Busan tonkatsu hot pots near Songjeong Beach: kimchi cheese nabe, Hana

When you're in Songjeong, you want to enjoy the beach and a good meal together. This time I visited Hana Donkatsu Songjeong Beach Branch, right near Songjeong Beach~!

Hana Donkatsu is a well-known tonkatsu spot in Busan, and the Songjeong Beach branch had upscale, comfortable interiors too~ it was a great place to enjoy the atmosphere along with the meal!!!haha

This time I ordered kimchi cheese nabe and katsu nabe. Both are warm nabe (hot pot) dishes made with crispy tonkatsu (pork cutlet), so they were perfect for a hearty meal after seeing the sea~!haha

Hana Donkatsu Songjeong Beach Branch hours and break time

Hana Donkatsu Songjeong Beach Branch is open from 11:00 to 21:00, closed every Tuesday. There's a break time from 15:00 to 17:00, and last order is at 20:20.

• Hours: 11:00 - 21:00
• Break time: 15:00 - 17:00
• Last order: 20:20
• Regular closed day: Every Tuesday

There's a break time between lunch and dinner, so it's good to check the timing before you visit!

How close is Hana Donkatsu to Songjeong Beach?

Hana Donkatsu Songjeong Beach Branch is located close to the Songjeong sea~! There are all kinds of cafés and restaurants around Songjeong Beach, but as I was looking for a place where I could eat with a view of the sea, Hana Donkatsu caught my eye haha

Inside Hana Donkatsu: split-level seating and atmosphere

Walking in, you get a slightly more upscale, calm atmosphere than a typical tonkatsu shop.

The interior is also neatly decorated, and the seating spacing is fairly generous, so it looked like a good place for a family meal, a date, or a gathering with friends!

I didn't expect it to be this upscale...! It's also called one of Busan's top three tonkatsu places, and there seem to be quite a lot of tourists coming to Songjeong these days?! So if you're visiting Songjeong, taking in the sea, and looking for a place to eat, I think this is worth a stop!

What's on the Hana Donkatsu menu?

Hana Donkatsu sells a variety of tonkatsu dishes like tenderloin cutlet, pork loin cutlet, and fish cutlet, as well as noodle dishes like soba and udon!

You can enjoy the crispy tonkatsu on its own like a set meal, or choose one of the nabe dishes made to eat with broth, depending on your taste~! This time I wanted something warm and soupy, so I ordered the kimchi cheese nabe and katsu nabe haha

The 1st and 1.5th floors have the same kind of split-level layout — on the 1st floor you can eat while admiring artwork like this lol. Absolutely love it ❤️

Kimchi cheese nabe vs katsu nabe: how do the broths differ?

It didn't take long before the kimchi cheese nabe and katsu nabe showed up! Don't they look amazing ㅠ,ㅠ I'd been to the Ilgwang branch before and had the kimchi cheese nabe then too — I remember it being really good, so this time I went for a different version, the katsu nabe~!

Kimchi cheese nabe: spicy kimchi broth with melted cheese

First up, the kimchi cheese nabe! This dish has tonkatsu in a warm broth topped with cheese. Unlike regular tonkatsu, you get to eat it with soup, which made it feel like an even heartier meal!!

The kimchi-based broth had a subtle spiciness and deep flavor, and it went really well with the savory tonkatsu haha ❤️

As the crispy fried tonkatsu touches the broth it softens up — the outside gets moist while the meat inside stays clean-tasting. The melted cheese adds a savory richness that pairs nicely with the kimchi's spiciness!!

It's a different experience from just dipping tonkatsu in sauce, and eating it with rice made for a pretty filling meal haha. If you're someone who likes the kimchi-and-cheese combo, I think you'd find this familiar yet satisfying~!

Katsu nabe: mild pork loin broth

Next is the katsu nabe, made with pork loin! Katsu nabe is a dish where a pork loin cutlet is served with warm broth, and it leaned more delicate and mild-flavored than the kimchi cheese nabe!

Even though the pork loin cutlet sits in broth, the texture of the meat didn't fall apart too much, and eating it with the broth made it nicely moist haha 👍

You could really taste the savory flavor characteristic of pork loin, and the broth wasn't overpowering, so it paired well with rice. Enjoying the crispiness of tonkatsu as-is is great, but sometimes a warm nabe dish like this feels like a nice change of pace haha

If kimchi cheese nabe is centered on the flavor of kimchi and cheese, katsu nabe is centered on the combo of pork loin cutlet and mild broth!! Ordering both together meant the flavors didn't overlap, so it was nice to switch between them. I'd recommend this pair if you're going as a couple~

Pairing Hana Donkatsu with a day at Songjeong Beach

When you come to Songjeong Beach, you often walk along the sea or stop by a café — pairing that with a hearty meal here could make for a solid full-day plan~!

With so many tonkatsu options to choose from, plus nabe and noodle dishes, it also looks convenient for a group where everyone wants something different! If you're looking for a good tonkatsu restaurant near Songjeong Beach, or a place to enjoy the sea and a meal together, Hana Donkatsu Songjeong Beach Branch is worth a visit!