Busan katsu restaurant for tender filet and rich loin: Katsu Kitchen

I had plans to meet a friend in Jeonpo this time. While looking for a good place to eat, I found a restaurant with more than 9,000 reviews, so I had to go see just how good it was.

It was Katsu Kitchen Premium Jeonpo Main Branch!! Once I tried it myself, I could see why people look it up as a great restaurant in Jeonpo, Busan.

I loved the crisp coating, moist meat, and neatly composed set—it felt like I had enjoyed proper Japanese-style katsu. My friend and I ordered filet katsu and special loin katsu, then split both plates in half. Their textures and flavors were so distinctly different that I really recommend trying both!!

How close is it to Jeonpo Station, and what are the hours?

Katsu Kitchen Premium Jeonpo Main Branch is about a two-minute walk from Jeonpo Station exit 4 or 6, so it is quite close to the station.

It is tucked away in a Jeonpo side street, though, so first-time visitors could easily walk right past it. I found it while checking Naver Map too. If you are not confident with directions, I recommend turning on a map app before you go.

• Address: 27 Dongseong-ro 25beon-gil, Busanjin-gu, Busan (부산 부산진구 동성로25번길 27)
• Hours: 11:30–21:00
• Last order: 20:30
• About 2 minutes on foot from Jeonpo Station exits 4 or 6

Hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., with last orders at 8:30 p.m.

The interior is set up with counter seating, so I recommend going in a group of two to four! If there are more of you, there might not be seats where you can all sit together.

Filet and special loin katsu instead of pomodoro katsu

When I visited, they said their signature pomodoro katsu was not available to order...

So after looking over the menu and thinking it over, we ordered filet katsu and special loin katsu, one each. After tasting them, I was so glad we had ordered two different kinds.

Katsu Kitchen ages carefully selected meat in-house and uses its own special breadcrumbs and clean oil, which may be why everything tasted so clean!

Each dish came with about six pieces, which made it perfect for splitting three pieces each with my friend. If you want to try two kinds of pork cutlet around Seomyeon, I recommend ordering and sharing them this way.

What was the difference between filet and special loin katsu?

Filet katsu

I took a bite of the filet katsu as soon as it arrived, and I was honestly surprised by how tender it was... haha. With that first bite, I thought, “Was there really a pork-cutlet place this tender in Jeonpo?”

Filet can be lean but sometimes feel dry, yet Katsu Kitchen’s filet pork cutlet was moist inside, with a lovely soft grain.

Special loin katsu

Special loin katsu uses a part of the loin with especially good fat and flavor. It is a limited cut that yields only a small amount from each pig, so its nutty richness came through more strongly than in regular loin pork cutlet.

The special loin katsu stood out for its nutty richness and deep flavor from the fat, while the filet was much leaner and centered on a tender texture. If you are sensitive to rich, fatty flavors, filet may suit you better; if you love deeply flavored pork cutlet around Seomyeon, I recommend the special loin katsu.

A satisfying set with sauces, salad, and soup

The pork cutlet itself was great, but the accompanying items were quite substantial too.

Dipped in the pork-cutlet sauce, it had that familiar yet full-bodied flavor.

When I lightly dipped it in salt and added wasabi, the meat’s own flavor came through more clearly. I started with the salt-and-wasabi combination, then switched to pork-cutlet sauce halfway through; even with the same katsu, the flavor changed depending on how I ate it, so I never got tired of it.

The salad came with yuzu and black sesame sauces. Both were nice, but I especially liked the black sesame one. Its nutty flavor went wonderfully with bites of crisp pork cutlet.

The jangguk (clear savory soup) served alongside was warm and full of umami, and it felt like it brought balance to the whole set. With rice, soup, salad, and various sauces all presented so neatly, it felt like a properly prepared Japanese-style meal.

An honest final thought, finished with ice cream

After the meal, vanilla ice cream came out for dessert. It neatly cleared away the lingering richness after the pork cutlet, which made for a lovely finish. From the main katsu to the salad, soup, sauces, and final ice cream, it almost felt like I had eaten a small course meal.

I think it is a great fit for a date in Jeonpo or when you want proper pork cutlet around Seomyeon with a friend. It was a Busan and Seomyeon favorite where I would like to try the signature dish next time.