Spicy seafood udon set at Himawari, a Yangju Okjeong tonkatsu spot

This is tonkatsu maniac Eenoonnoon^^

I've noticed a lot of you looking for good tonkatsu spots in Yangju / Okjeong~ So this time I went to Himawari, a place that's gotten pretty solid word-of-mouth even among all the tonkatsu spots in Okjeong-dong, so I went in with high expectations^^

Ta-da~~~ hahaha, look at this visual~~

Himawari hours, parking and what we ordered

Name: Himawari (ひまわり) Premium Tonkatsu Specialist

Hours: 11:00–21:00

Closed: Chuseok Day. Since they close on Chuseok, I'm guessing they'll also close for Lunar New Year^^

3 hours free parking in the building. That's pretty generous, right? lol It'd be nice if there were things to do nearby too lol

Spicy udon set ₩15,000, hire katsu ₩14,000. I wanted to order more, but looking at the next table, the portions seemed pretty substantial~

Even the sign at Himawari looked serious

Before even walking into Himawari, the sign caught my eye — somehow it just felt comforting~ Under the Japanese sign reading "ひまわり" it said "Premium Tonkatsu Specialist" in big letters~ I can't read Japanese at all lol

With the old wooden door, the welcome mat, and even grass laid out, the atmosphere felt different from the entrance lol. If you see this sign while looking for good tonkatsu in Okjeong, you'll recognize it right away.

My beloved ice water~~~ a sensation you don't see much these days~~

Hire katsu, 14,000 won: tasting the cutlet first

I ordered Himawari's hire katsu for ₩14,000, and the moment I saw the sliced cross-section, I was struck by the visual. This is basically art~ Bright red meat~ It looked like it would be pretty tender lol

The outside was fried crispy, but the inside was clearly pink and juicy with the meat's juices intact~ There was a slight pork smell, but well, it's pork~ lol

Eating it for real, all the cutlet pieces were crispy and the meat was truly tender.

Biting into one piece, the crackle of the breading and the juiciness of the meat came through together, and it was impressively thick. Dipping it in the onion sauce added a salty-sweet flavor that kept my hand reaching for more.

The miso-style bean paste soup that cuts through the richness^^ It was mild and delicious. If you care about meat quality when looking for good tonkatsu in Yangju, you really should come here~

Spicy seafood udon: the dish to order at Himawari

The menu I really want to strongly recommend at Himawari is the spicy seafood udon set.

It's ₩15,000, and the moment I lifted one chopstick-full, the broth's color was already red and deep.

Tasting it, it was truly spicy and hot with a deep flavor underneath~

It wasn't just a spicy broth — it genuinely tasted like a seafood stew, like the fish-head soup (seodori-tang) you'd get at a raw fish restaurant, and I was honestly surprised lol

The noodles were also springy and chewy, and vegetables like bok choy and mung bean sprouts added good texture too.

I didn't expect to find udon of this quality at a tonkatsu specialist — pairing it with the katsu would make a really great combination.

Good to know before visiting Himawari in Okjeong-dong

Himawari is closed on Chuseok Day, so if you're planning to visit around the holidays, it's best to check ahead.

Hours run from 11am to 9pm, so it's convenient for both lunch and dinner.

Why are these noodles... they're not your usual udon noodles, right? They're chewy like rice cake, udon-style noodles. Is this tteokbokki or what lol. From start to finish, spicy broth, chewy noodles. I'm going back tomorrow to eat it again~~~~~^^

If you're looking for a good tonkatsu spot in Yangju or Okjeong, and you want to enjoy crispy cutlet together with spicy seafood udon, I think Himawari is worth a visit~