Yangju Okjeong tonkatsu restaurant with must-try croquette: Himawari

There are more and more tonkatsu places popping up in Okjeong, Yangju, but picking one is always a struggle, right? This time I went to Himawari, a place that's been doing nothing but tonkatsu for 20 years — somewhere I'd wanted to try for a while.

My partner and I went on a Friday evening. Last time there was a wait, but this time we got seated right away. (I remember once being so hungry I saw the waiting number and just turned around, haha.) It's a tonkatsu place that also serves udon and nabe (hot pot), so picking from the menu was half the fun. So if you're looking for a good tonkatsu spot in Okjeong, let's get into the review!

Where is Himawari in Yangju Okjeong, and what are its hours and parking?

Himawari is in unit 105 of Dream Tower 2 in the Okjeong central shopping district. It's right on the street across from the Okjeong 2-dong Community Center, so it wasn't hard to find. (Well, this was actually my second visit, haha.)

• ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00
• No break time
• Open year-round

• 🚗 Parking: Dream Tower 2, floors 3–7 above ground
• Free for up to 3 hours
• *Give your license plate at the counter when paying

After parking, take the elevator down to the first floor and exit on the left — the restaurant is right there. It's close to Okjeong Lake Park, so it's nice to take a walk before or after dinner.

🍤 What we ordered at Himawari: spicy seafood udon set and Assorted B

• Loin katsu set (deungsim) ₩13,000
• Tenderloin katsu set (hire) ₩14,000
• Fish katsu set ₩14,000
• Chicken katsu set ₩13,000
• Kimchi nabe set ₩12,000
• Spicy nabe set ₩13,000
• Kimchi udon set ₩12,000
• Katsu curry set ₩12,000
• Himawari Assorted A ₩14,500
• Himawari Assorted B ₩15,000
• Himawari Assorted C ₩15,500

* Check in-store for more menu items!

We ordered the spicy seafood udon set + tenderloin katsu, and the Himawari Assorted B + fish katsu!

The udon set comes with tenderloin katsu, and with the assorted plate you can choose your katsu — my partner picked fish katsu. (Thanks to that, we got to try all three types between the two of us, haha.)

🍖 Tenderloin katsu with a thin, close-fitting batter

We started with the tenderloin katsu. The batter wasn't puffed up thick — it clung thin and close to the meat, so the crunch was the first thing you noticed when biting in. It didn't feel greasy at all, so even after several pieces it wasn't heavy. (I'm actually not usually a tonkatsu person, but this one was crispy and light — a total winner, haha.)

Apparently they don't use any synthetic additives, coating the meat only with flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs, which probably explains the light, clean flavor. Being tenderloin, the meat wasn't chewy at all — moist and crisp all the way through. The sauce comes with sesame seeds you grind yourself, and once ground in, the nutty flavor really pops, so I dipped generously 😋

🍜 Alternating bites of katsu and spicy seafood udon broth

The spicy seafood udon lived up to its name — the broth was properly spicy. It wasn't just heat, though; the clean seafood flavor backed it up, so it was good even sipped on its own. When eating fried food, things can start to feel greasy midway through, but a spoonful of the hot broth reset my palate every time.

A bite of katsu followed by a spoonful of broth turned out to be a better combo than I expected. The rice was fluffy too, perfect for piling on sauce-dipped katsu.

🐟 Fish katsu and cheese katsu: light and easy to finish

The fish katsu my partner picked was much softer than the tenderloin katsu.

The fish fillet inside was thick, so it felt closer to grilled fish than fried food. (I really want to know how they get the coating this thin, honestly.) There was no fishy taste at all — it was light enough to eat without sauce. If you're not big on fried meat, or you're bringing kids along, this one would probably suit you better.

With the assorted plate, you can pick several types of katsu on one plate, which made it great for two people to share. The cheese katsu is packed with cheese — cheese lovers will lose their minds. I couldn't resist the stretchy cheese either and sneaked a piece, haha.

And the one thing you absolutely must order at Himawari — the croquette!! The coating is so thin I genuinely wondered how they made it, and I don't even usually like croquettes, but this one won me over. (Must order!! The. Cro. Quette!! haha) Among the tonkatsu places in Okjeong-dong, this is one where picking what to order is genuinely fun.

👥 Is Himawari an easy dinner spot on a Friday evening?

The best part of my visit was that even on a Friday evening, there was plenty of seating available. (Though this honestly seems to vary a lot — I've had to wait before too, ㅠ) There are baby chairs, and takeout/delivery are both available, so it seems fine to bring the whole family. The staff were kind even while busy, which kept the whole meal pleasant ☺️ (They handed me new chopsticks the instant I dropped mine — perfect timing!) If you leave a review, they'll give you a free piece of fish katsu or chicken tenderloin katsu, so be sure to leave one after eating. (Highly recommend!!!)

This didn't feel like a place trying to win you over with flashy flavors — more like somewhere to go when you just want a solid, no-frills tonkatsu done well. If you've been debating where to get tonkatsu in Yangju, this is a place worth recommending. It's also great for a walk around Okjeong Lake Park followed by an easy dinner, so if you're in Okjeong, Yangju, Gyeonggi looking for a crispy plate of tonkatsu, why not give Himawari a try? :)