Yangju tonkatsu near Okjeong Lake Park: skewer udon set at Himawari

The weather was so nice this weekend that I went for a walk at Okjeong Lake Park, and once I was out I wanted something good to eat — so I looked up nearby spots and ended up at Himawari, a Japanese-style tonkatsu restaurant in Yangju Okjeong that's famous around here. Here's my review!

Where Himawari is in Yangju Okjeong, and where to park

Himawari is at 108, 105-ho, Okjeongdong-ro 7da-gil, Okjeong-dong, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, open 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:55) with no break time. They run continuously even when morning orders pile up, and there's underground parking, plus group seating, takeout, and kids' chairs.

This Okjeong-dong tonkatsu favorite is on the 1st floor, so you can park in the underground lot and head straight up.

As soon as I came up to the 1st floor there was a sign pointing the way to Himawari. No chance of getting lost, haha!

Fun fact: this Yangju Okjeong Japanese-style tonkatsu spot won a grand prize in the 2026 restaurant industry awards — two years running!

How long was the wait at 1pm on a weekend?

True to its reputation as a place with a wait, they even have a Catch Table waitlist system. I visited around 1pm on a weekend and the place was already packed! Calling ahead before you go seems like a good idea.

What's on the menu at Himawari

Himawari's menu includes both individual sets and combo sets, so there's plenty of variety to enjoy 🪽

From tonkatsu to udon, soba, and nabe (hot pot) — a great Japanese restaurant in Yangju for ordering a variety of dishes to share with a group.

The tablet has instructions on how to enjoy Himawari's tonkatsu sauce, and they even sell highballs — I'd recommend this place for dinner gatherings or wedding-invitation meetups.

Each table comes with sesame sauce and yuzu sauce for the cabbage salad, plus tonkatsu sauce and mustard.

The interior is small but has a clean, white-wood Japanese restaurant feel.

And!! Leaving a Naver receipt review gets you a choice of fish katsu, chicken katsu, or a drink — make sure to take part 🫢🫢🫢

Grinding your own sesame for Himawari's tonkatsu sauce

Alright, time to make the tonkatsu sauce! First, grinding the sesame seeds~

The way they scoop the tonkatsu sauce is so cute... where did you get that, boss, haha!

Skewer udon set with rosu katsu, cheese katsu and tenderloin katsu sets

📍 Skewer udon set + rosu katsu, cheese katsu / tenderloin katsu sets

True to its name, the skewer udon comes with fish cake skewers plus enoki mushrooms, fried tofu, and all sorts of ingredients — and the portion was seriously huge! The broth was piping hot too, a perfect match with tonkatsu 🤍

There's even konjac in there — such generous ingredients make Himawari a great value tonkatsu spot in Yangju Okjeong!

The rosu katsu was thick and crispy — my partner and I, both fans of Japanese food, had our eyes go wide, haha.

Cheese katsu with mozzarella and cheddar inside

The cheese katsu was insane too, guys!! Loaded with cheese, and it's not just mozzarella inside — there's cheddar cheese too. So good. If you love a crispy cheese katsu, book your next date at Himawari in Yangju right now, haha.

Dip it right into the tonkatsu sauce — so good!

Eating the tonkatsu with the cabbage salad, pickled radish, and jalapeños keeps it from feeling greasy at all, so it just keeps going down 💭

Tenderloin katsu, eaten with a dab of wasabi

The tenderloin katsu was moist, and topping it with wasabi — oh man, it hits your nose but the tender meat balances it right out. You have to order the tenderloin katsu 🫢

Is Himawari in Yangju Okjeong worth a visit?

Himawari was a great spot to visit whenever I'm craving Japanese-style tonkatsu. If you're looking for a good tonkatsu restaurant in Yangju Okjeong, I'd say it's worth a visit :)