Yangju tonkatsu restaurant with crisp hire katsu: Himawari

A place that puts its heart into food.

Okjeong-dong tonkatsu that came to mind even on my third visit

Living in Okjeong-dong, Yangju, there is one place that comes to mind first whenever I crave pork cutlets. It is Himawari, and this was already my third visit. It was great the first time, great the second time, and today, on my third visit, it did not disappoint once again—so here I am writing this review.

As you would expect from a place often mentioned when searching for good tonkatsu in Okjeong, what I feel every time I visit is that they genuinely care about their food. It is not a place trying to win you over with flashy or unusual interiors, but every item on the plate arrives neatly arranged. You can tell they have considered everything, from where each fried piece is placed to the arrangement of the accompanying vegetables, so the care is apparent before you even take a bite. The fact that this foundation has not wavered over three visits felt even more impressive.

I ordered the hire katsu set and Assortment B

This time, I ordered one hire katsu set meal and Himawari Assortment B. Hire katsu is a pork tenderloin cutlet, and its breading was thin and crisp while the meat inside was incredibly tender. It went down cleanly without feeling greasy, so I think even those worried about richness could enjoy it without hesitation. The meat was also just the right thickness, giving you both a satisfying bite and tenderness.

Even the chopstick packaging is thoughtfully done, right? There are two sauces for drizzling over the vegetables: yuzu sauce and sesame sauce!

The Himawari Assortment B we ordered alongside it was a special set with cheese katsu, crab croquettes, and a mild cutlet. I think the biggest advantage of this menu is getting to enjoy several different flavors on one plate. The cheese katsu had cheese stretching out the moment I cut into it, which was fun to see, and the crab croquette was crisp outside and moist inside—a flavor kids would really love. When it is hard to choose just one item for yourself, an assorted menu lets you sample a little of everything, which made it especially satisfying.

Why parking is easy in Okjeong New Town, too

Personally, one reason I keep returning to Himawari is the parking. Many places in the Okjeong New Town commercial area have awkward parking, especially on weekends, but free parking here was so convenient. Being able to enjoy a relaxed meal without the stress of finding a spot is a quietly significant advantage. I think families and visitors with children will find this especially welcome.

And it is remarkable that there is absolutely no greasy feeling afterward. This is a great tonkatsu spot, frying its cutlets deliciously crisp in good oil.

Tonkatsu that was consistent every time

It was also impressive that the quality stayed consistent, without variation in flavor, throughout all three visits. Some tonkatsu specialty restaurants put in a lot of care at first but become a little disappointing as time goes by, but Himawari has been the same every time, which is why I feel I can visit with confidence. If you are looking for good pork cutlets in Okjeong-dong, I recommend trying the hire katsu set or an assorted menu. With free parking, you can stop by without any pressure.

On my next visit, I am thinking of trying the katsu curry set meal that I have not had yet. Even though this was my third visit and I sampled a variety of dishes, every single menu item was delicious.