Braces-friendly rosu katsu set in Yangju Okjeong: Himawari

Today's post is a review of Himawari Yangju Okjeong Main Branch, an Okjeong local favorite!

Himawari Location: 108 Okjeongdong-ro 7da-gil, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do Hours: 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:55), no break time Parking available

Where to park at Himawari: floors 4–6, easy even for new drivers

Himawari is on the first floor of the building, but instead of an underground lot, floors 4 through 6 are entirely parking space, so the lot is really spacious! It's easy to drive in and easy to park, and when you mention it at checkout after your meal, they register your parking right away~

A lot of places only have underground parking, which can be tough for less experienced drivers, but here you can visit comfortably.

Why Himawari is still Okjeong's No. 1 Japanese tonkatsu on a fifth visit

Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) generally splits into Western-style and Japanese-style, and Himawari is a Japanese-style tonkatsu place. I'd already been three or four times before, and every single time I ate here, I was truly satisfied and loved the food!

I've eaten a lot of tonkatsu in Seoul and elsewhere, but the first time I came to Himawari, I was shocked and it became my all-time favorite tonkatsu spot... I've been to other places since, but nothing has topped this one yet. It's that good!

Okjeong really does seem to have a lot of great restaurants. But among Japanese-style tonkatsu places, I think this is hands-down No. 1!

Himawari's interior and seating: three 2-seaters, three 4-seaters

The interior is super clean and nice too — it feels more like a nice café than a tonkatsu place, so it's also a great spot for a date!

There are three 2-seat tables and three 4-seat tables, and it looked like tables could be pushed together. With a reservation, it seemed like they could accommodate larger groups too. The lighting is soft and the whole space is kept very clean and tidy overall, so it's a place that just puts you in a good mood.

Himawari's tonkatsu sauce: grind the sesame yourself

Once you sit down, there's sesame seeds in front of you, and you grind them yourself, haha. It smells nutty and it's actually a fun little experience — before you know it, you find yourself totally absorbed, grinding away without even realizing it. Once you pour the sauce over the ground sesame and mix it, dipping your tonkatsu in it is really nutty and delicious!

Ordering at the kiosk: rosu katsu set and hire katsu set

You order easily from your seat via kiosk. Besides loin and fillet cutlets, there's a really wide range of menu items including udon, nabe (hot pot), and soba.

I ordered one rosu katsu set and one hire katsu set! While eating, I overheard another table saying it had been a while since they'd had such good udon, which made me curious about the udon here too! Next time I come, I think I'll try tonkatsu with udon or soba as well, haha.

Once you've finished grinding the sesame, add sauce from the little jar, and there's also mustard and shichimi (Japanese seven-spice), so you can adjust it to your taste! Personally, I find it tastier with a bit of mustard mixed in.

Himawari's rosu katsu: soft enough to eat with braces

Since I'm currently wearing braces, I usually eat fillet (hire) for the more tender option, but at Himawari even the loin (rosu) was soft, so I could just choose whatever I preferred. I could bite into it with zero discomfort even with braces, and I ate it happily without any trouble!

The reason I love rosu katsu is that translucent bit of fat you can see at the edge of the cross-section — one bite of that goes beyond delicious into pure happiness... I used to mainly eat fillet, but once I experienced that, I've only been ordering loin since. I don't think I'd noticed that part at other tonkatsu places before — I first discovered it here at Himawari! This is the menu item I recommend the most.

Hire katsu with salt and wasabi: thick cut, still tender

This is my girlfriend's favorite menu item — being fillet, it's truly tender. The meat is thick, so taking a big bite is really satisfying, and even though the meat is large, it's never dry, staying so soft it practically melts away. Dip it lightly in salt or wasabi and it tastes clean yet full of meaty flavor — you'll definitely be satisfied.

If you're looking for proper tonkatsu in Okjeong, or a nice-atmosphere restaurant for a date, I strongly recommend visiting at least once. That's it for this post!