Review-event fish katsu and soba set at Himawari, Yangju Okjeong

I had lunch with my boyfriend at Himawari, a tonkatsu (pork cutlet) place in Okjeong-dong that's my absolute favorite lunch spot around here. I usually just order delivery, so it's been a while since I actually visited in person haha. Let me introduce it!😋

Where is Himawari Yangju Okjeong Main Branch, and where do you park?

Himawari Yangju Okjeong Main Branch / Hours 11:00 - 21:00 (last order 20:55) / Parking available (Dream Tower 2)

Himawari, the tonkatsu spot everyone in Okjeong-dong loves, is in the Dream Tower 2 building at Okjeong Jungsim Shopping Center. It's close to Okjeong Lake Park! You can park free for 3 hours in the building's dedicated lot on floors 3-7. We drove there too, and the lot was spacious with plenty of time allowed, so parking was easy!

It's famous as a lunch spot in Okjeong, so even on a weekday afternoon there were plenty of customers. The interior is on the smaller side, so there can occasionally be a wait~

Himawari menu and what we ordered for two

This is Himawari's Okjeong price menu. True to its reputation as an Okjeong lunch spot, it has everything from tonkatsu sets to udon, soba, and nabe (hot pot). Since it was hot out, we ordered the cold soba set, the Himawari Assorted B, and added cheese katsu.

There's also an event where if you write a Naver receipt review, you get to choose one of fish katsu, chicken katsu, or a drink for free.

Every table has tonkatsu sauce, mustard, and yuzu-sesame dressing for the salad set out. You grind the sesame seeds in the bowl and mix in the tonkatsu sauce and mustard — that's how you make Himawari's tonkatsu dipping sauce~

Cold pan-soba set, 12,000 won

Cold Soba Set ₩12,000 — I'd had this by delivery before and loved it, so I ordered it before the weather turns cold. Eating it in the restaurant, it looked even prettier~

The cabbage salad is refillable, and pickled radish, jalapeños, and wasabi come as side dishes.

True to its reputation as an Okjeong tonkatsu spot, the fillet katsu was so tender it melted in my mouth. My pick is salt plus wasabi...

You add grated radish and chopped green onion to the broth, dip the soba noodles in, then pull them out to eat~ The noodles were springy and delicious, and the ice-cold broth with slushy ice floating on top was so refreshing — I'd order it again in a heartbeat.

Himawari Assorted B, 15,000 won: crab croquette and cheese katsu

Himawari Assorted B ₩15,000 (cheese katsu + crab croquette + plain katsu) is my go-to order every time I come to Himawari. You can choose the katsu type — pork loin, fillet, fish, or chicken — and the crab croquette can also be swapped for cheese katsu!

The set configuration at this Okjeong tonkatsu spot is similar every time, but the reason I always order Set B is this crab croquette! It's soft and savory, like a cream soup mixed with a bit of cheese, with a crumbly texture — totally my type. The first bite is amazing haha

The cheese katsu looks like mozzarella wrapped in another layer of cheddar — how could that not be delicious? It's packed with enough cheese to fill your whole mouth, so two pieces is just the right amount!

The cheese wasn't too salty at all — savory and clean-tasting, and it stretched with every bite~

Free fish katsu from the Naver receipt review event

True to its reputation as an Okjeong tonkatsu spot, even the fish katsu we got from the review event was better than expected. The coating was super crispy while the inside was completely tender and moist!! Dipped in the sauce, it was even better.

Would I go back to Himawari? Final verdict

Even my boyfriend approved of this Okjeong-dong tonkatsu spot! The staff are super friendly, and every time I come the portions are generous and the katsu is delicious. Be sure to try the cheese katsu and crab croquette — you can only get them like this at Himawari. If you're looking for an Okjeong Japanese restaurant, an Okjeong lunch spot, or a tonkatsu spot at Okjeong Jungsim Shopping Center, I recommend Himawari.