Geomdan tonkatsu with perilla oil, limited premium loin katsu: HOKATSU

Whenever my husband and daughter and I talk about eating out, "tonkatsu" is always their number one pick. This time too, when we were figuring out where to go for a family dinner, my husband said, "Let's go there. Hasn't it been a while?" haha

Yep, this is HOKATSU, the Incheon tonkatsu spot we go to on a regular basis.

Where is HOKATSU in Geomdan, and what are its hours?

• HOKATSU
• 🏠 788 Seogot-ro, 128-ho HOKATSU, Geomdan-gu, Incheon, South Korea
• ⏰ Daily 11:00–21:30
• ✔️ Break time 15:30–17:00

This is our family's go-to-again-and-again, favorite tonkatsu spot!

It's close to Exit 1 of Dokjeong Station on Incheon Line 2, and it's on the first floor of the Megabox building, so it's really easy to get to!

HOKATSU menu and its 2026 Blue Ribbon listing

HOKATSU's signature dishes are the loin, tenderloin, and cheese katsu, and they also have gyukatsu (beef cutlet), ramen, and curry on the menu.

It's already well known as one of the standout tonkatsu spots in Incheon, so many of you probably already know it... but it finally got its 2026 Blue Ribbon 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

It was selected as a recommended restaurant in the Japanese tonkatsu category by the 2026 Blue Ribbon Survey~

Even though it was a bit late in the evening, there were still quite a few customers inside, and takeout and delivery orders kept coming in.

Yogurt dry-aged pork and the welcome food at HOKATSU

What makes HOKATSU special is that they age the pork using handmade yogurt... they were the first in Korea to develop this handmade yogurt dry-aging method, and it completely removes the gamey pork smell.

They also serve their own handmade yogurt as welcome food, and it's nutty and deep in flavor — mixed with a little honey, it really whets your appetite before the main meal~

On the table, you get tonkatsu sauce, salad sauce, and this place's secret weapon — perilla oil.

The limited-quantity premium loin katsu

First up is the premium loin katsu. This is my husband's number one pick — it comes from just one strip of loin per pig, yielding only enough for about 2 to 4 servings, a special premium cut where the gabrisal (pork skirt) and extra fat layer stay attached, aged using HOKATSU's own special method. It's a premium katsu you can only get here. The lean meat and fat layers are evenly distributed, so one bite and the flavor just bursts. It's limited quantity, so it might be sold out!

Favorite katsu (tenderloin + cheese) with mini curry

This is my personal number one pick — the favorite katsu. It's a half-and-half dish of soft tenderloin and cheese katsu, combining the two most popular menu items so you can taste both flavors at once!

I also added the mini curry to go with the favorite katsu, and this combo is seriously the best!! If it's your first time at HOKATSU, I highly recommend this combination~

How to eat tonkatsu at HOKATSU: perilla oil, wasabi, pink salt

They recommend drizzling a bit of perilla oil over the premium loin katsu... the aroma and nuttiness of the perilla oil blend with the loin katsu, and you get an even richer, deeper flavor.

With the tenderloin katsu, if you add a dab of wasabi and dip it in pink salt, you get this nose-tingling, incredibly tender bite of tenderloin.

I also dipped it in the mini curry we ordered — I really love the thick, rich curry flavor that's been simmered for a long time in the restaurant. It's somewhere between curry and hayashi rice, and the umami from the long-simmered onions is the best!

Cheese katsu and the cabbage salad self-bar

The cheese katsu combines 100% natural mozzarella and cheddar cheese — it's nutty and has that HOKATSU-only special something!

Look at that cheese~~ so much cheese packed in, it's my favorite tonkatsu 🤍

There's also cabbage salad at the self-bar, so you can help yourself as much as you like~ If you want to try Japanese-style tonkatsu in Incheon, I recommend HOKATSU, which has held the title of Incheon's No.1 tonkatsu for over 10 years in the same spot!!!