it was so good ㅜㅜ

Can you see how much cheese is packed in there?? The meat itself was super tender too, and with a little wasabi on top it was clean and not greasy at all.

And usually cheese katsu doesn't come with salt, but here they gave us salt too. Dipping it lightly in salt doubles the savory flavor, so definitely try it that way!

Yam cream gyeongyang katsu — sauce made with grated seodong yam

And the dish I was most looking forward to — the yam cream gyeongyang katsu! Looking at the menu, it said the cream sauce was made with grated seodong yam, and I was genuinely curious what that would taste like.

Honestly I've always thought yam itself tastes a bit bitter, so I wondered if it would even go with donkatsu. But the moment I took my first bite, I immediately thought it was delicious!

Usually with gyeongyang-style donkatsu, the sauce gets you sick of it pretty quickly, right? But this one is subtly savory and addictive in the best way, so it just keeps going in. This is a combination you'd never find anywhere else, so if you come to Wonkwang Katsu, you really have to try this dish!

Side udon, ₩4,500

Definitely order the side udon too — it's a perfect match with donkatsu! It cuts right through the richness of the donkatsu in between bites haha. It's ₩4,500, comes with plenty of fried tofu, and my mom and I both agreed we were so glad we ordered udon on the side!

Wrapping up

These aren't your ordinary donkatsu dishes — they're special menu items you can only find at Wonkwang Katsu, and I left full and satisfied.

If you're visiting Iksan and want to try something unique and distinctive, give Wonkwang Katsu a visit :)