'Moving' has people flocking to Namsan for nostalgic tonkatsu

Food & Travel

Published: 20 Sep. 2023, 16:35 Updated: 20 Sep. 2023, 20:35

'Moving' has people flocking to Namsan for nostalgic tonkatsu

Namsan tonkatsu at No. 101 Namsan Tonkatsu in Jung District, central Seoul [LEE JIAN]

Disney+'s multigenerational superhero series “Moving” is setting off mass cravings for a retro pork dish called Namsan tonkatsu.

“It’s huge,” Han Hyo-joo’s Mi-hyun in "Moving" says when she sees her first tonkatsu cutlet during her first date with Zo In-sung’s Doo-sik, at Namsan.

“It’s wang ['king'-sized] tonkatsu,” Doo-sik, whose favorite food is tonkatsu, proudly responds. “They must have a secret recipe for the sauce. It’s so delicious!”

Mi-hyun, with her superhuman senses, matter-of-factly lists the exact ingredients after just one bite: “Butter and ketchup, sugar, soy sauce, pepper, vinegar, onion and […] huh, apples.”

Han Hyo-joo's Mi-hyun, right, and Zo In-sung's Doo-sik, have their first date at a Namsan tonkatsu restaurant during a scene of "Moving." [DISNEY+]

“Moving” is about the National Security Administration (NSA)’s former undercover agents with superpowers and their children who fight to protect their friends and family. It is currently the No. 1 television series on the platform in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, according to analytics company FlixPatrol on Friday. Tonkatsu is featured in over half of the episodes. The last three installments of the 20-part series were released Wednesday.

The number of search hits for Namsan tonkatsu on local search engine Naver increased more than threefold in the two weeks following the drama’s premiere on Aug. 9, according to Black Kiwi, a keyword search volume analysis platform.

Actor Lee Jung-ha's Bong-seok eats tonkatsu during a scene of "Moving." [SCREEN CAPTURE]

No. 101 Namsan Tonkatsu, a tonkatsu eatery in the Namsan area in Jung District, central Seoul, said that its sales rose on year by 25 percent in August and 63 percent in September, compared to the same months last year.

Its number of foreign customers tripled.

“We’ve seen significant increases in customers from the United States, Japan, China and Germany,” Lee Bo-ram, a staff member at No. 101 Namsan Tonkatsu, told the Korea JoongAng Daily.

And according to the eatery, almost all of its customers order the same item: wang tonkatsu, which sells for 11,000 won or about $8.

Namsan tonkatsu during a scene of "Moving" [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The dish, almost identical to the tonkatsu that appears on the show, contains a piece of fried pork, nearly the size of a person's face, smothered in a sweet and sour demi-glace sauce. Next to it is a pile of shredded cabbage, macaroni salad, baked beans, a scoop of rice, one large green chili pepper and ssamjang (seasoned soybean sauce).

Customers can help themselves to endless bowls of corn soup, kimchi and kkakdugi (spicy fermented radish). A pepper shaker is placed at each table for customers who want to add it to their soup.

There are also no chopsticks here — only knives, forks and spoons.

Called gyeongyangsik tonkatsu, or “loosely Western food,” Namsan tonkatsu originates from Europe.

Namsan tonkatsu consists of a large pork cutlet, smothered in a sweet and sour demi-glace sauce. It is often served with shredded cabbage, macaroni salad, baked beans, rice, green chili pepper, corn soup, kimchi and kkakdugi (spicy fermented radish). [LEE JIAN]

The Japanese modified Germany’s schnitzel, which was then introduced here during the Japanese colonial rule in Korea, according to Chung Hye-kyung, professor emeritus of food and nutrition at Hoseo University. The dish wasn’t popular at the time, largely because it was so expensive. It began to get picked up as the country developed a solid middle class.

"But unlike the Japanese, Koreans spread the meat thinner so that it fries quicker and looks more filling on the plate," Chung wrote in her 2019 book "The Humanities of Meat." The Japanese also still use chopsticks for the dish, though it is customary for Koreans to use a fork and a knife to eat gyeongyangsik tonkatsu.

Namsan became an iconic spot for tonkatsu in the 1990s when taxi drivers passing through the area took a liking to the dish.

It remains unclear as to which Namsan tonkatsu restaurant was actually the first one to open shop, as nearly all of them today argue that they are the area's original tonkatsu restaurant.

Han Hyo-joo's Mi-hyun opens a Namsan tonkatsu joint in "Moving." [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Namsan tonkatsu was a staple hangout location for younger people until the 2000s. Couples like Mi-hyun and Doo-sik in “Moving” could easily be spotted at the cozy booths of the restaurant.

The TV series’ writer Kang Full said that Namsan tonkatsu was the most reasonable spot for the two characters to date because they both work at the NSA headquarters, which, at the time in which the show takes place, was located nearby.

“So when I thought about where the two would date, Namsan was the closest and seemed like a likely spot where the two could spend time together. And of course, if they are going to date there, they have to eat tonkatsu,” Full told reporters earlier this month during an interview for the show.

Han Hyo-joo's Mi-hyun, left, and Zo In-sung's Doo-sik, walk around Namsan during a scene of "Moving." [DISNEY+]

The tonkatsu in "Moving” goes on to take a much more significant meaning as the show unravels. It is used as a medium to show that these characters want to use their superpowers for love instead of violence, and it is an embodiment of the tragic romance between Mi-hyun and Doo-sik.

In the real world, the dish has lost its luster, outshined by the thicker, Japanese-style pork cutlets that are seen as trendier these days.

But it seems that all Namsan tonkatsu needed was a little reminder — not necessarily even of the taste, but rather its memories.

And with a little nudge from "Moving," many are re-exploring those memories and discovering new ones while slicing away at a hearty piece of Namsan tonkatsu.

Namsan tonkatsu during a scene of "Moving" [SCREEN CAPTURE]

"I'd heard stories of my parents hanging out at Namsan tonkatsu places, and after watching 'Moving,' I wanted to come check it out for myself," Oh Seung-yeon, 24, said in front of No. 101 Namsan Tonkatsu on Sunday.

“I remember it being tastier back in the day, but a lot has changed — heck, I've certainly changed! — so maybe it's just my palate," Kim Hye-wook, 47, said. "But I’m still happy because I got to relive some joyful memories of my youth."

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]