Yangju Okjeong tonkatsu for two: sharing Assorted A and C at Himawari

I was looking for somewhere to have lunch with my boyfriend in Yangju when I suddenly got a huge craving for crispy tonkatsu, so this time we went to Himawari Yangju Okjeong Main Branch, known as one of the best tonkatsu spots in Yangju! It's a proper Japanese-style tonkatsu place made by a chef with 20 years of experience, with everything from single dishes like rosu katsu and hire katsu to assorted sets where you can try several things at once. Since it was just the two of us on a lunch date, we each ordered a different assorted set and shared everything around. So let's get started ( ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ )♡

Where is Himawari Yangju Okjeong Main Branch, and is parking free?

Himawari Yangju Okjeong Main Branch is at 105-ho, 108 Okjeongdong-ro 7da-gil, Yangju, Gyeonggi, South Korea, inside Dream Tower 2 at the Okjeong central shopping complex. It's open daily from 11:00 to 21:00, last order at 20:55, and closed on Tuesdays.

We drove there, and it was convenient that you can use the Dream Tower 2 parking lot on floors 3 to 7 for free. Parking is usually a bit of a hassle when eating around the Okjeong central shopping area, so it took the pressure off driving over. The entrance was also decorated in a cute little way, so I already felt charmed before even walking in ⸝⸝•ᴗ•⸝⸝

When we arrived there happened to be exactly one seat left, so we sat right down. The place was pretty much full so I couldn't take many interior photos, but there was a kiosk at every table and the whole space felt clean and tidy.

Assorted Set A and Set C: why a couple should order differently

Looking over the Himawari menu, there were single items like rosu katsu and hire katsu as well as assorted sets where you can eat several kinds together. Since it felt like a shame to pick just one, we each ordered a different assorted set.

What we ordered at Himawari

• Assorted Set A (₩14,500) — shrimp fry + 2 fish katsu + crab croquette
• Assorted Set C (₩15,500) — shrimp fry + 2 cheese katsu + fillet katsu

Ordering it this way meant we could taste a little of several kinds instead of just one dish, which was nice.

You order by selecting your menu on the kiosk, and you can pick your own combination of items like rosu katsu and hire katsu, which made it easy to order to your taste.

They were also running a Naver receipt review event. If you take part in the review you can get a free fish katsu or chicken katsu, so anyone visiting might want to keep that in mind!

How do Himawari's signature assorted tonkatsu sets taste?

Ta-da — our order arrived as a generous full spread. My Assorted Set A was shrimp fry + 2 fish katsu + crab croquette! It wasn't just tonkatsu — rice and a savory soup came with it too, and the rice was so glossy it made a great first impression. Himawari says they use no synthetic additive-based batter mix, only flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs for the coating, and the rice is cooked in a pressure rice cooker.

My boyfriend's Assorted Set C was shrimp fry + 2 cheese katsu + fillet katsu. The moment it arrived my eyes went straight to the cheese katsu, and when we cut it open the cheese stretched out in long strings, so the visual alone was on point. The outside was crispy fried and the inside was savory and soft thanks to the cheese.

While eating, I noticed the spoon rests were so cute I had to snap a photo..haha

Grinding sesame at the table for your own tonkatsu sauce

And the part I found most fun at Himawari! It was the way you make the tonkatsu sauce yourself at the table.

There was a mini mortar and sesame seeds set out, so my boyfriend and I ground them together, and as the sesame got crushed a nutty aroma drifted up, which made even the process of making a sauce weirdly fun. Once you've ground it fine enough, you mix in the tonkatsu sauce and it's done!

Dipping the tonkatsu into the finished sauce added a nutty sesame aroma, so it was a whole different way to enjoy it. Dipping into the sauce was delicious, but I also liked dipping the fish katsu into a little salt. The fish katsu was soft and light, and the crab croquette was creamy inside, so those two dishes suited my taste best.

My boyfriend enjoyed the cheese katsu and fillet katsu, and he especially said the fillet katsu was light and easy to eat.

Best set combination for two people at Himawari

Overall, the fish katsu and crab croquette were light and soft, which suited my taste perfectly, while my boyfriend preferred the cheese katsu and fillet katsu!! Best of all, grinding the sesame ourselves at the table to make the sauce was fun, and true to a chef with 20 years of experience, the frying was crisp and well done all around, so we left satisfied 🤍 If you're in Okjeong-dong, Yangju and craving crispy tonkatsu with several dishes to try at once, Himawari Yangju Okjeong Main Branch is worth a visit.