Eomma Donkatsu in Gwanyang-dong, Anyang: Hours Review

Hello! Today I’m sharing a genuinely good spot that a friend introduced to me. I honestly debated whether to write about it because I almost don’t want it to get more famous, but here we are.

The place is Eomma Donkatsu (엄마돈까스), located in Gwanyang-dong, Anyang. It sits between Indeogwon Station and Pyeongchon Station, though I felt it might be a tough location to walk to from either station. Parking is a bit difficult, so I recommend parking somewhere nearby before visiting. Opening hours: - Monday-Friday lunch: 11:30-14:00 - Monday-Friday dinner: 18:00-20:00 - Saturday: 11:30-15:00 - Sunday: closed Phone: 0507-1305-1556. I recommend calling before you go. On weekdays, there is a break time from 14:00 to 18:00. On Saturday, the restaurant closes for the day at 15:00. Definitely check the hours carefully so you can actually eat there.

The menu board is basically the whole menu: regular donkatsu and a larger-size donkatsu. This is a donkatsu-only place, with no other side menus.

Inside, there are about 5 to 7 tables. The owner runs the place alone, so there are not many tables and the food can come out a little slowly — but I said that is completely fine because it tastes so good. Weekday lunch seemed to be the busiest time, with many nearby office workers visiting. Weekends or dinner time were described as relatively more relaxed, so those may be better times to aim for.

According to the notice in the restaurant, the pork is fresh domestic pork loin from female pigs. The salad sauce is made with pesticide-free yuja-cheong, and the donkatsu sauce is also homemade with vegetables and fruit. Even before the food came out, that explanation made I excited to try it.

Even though the dining room is small, the owner served the food directly and explained how to enjoy it: first try the donkatsu with pink salt, then eat it with the sauce, wasabi, and other accompaniments. Following that suggestion, I first dipped a piece lightly in pink salt to taste the donkatsu itself — and loved it. The coating was crispy, the bottom did not get soggy, and the inside was packed with meat.

I ordered the regular-size donkatsu. It was about the size of an adult palm, and the portion felt just right for them.

This one is the larger size, the extra-large donkatsu. It came with two slightly smaller cutlets on the plate, and I felt it would be enough to leave even a bigger appetite full.

If you like lemon aroma, I recommend squeezing a little of the lemon provided over the donkatsu. They tried it because they like lemon, and said it added a light, refreshing fragrance without covering up the taste of the donkatsu.

There were also homemade sauce and pickled vegetables: pickled cucumber and pickled radish. The two tasted different, and both suited my taste. The pickled cucumber had a slight star-anise aroma, which made it unusual and enjoyable. The cola was not a large can but a slim can. I liked that too, since large cans are often more than I want to drink.

Honestly, I usually leave donkatsu unfinished. Even when switching between salt, wasabi, and sauce, they often get tired of it halfway through. But this was the first place where they completely cleared the plate. Their verdict: it was truly crispy and delicious. The miso soup that came with the meal also stood out. I said it reminded them of the broth at a 120-year-old Nishin Soba restaurant they had visited in Japan, and they were impressed while eating it. On the day they wrote the review, they said they were planning to go back again for dinner.

Planning a visit around Anyang? Save this review, compare nearby spots on REVIEW IN KOREA, and confirm hours, reservations, and parking before you go.