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Gyokaizen

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Kyokaizen

Kyokaizen

Last Modified

2026-07-21 00:08

History

Gyokaizen (교카이젠) is a tonkatsu specialty restaurant located in the basement of a shopping complex in the Pyeongchon apartment district of Gwanyang-dong, Dongan-gu, Anyang, Gyeonggi-do. Its concept allows diners to choose among branded pigs from farms across the country by breed, giving it a distinctive position in Korea's tonkatsu [article] scene. The name means “boundary line.” When the restaurant first opened, it referred to the boundary between a casual restaurant and fine dining; it is now used to signify a bridge connecting farms and consumers.

The founder is Hwang Da-hun (황다훈). He moved to Japan in his third year of middle school and worked at an udon restaurant and an izakaya for three years. After returning to Korea, he learned the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine and developed a feel for deep-frying at Sushi Mai (스시 마이) in Apgujeong, Seoul. He had seven to eight years of experience making sushi. After encountering the culture of breed-specific tonkatsu during visits to Japan, he conceived a tonkatsu specialty restaurant serving various Korean pig breeds and opened it in Pyeongchon. In a 2025 media interview, he announced plans to expand into Seoul.

  • Breed rotation: The restaurant sources directly from farms across the country, including Songhak Farm in Pohang, Samho Farm in Jeju, Dasan Breeding in Namwon, Hoeun Farm in Yesan, Urideul Farm in Hoengseong, Deogyu Farm in Gyeongsan, and Hanmaeum Farm in Gimcheon. It rotates among eight to nine breeds, including Korean native pig, Berkshire K, Nanchuk Matdon, Woori Black Pig, Jirye Black Pig, Tamna Black Pig, and purebred Duroc. Diners order by choosing the breed and cut themselves: premium loin, upper loin, or special loin. The selection is designed to allow comparisons among the differences described in Pig Breeds [article] through individual fried cutlets.

  • Low-temperature cooking: After undergoing dry and wet aging, the meat is fried in 100% lard at a low temperature of about 100 degrees, then finished at high heat only at the end. The cross-section is white with a pale pink tint, which the founder describes as “sous vide in oil.”

  • Limited quantities and sellouts: The restaurant operates every day, limiting sales to 180 servings on weekdays and 220 on weekends. Once the stock of a particular breed is depleted, that breed is sold out for the day. The breeds available each day are announced on Instagram, while online reservations and remote waitlisting are used to manage demand.

Gyokaizen | Revit Guide