No Brand Burger Berkshire K Katsu Review [Korean Food]

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No Brand Burger has a habit of releasing things no other Korean chain would attempt, and the latest arrival, out in late July, is the No Brand Burger Berkshire K Katsu. It is the first burger from a Korean franchise built on Berkshire K, a premium black pork breed, giving you a thick pork cutlet paired with perilla leaf pesto. On top of that, the bun is a rice brioche made with domestic rice flour, which pulls the whole thing toward a Korean palate. It starts at 5,900 won in store, and there is a second version, the Berkshire K Katsu Onion, that adds onion fries. Plenty of katsu burgers have come and gone, but the concept and build here are unusual enough that it turned out genuinely enjoyable. Let’s dig in.

Table of Contents

📋 At a Glance

Product: Berkshire K Katsu (two versions, including the Katsu Onion)
Brand / Store: No Brand Burger
Price: 5,900 won single, 7,900 won combo in store (Onion: 7,100 won and 9,100 won)
Launched: Late July 2026
What’s inside: Berkshire K black pork cutlet, perilla leaf pesto, lettuce, onion, rice brioche bun made with domestic rice flour
Where to buy: In store and via the Coupang Eats delivery app
Verdict: ★4.0 — A thick black pork cutlet that eats like a fried perilla fritter, and it works

Berkshire K Katsu: Price and the Hook

As mentioned, this sits in the lineage of the chain’s earlier katsu burgers, with the headline change being Berkshire K, a premium black pork breed. Alongside that, the perilla pesto and the rice brioche bun nudge the whole thing toward Korean tastes. Two versions launched together: the plain Berkshire K Katsu and the Berkshire K Katsu Onion with onion fries added. Here’s the pricing first.

Berkshire K Katsu, in store: 5,900 won single / 7,900 won combo
Berkshire K Katsu Onion, in store: 7,100 won single / 9,100 won combo
Berkshire K Katsu, delivery app (Coupang Eats): 6,700 won single / 9,200 won combo
Berkshire K Katsu Onion, delivery app (Coupang Eats): 7,900 won single / 10,400 won combo

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No Brand Burger being No Brand Burger, a release this odd naturally piques the curiosity. The chain says it paid particular attention to juiciness, texture and the depth of the pork flavour. I enjoyed the earlier katsu burgers too, so expectations were fair. I ordered the Berkshire K Katsu as a combo.

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Inside the Burger

Let’s see what’s in it. Opening the wrapper, the thick cutlet is the first thing you notice. Then comes that unmistakable deep-fried smell of katsu, strong enough that it feels like a tonkatsu order rather than a burger. It also looks chunkier than expected.

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That Thick Berkshire K Black Pork Cutlet

The defining feature is this thick Berkshire K cutlet. It uses a scarce black pork breed that accounts for only around 1.2% of pigs raised in Korea, shaped into a tonkatsu-style patty. Rich juices and a deep pork aroma are the selling points. Add in a properly crisp katsu coating with moist meat underneath, and it’s hard not to have expectations.

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Cut in Half: The Layers and the Pesto

Let’s slice it open and look properly. From the top down you get lettuce, onion, the perilla pesto that acts as this burger’s sauce, then the pork cutlet, with another layer of perilla pesto right at the bottom. The bun is a brioche made with domestic rice flour, which may be why it cut so cleanly and softly.

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The cutlet itself is not a whole loin or tenderloin but a minced-pork build. Even so, it looks impressively moist. As noted, the unusual move here is the perilla pesto. A katsu burger would normally lean on tonkatsu sauce, or at a stretch a teriyaki sauce with a hint of wasabi. Here, the perilla is supposed to cut through the richness of the fried patty and make it easier to enjoy.

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Taste Test: How Does It Actually Eat?

Time to eat. Bringing it up to my mouth, the distinctive smell of the perilla pesto came through strongly. Layered with a well-fried katsu patty, it read as genuinely unfamiliar next to the burgers I usually eat.

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My first thought after one bite was, where do I know this from? The answer: kkaennip-jeon, the battered and fried perilla leaf fritter Koreans eat as a side. That exact aroma spread through my mouth, and the perilla flavour came through unmistakably. Next to it, the lettuce and onion felt like an afterthought.

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Patty Quality and That Brioche Bun

The quality of the cutlet itself was genuinely good. Because a burger cannot easily take a whole cut of pork, it goes in as minced meat, so capturing the breed’s full character was never going to happen. Even so, the fat rendered out into real juices and aroma, which is impressive for a patty. The coating was well executed too, breaking crisply as you bite. And as mentioned, the perilla pesto keeps the richness in check, so it never got heavy or tiring.

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The brioche bun deserves a mention as well. One of No Brand Burger’s long-standing weak points has been a dry, crumbly bun, and there is none of that here. This one is properly pillowy, which suits a juicy patty and the perilla pesto. Taken as a whole, it lands as a well-finished premium burger.

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Final Verdict — When an Odd Idea Lands

Given the brand’s positioning, it’s the cheap items that move volume at No Brand Burger. Still, for my money, the occasional wildly inventive burger is what defines the chain. This one satisfied me more than I expected, and the price never felt steep, so I’d happily recommend giving it a try if you get the chance. If you’re visiting Korea and want a burger you cannot get anywhere else, a black pork cutlet dressed in perilla pesto is about as specific as it gets.

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The story behind putting Berkshire K, a breed making up only about 1.2% of Korean pigs, into a burger is laid out in this (Korean source) Money Today report on the No Brand Burger launch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much is the No Brand Burger Berkshire K Katsu?

5,900 won on its own in store, or 7,900 won as a combo. The Onion version runs 7,100 won and 9,100 won, and ordering through Coupang Eats costs a bit more at 6,700 won and 7,900 won respectively.

Q. What is Berkshire K pork?

Berkshire K is a black pork breed that accounts for only around 1.2% of pigs raised in Korea, which is why it is treated as a premium ingredient. Rich juices and a deep pork aroma are what it is prized for, and this is the first time a Korean burger chain has used it.

Q. Does the perilla pesto overpower the burger?

It leads the flavour, no question, tasting close to a fried perilla leaf fritter. That said, it works with the cutlet rather than against it, cutting through the richness so the burger never turns heavy.

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