Grilled gyukatsu and yuzu cold ramen near Cheolsan Station: Hoka Hoka

It's been hot lately so I've been craving something cool, and I also wanted a proper Japanese meal for once, so I headed to Hoka Hoka Gwangmyeong Main Branch.

I'd been curious about this place for a while since it's near Cheolsan Station and serves both gyukatsu (beef cutlet) and ramen. Going in person, the menu turned out to be more varied than I expected, and every dish felt made with care — very satisfying.

Close to Cheolsan Station

It's fairly close to Cheolsan Station, so it's easy to get to. Being near Gwangmyeong City Hall and the citizens' sports ground, it also seems like a good spot to meet up nearby for a meal.

A vibe that works for solo dining too

Walking in, the space felt clean and cozy overall. Besides table seats, there are also bar-style seats, so it didn't seem awkward to come alone!

It really did feel like a good spot for solo dining, and it also seemed like a fine, casual spot to eat with friends or a partner.

What's on the menu

Hoka Hoka's signature dish is gyukatsu, but beyond that there's cold ramen, ramen, chicken katsu, and other Japanese dishes to pick from depending on your mood! Looking at the menu, it didn't feel like a one-dish specialist so much as a place where you can properly enjoy a range of Japanese menu items.

On this visit I ordered gyukatsu and cold ramen.

Gyukatsu grilled at the table

Gyukatsu first! Gyukatsu has its own charm that's different from regular tonkatsu.

It comes out crisp on the outside with tender beef inside, so the texture is noticeably different from your first bite.

Hoka Hoka's gyukatsu is served lightly seared, and you grill it yourself as much as you like on a small charcoal brazier set on the table — that made it fun too!

I placed the pieces on the brazier one by one and let them sizzle, and what I liked most was being able to cook it exactly to my preferred doneness. Cooking it too much can make the meat tough, so I grilled mine just a little more, and I got both the crisp outside and the tender inside at once — delicious.

The beef's own savory flavor really came through, so it was tasty even plain, and dipping it in the sauce or wasabi that came with it gave it a whole different character.

When the gyukatsu started to feel a bit rich, a touch of wasabi cleaned it right up, and I kept reaching for more.

Rice, clear soup, and a salad came alongside it, so it was plenty for a full meal. Eating it with rice made it much more filling than the gyukatsu alone.

Yuzu soy-broth cold ramen

And the cold ramen I ordered alongside it exceeded expectations too.

Since it was a hot day, I chose cold ramen over hot, and I felt like I'd made the right call.

The broth is a cool soy base with a subtle hint of yuzu, so the first sip was clean and refreshing!

The noodles had a nice springy bite too, and paired with the cool broth, it felt like the perfect dish for a hot day with no appetite.

There were toppings and crispy bits on top of the cold ramen, which added a fun crunchy texture compared to eating just the noodles.

Going from the savory, crispy gyukatsu to a bite of cold ramen felt like a clean reset for the palate — the two dishes really complemented each other.

Recommended combo: gyukatsu + cold ramen

Personally, I'd recommend the gyukatsu + cold ramen combo. Gyukatsu is warm, savory, and crisp, while cold ramen is cool, tangy, and clean — the opposite charms meant eating them together never got old.

Since gyukatsu is meat and fried food, it can start to feel a bit heavy toward the end, but one sip of the cold ramen broth reset everything back to clean, so I kept alternating between the two 😋

Check hours and parking before you go

Hoka Hoka has a clean atmosphere and food comes out relatively fast, so it seems like a solid pick for anyone looking for a lunch spot near Cheolsan Station!

There's a wide range of lunch-friendly dishes beyond gyukatsu and cold ramen, so there's plenty to choose from.

Hours are daily from 11:30 to 21:00, with weekday break time and a last order, so it's worth checking before you visit! Parking is available in the building's lot, but it's a mechanical parking system, so if you're driving, it's best to check ahead. Since it's close to Cheolsan Station, I think taking public transit works fine too.

Why I'd go back

Overall, both the gyukatsu and cold ramen I had at Hoka Hoka were satisfying.

The gyukatsu you grill yourself over a brazier was genuinely fun to eat and felt clearly different from regular tonkatsu, and the cold ramen was a cool, clean dish perfectly suited to hot weather.

If you're looking for a good Japanese restaurant in Gwangmyeong or near Cheolsan Station, it's worth a visit! It's great for gyukatsu fans, and even if the person you're with doesn't like gyukatsu, they can order ramen or gyudon instead — a good spot for people with different tastes to eat together.

Next time I'd like to try some of the other ramen options beyond the gyukatsu and cold ramen I had this time. With such a varied menu, it doesn't feel like a one-visit place — more like somewhere I'll want to come back to try something new 😊

If you're looking for a good Japanese restaurant in Gwangmyeong or trying to decide on lunch near Cheolsan Station, Hoka Hoka Gwangmyeong Main Branch is a solid pick! Especially if you want crispy gyukatsu and cool cold ramen together, try ordering the combo — it was a satisfying meal even on a hot day.