Solo tonkatsu lunch in Geomdan, Incheon: Single Set & shrimp, HOKATSU

A restaurant with waits at weekends and peak times, where a Catchtable reservation is a must! HOKATSU in the Geomdan new town is already well known as a Blue Ribbon spot in Incheon, and here's my honest review of eating there solo.

Where is HOKATSU and how does parking work?

HOKATSU is a Blue Ribbon tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) restaurant on the ground floor of the building that houses Megabox Geomdan in Incheon, and parking is free for 2 hours. It's very close to Dokjeong Station Exit 1, and easy to reach from Wanjeong Station Exit 3 too.

If it's your first visit, put "Holyland underground parking entrance" into your navigation. Parking is free for 2 hours, and after your meal you tell the staff your plate number and they register it for you!

I took the elevator up from the car park to the ground floor, and among the shops along the path leading outdoors... found HOKATSU!

HOKATSU waiting times: when to go on a weekday lunch?

HOKATSU has a wait at weekday lunch peak and especially at weekends, so it's best to go a little early, around 11:30 on a weekday. It's a hugely popular tonkatsu place in Incheon, after all. I arrived around 11:30 on a weekday and got a seat before it filled up!

Also, the katsu is made and fried to order once you place it, so the food takes a while to come out. If you're visiting, I'd suggest leaving a bit of extra time or avoiding peak hours haha

HOKATSU's interior and self-serve bar

The pickled side dishes can be refilled at the self-serve bar. You also grab your own apron and use it.

HOKATSU menu and the Single Set for solo diners

Every table has a kiosk, so you can order and pay right there, which is convenient. The Favorite 3 Katsu assortment is the number one menu, and there are also sets for two, which is nice if you want noodles and tonkatsu together.

I came to eat alone, so I picked the Single Set! Side note: quite a lot of people were dining solo, which made me think, this must be the real deal...

There are plenty of sides too, like ramen, croquettes, shrimp fry and menchi katsu (minced meat cutlet), so add whatever you fancy haha

• Favorite 3 Katsu + mini curry set / ₩21,000
• Handmade shrimp fry, 1 piece / ₩2,000

Ordered, picking only the tastiest items, foodie style 😉 Exciting solo meal time.. haha

HOKATSU's starter homemade yogurt and yogurt-aged meat

Unusually, HOKATSU serves a homemade yogurt with honey before the meal. The staff were really kind too. I was told to mix it well because the honey is in it, and when I tried it.. so good I finished it in no time 🥺

A feast of yogurt! It turns out the secret to HOKATSU's tasty tonkatsu is in the yogurt.

Meat dry-aged with homemade yogurt

While waiting after ordering, there was some interesting material(?) to look at, which was fun in its own way. They age the pork in homemade yogurt to get that tender texture!

Sauces to go with your food are set out on every table, and sauce bottles are usually hard to keep clean, but every single one was spotless, which impressed me too haha

What's in the Favorite 3 Katsu + mini curry set (₩21,000)?

The Single Set's Favorite 3 Katsu + mini curry is ₩21,000 and comes with three kinds of katsu, a mini curry, rice and soup. This combination works well. With a generous bowl of rice and soup, eating it with the tonkatsu makes a full meal in no time.

The shrimp fry looked so good that I added just 1 piece, and it was the best... I highly recommend adding it as a side! You can choose 1, 2 or 3 pieces, and it totally calls for beer 🥺🍺 I drove there so I couldn't have one, which was a shame, but the shrimp fry is a real treat.

• Premium loin
• Tenderloin katsu (hire)
• Cheese katsu

Each comes as 2 pieces, a nice portion. It's quite filling. Even though I eat well for a woman, with the shrimp fry and curry I was really full haha

Premium loin katsu

HOKATSU's premium loin is a loin katsu with a rich layer of fat. My favorite cut of tonkatsu is exactly this, loin with the fatty part like in the photo.. ♥︎

When I travel to Japan I go hunting for loin katsu places, but now I don't need to go far, I can just come to HOKATSU 💕 You eat it for that rich fatty flavor, so pairing it with beer or a fizzy drink is great. Personally, piling on lots of wasabi is pure heaven..

Tenderloin katsu with truffle oil

HOKATSU's tenderloin katsu comes sprinkled with truffle oil and the texture is really tender. While eating solo I peeked at what other tables were having, and the tenderloin katsu was the ultimate number one.

I knew from the first bite... I see why this is a Blue Ribbon place.. haha Only the tenderloin katsu has truffle oil, and it goes really well with the truffle aroma!

The pink color of the tonkatsu meat comes from myoglobin, which is only found in fresh meat. It's not undercooked!

Cheese katsu: eat it as soon as it arrives

HOKATSU's cheese katsu is packed with cheese, so it's best eaten as soon as it arrives. I ate in order of my own preference, so I tried it after the loin and tenderloin katsu when it had cooled a little, and it was still delicious.. so much cheese! If you like cheese tonkatsu, eat it right away 🥹

Mini curry with chicken and jasmine tea

The mini curry in the HOKATSU set has thinly shredded chicken in it. It's not the style I usually eat, so it felt new to me. The curry alone was filling, and the seasoning wasn't strong but just right, so with rice it's a hearty combination 🍛

Also, instead of plain water they bring jasmine tea in a pitcher, and drinking it after the meal felt clean and nice.

Would I eat solo at HOKATSU again?

My conclusion after a weekday solo lunch at HOKATSU in Geomdan, Incheon: 100% I'd go back. I've been to lots of famous tonkatsu places while traveling around Japan, but... I'm quietly casting a vote for HOKATSU haha ♥︎ If you like tonkatsu, definitely try it!