Solo lunch tonkatsu with soba set in Songjeong, Busan: Hana Donkatsu

If you're looking for a good tonkatsu spot in Songjeong, I recommend Hana Donkatsu Songjeong Beach Branch.

Hana Donkatsu is famous as one of Busan's top 3 tonkatsu places, but honestly, since I lived near the Oncheon branch as a kid, I just thought of it as "the big tonkatsu place near my house" haha. But I recently read something along the lines of "if something's survived this long, it's because it's genuinely good enough to hold up" — and that's exactly this place. It was delicious back then and it's still delicious now!

Near Songjeong Beach, in a spot that's easy to park at

The address is 1F, 28 Songjeonggwangeogol-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan.

The Gwangeogol area itself is a bit inconvenient without a car, but you can park right in the building, so it's one of the easier restaurants to park at in Songjeong. I came via the Donghae Line and walked 20 minutes, which actually worked out well since it gave me time to digest before eating haha.

The most upscale Hana Donkatsu location I've been to

The moment I walked in, I felt like this was the most upscale-feeling Hana Donkatsu branch I've been to.

The interior is clean and gave off that trendy, high-end Japanese-style tonkatsu restaurant vibe.

If you want that completely classic Japanese-style tonkatsu taste, Hana Donkatsu really nails it!

There are also baby chairs, in case you need one! Ordering is done via a kiosk attached to the table, so you just sit down, order, and pay right at your seat.

It's convenient for solo dining too — no need to call a staff member over, which I really appreciated!

I visited at 1pm to avoid the crowds, and I was the only one there, so I thought "yes, perfect, I can take more photos of the interior" — and then customers started pouring in right after. My timing was pretty great!

Menu lineup and set options

There's a wide range of tonkatsu options, and the set menus include a soba set, an udon set, and more. You don't have to get a set — you can also order items à la carte and mix and match as you like. Overall, the quality relative to the price is quite good!

Tenderloin cutlet + soba set (₩15,000)

I wanted soba (buckwheat noodles) instead of rice, so I ordered the tenderloin cutlet + soba set (₩15,000).

I've actually been really into soba lately, and the soba here is so good.

I get why it's the most ordered item now!

Having soba instead of rice made it go down smoothly, and it was perfect for finishing the meal cleanly.

The tenderloin cutlet itself was also really tasty.

The fun of grinding sesame seeds yourself into the sauce

The real charm here is grinding sesame seeds yourself and mixing them into the tonkatsu sauce.

Here, the fun part is grinding the sesame yourself and adding it into the sauce.

Eating it with the sauce doubled the nuttiness.

As always, the flavor you already know and love is the most dangerously delicious kind. This is classic Japanese-style tonkatsu, through and through!

Final verdict

I didn't realize it as a kid, but there's a reason this place has survived so long. It's got that completely classic Japanese-style tonkatsu flavor, easy ordering through the table kiosk, and the fun of grinding your own sesame seeds.

It's perfect for solo dining and good value for money too, so if you're visiting Songjeong, I highly recommend Hana Donkatsu!

Visit information

• Hana Donkatsu Songjeong Beach Branch / 1F, 28 Songjeonggwangeogol-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Daily 11:00-21:00 (break time 15:00-17:00, last order 20:20)
• Closed every Tuesday
• In-building parking available