Weekend tonkatsu and pan-soba in Yangju Okjeong: Himawari

Today I'm sharing my review of Himawari, where I went craving tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) in Yangju Okjeong ❤️ I've been really into hunting down good tonkatsu spots lately, and this place was so clean and delicious that I left completely satisfied haha. If you're looking for good restaurants in Yangju, this one's definitely worth checking out!!!

Himawari in Yangju Okjeong: location, hours and parking

Himawari Yangju Okjeong Main Branch is at 108, 7-dagil, Okjeong-dong-ro, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, on the 1st floor of Dream Tower 2. It's near the Okjeong central commercial area, so it's easy to find.

• 🚩 Location: 108, 7-dagil, Okjeong-dong-ro, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, 1st floor of Dream Tower 2 (near Okjeong central commercial area)
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 / Last order 20:55 / No break time
• 🚗 Parking: Building parking available (up to 3 hours free)

Himawari, a tonkatsu spot in Yangju Okjeong-dong ❤️ I always passed by it on the central commercial street and wanted to visit — finally made it! The exterior always caught my eye because it's so pretty… and the parking was so convenient too, which made it even better.

How long is the weekend wait at Himawari?

As expected of a popular Yangju spot, they had a Catch Table waiting kiosk! I think I waited about 5 minutes (weekend visit). Turnover seemed good! You could also order your menu while registering for the wait, or just wait without ordering.

I picked out the menu while waiting. The set menu compositions were really solid~ There were so many options I had a hard time deciding what to get.

Inside Himawari: atmosphere and seating

The first thing I noticed walking into Himawari was how spotless it was!!! Everything was well organized and the table spacing was good enough to eat comfortably haha. It'd be great to come with a friend, or for a date or family meal! Most of the tables were families and couples.

What we ordered: hire katsu, rosu katsu and pan-soba

Ordering complete via tablet at the table~! We ended up ordering hire katsu (tenderloin) + rosu katsu (loin) + pan-soba that day ❤️ We came for tonkatsu, so it felt like a waste to order just one, so we got both tenderloin and loin lol. And having pan-soba alongside — isn't that combo just insane,,,

Grinding your own sesame tonkatsu sauce at Himawari

After we ordered, the staff brought out this little bowl of sesame seeds! They told us to grind the seeds using the little pestle(?) they gave us.

So I rolled it around like this and ground it up, and it was so fun and weirdly stress-relieving!!! Kids would probably love this haha.

Mix the tonkatsu sauce into the ground sesame and the sauce is complete haha.

The review event prizes were pretty amazing too,,, definitely take part and enjoy some good food!

Our food finally arrived~~~ It came out pretty fast! The freshly fried tonkatsu looked incredible, ugh.

What Himawari's hire katsu (tenderloin) tastes like

First up, hire katsu!!! Maybe because it's tenderloin, the meat was soft and the coating was so crispy — the texture was amazing, ugh. The meat itself was mild, so it was delicious dipped in sauce or with just a bit of salt! It wasn't the overly greasy kind of fried food, so the overall clean flavor was even better 💕 I finally understood why Himawari always comes up when people talk about good tonkatsu in Okjeong.

What Himawari's rosu katsu (loin) tastes like

And then rosu katsu!! It has that distinctive savory flavor of loin meat, giving it a completely different charm from the tenderloin. The crispy coating with the savory loin combo made me want rice the second I took a bite, ugh. If the tenderloin feels soft, the loin gets more savory the more you chew! If you made me pick just one, I'd really struggle,,,, so I recommend just ordering both and sharing 🧡

How pan-soba pairs with the tonkatsu

Taking a bite of pan-soba in between bites of tonkatsu totally cleanses your palate! Tonkatsu and soba really is the unofficial rule combo ❤️

And the chopstick rest was shaped like this adorable little crane — I nearly died from the cuteness, ugh.

Adding the scallions and radish made the broth incredibly savory,,, clean and refreshing, and it paired so well with the crispy tonkatsu, cutting through the richness perfectly, ugh.

Can you see how thick the tenderloin katsu is,,, dipping it deep into the sesame sauce and taking a bite — this is heaven right here!!!!!

Is Himawari worth it for tonkatsu in Yangju Okjeong?

As always, I finished every last bit of the kimchi too,,, came for tonkatsu in Okjeong-dong and left having properly enjoyed pan-soba as well haha. Overall the food was clean, the restaurant was clean, and parking was easy — a place with high satisfaction all around! Most of all, the tonkatsu was crispy outside and juicy inside, so I ate really well ❤️

If you've been looking for a good tonkatsu place in Yangju lately, this is worth a visit! For anyone looking for good restaurants in Yangju, tonkatsu in Okjeong, or the real deal when it comes to tonkatsu in Okjeong-dong, I want to recommend Himawari! Next time I visit, I want to try their other katsu menu items haha. If you love tonkatsu, save this place,,,,❤️