I’ve had a lot of donkkaseu (breaded pork cutlet) during my time in Korea, especially since it’s so accessible a la Korean fried chicken. However, despite eating the dish at least once a week, I still don’t have a regular donkkaseu place to go to when I get a craving. That is, until now.

Hansung Donkkasue, a 30-year-old restaurant near Sinsa Station and not too far from the trendy neighborhood called Garusogil, is an amazing place for all things donkkaseu. They’ve got the regular pork version 돈까스 (10,000 won) and a tenderloin version 히레까스 (12,000 won), plus chicken, fish, and, my personal favorite: hanwoo beef 비후까스 (16,000 won). I tried out the regular pork and hanwoo beef versions.

These pictures don’t do the dish justice, but underneath the croquette-like breading is the fattest, juiciest, and most succulent pieces of pork (and beef) that I’ve had in a long time. A lot of places will pound their meat flat to increase size and mask the texture with overly breaded cutlets, but these cutlets are on a different level. The quality of the meat was evident, and after keenly observing how they deep-fry their cutlets via the
open kitchen,” I learned they double-dip the cutlets in egg wash and breadcrumbs, which is pure genius if you ask me. Another plus is the sauce, or sauces, to be exact. Here, the donkkaseu sauce is your standard variety–largely sweet and tangy–but the dab of gyeoja (spicy mustard) gives it a refreshing kick that goes well with the cutlets. Overall, just a solid meal that ranks at the top of my list for best donkkaseu restaurants in Seoul. If I lived closer to Gangnam, I could seriously see myself coming here a few times week.

Food: ★★★★½ out of 5 stars

Service: ★★★★ out of 5 stars

Ambiance: ★★★★ out of 5 stars

Value: ★★★★ out of 5 stars

Hansung Donkkasue 한성돈까스

Jamwon-dong 21-5, Seocho-gu (서울 서초구 잠원동 21-5)

Phone: 02-540-7054

Hours: Open every day 11:00 am ~ 10:00 pm

Click here for an interactive map: http://naver.me/5qsHuFbW