My friend, a Hapjeong enthusiast, had been raving about this restaurant for months. I thought, "How special can a tonkatsu place be?", but my friend was adamant we try it at least once.
On an extremely rainy day during the monsoon season, we finally made our way over to Hapjeong. We reached the restaurant 15 minutes before their opening, at 11:15 am.
To our surprise, the restaurant was already filled with patrons inside and even more waiting for their tables outside. We quickly wrote our name down on the waiting board, located close to the front door.
About an hour and a half into waiting in the rain, we were seated inside. It was a large communal table in the shape of ㄷ, so we were sitting across from another group of three.
If you tend to be particular about your seating arrangement, you can ask for a private table for two, but there aren't a lot of options for a group larger than a pair.
If you feel like trying something other than tonkatsu, get katsu sando as a starter to share among a couple of people.
I had already tried a Japanese-style sando once, so I had an idea of what it would taste like. If Gurumi Sando in Hongdae tasted sweeter and more like a snack, the sando at Crazy Katsu tasted more savoury and more like a delicate dish.
We ordered three different dishes and shared among the three of us. To be quite frank, they all tasted quite similar so I don't remember which one's which. All of them were very juicy and tender while the breading added a great crispy crunchiness on the outside.
I highly recommend adding a curry fondue and cheese fondue for added flavours and more moisture to your bite. Mix the curry into the rice, pop a piece of tonkatsu on top, and finish it off with a generous amount of the salad! The tonkatsu tastes amazing dipped into the two fondues, too.
We were also told by the waiting staff to grab the Himalayan salt shaker and sprinkle a bit onto the black plate that comes served on our tray. Delish!
Overall, I could definitely justify the hype of Crazy Katsu, given its delicious tonkatsu that's cooked to perfection. It was enjoyable even for a not-so-into-tonkatsu person like myself. If you're looking to try a local-approved tonkatsu place around Hongdae, this is it!
Menu
| Special Roast Katsu (특로스카츠) | 16,000 |
| Roast Katsu (로스카츠) | 10,500 |
| Hire Katsu (히레카츠) | 11,000 |
| Half & Half Meal (Roast Katsu & Hire Katsu) | 12,000 |
| Cheese/Curry Fondue | 3,500 each |
| Katsu Sando (카츠산도) | 8,000 |
Information
Address: 서울 마포구 포은로2나길 44
Hours:
Lunch: 11:30-15:00
Last Order: 14:30
Dinner: 17:00-21:00
Last Order: 20:30
*Closes when sold out
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