The northeast side of Seoul. 'Hoegi' is a university district full of youth with students from Kyung Hee University, HUFS, and Seoul National University. It's an attractive place where you can find everything from good value restaurants designed for students' light pockets to restaurants with a clean and trendy atmosphere hidden among the alleys. Here are some seasonal restaurants that not only students but also residents can feel free to visit.
1. Clean European home-style 'Trattoria Today'
“Trattoria Today†is cooked by Kim Dong-gi from the national team at the World Culinary Championships. You can enjoy European home-cooked meals made with Korean ingredients. The most popular menu items are “Mushroom Risotto with Hamburg Steak†and “Herb Chicken Ratatouille.†Risotto is cooked using the traditional Italian method of steaming rice and then drying it again, so the texture of the rice grains remains alive. Hamburg steak, made by aging beef and pork, is popular among men and women of all ages because it has no impurities and is moist. Ratatouille, made by putting tomato sauce and herb chicken on grilled vegetables such as eggplant, pumpkin, and mushrooms, has a light and refreshing flavor.
â–²Location: 17-26 Imun-ro, Dongdaemun-gu â–²Business hours: 12:00-22:00, break time 15:00-17:30, closed on Sundays â–²Price: Mushroom risotto with hamburger steak 11,000 won, herb chicken ratatouille 15,000 won â–²Review (Shikigin DJ): I went there after seeing the Master of Life, and it was as delicious as I expected. Hamburg steak and eggs go better with Benedict than I thought.
2. 'Olle tteokbokki', a hearty healing food for college students
“Olle Tteokbokki†is located near Exit 1 of Hoegi Station. Rice tteokbokki, which has an attractive chewy texture and is mixed with crispy tempura, is a popular menu item. The sauce, which has been aged for a certain period of time, has a good spicy yet sweet flavor. Since fruits and vegetables are added to give a sweet flavor, it is characteristic that the mouth feels fresh even after eating. You can choose from a variety of tempura, such as shrimp, sweet potatoes, eggs, and seaweed rolls, but the soft, moist squid tempura that uses the body instead of the leg is popular. It gets crowded during mealtime, but keep in mind that the tables rotate quickly and all menus can be packed.
â–²Location: 185 Hoegi-ro, Dongdaemun-gu â–²Opening hours: 11:00-01:00 â–²Price: Tteokbokki 3,000 won, Tteokbokki Bumpbuck 5,000 won, Oden (3) 2,000 won â–²Review (Shikigin Pobli Poyoung): Since it's in front of school, I often go there with my friends, and the tteokbokki is really chewy and delicious! My Chinese friends ask me to go eat oden every day lol lol the tempura here is also crispy and delicious, I think I hear it every day
3. Vegetarian dessert cafe, “Cafe Banchangoâ€
A vegan dessert cafe that does not use animal ingredients. The most popular menu items are “caffeine-free barley coffee,†which has a savory flavor made by roasting grains other than coffee beans and “vegetarian carrot cake†without butter, milk, or eggs. It has a chewy texture like mochi and has soft cream on it, making it a popular dessert menu along with scones. Note that you can also find the Viennese coffee “Banchang Special†topped with sweet cream, and the winter special menu “Honey Apple Tea†and “Apple Cake.†There are stands all over the cafe, which has a cozy atmosphere, so it's a great place to visit alone to read a book or study.
â–²Location: 18, Gyeonghui-daero 1ga-gil, Dongdaemun-gu â–²Opening hours: Weekdays 12:00 – 22:00, Saturday 13:00-22:00, closed on Sundays and public holidays â–²Price: Banchang Special 4,000 won, caffeine-free barley coffee 3,500 won, vegetarian carrot cake 4,000 won â–²Review (Let's play with my pet): A great place to go with my pets~^^ I ate a vegetarian cake here for the first time, and it's easy to crumble, but it's moist and sticky.
4. Warm Japanese home-cooked food, “Warabi Kitchenâ€
“Warabi Kitchen†is a place where you can enjoy warm Japanese home-cooked meals. Five types of home-cooked meals are available, including the popular “Chicken Nambang†and “Karaake†set meals. The set meal consists of a main dish, salad, rice, miso soup, stewed tofu, omelette, and dessert (plum pudding). Chicken Nambang is eaten with a sour soy sauce-based sauce dipped in tartar sauce served with moist deep-fried chicken. Deep-fried tender chicken thighs and deep-fried karaage are great to enjoy with beer. If rice and side dishes aren't enough, they can be refilled. There are waitings, so it's best to go in time for the opening, and note that they close when the ingredients run out.
▲Location: 4, Hoegi-ro 25-gil, Dongdaemun-gu ▲Business hours: 11:30-21:00, break time 14:00-17:00, last order 20:00, closed on Mondays ▲Price range: Karaage 7,500 won, chicken southern chicken 8,500 won, mille-feuille cheese pork cutlet 8,500 won ▲Review (Mary Jane Shikigin ♡): I don't know if it's cheap because it's in front of school, but good value for money. Each side dish is carefully prepared, and all of the main dishes are delicious. Food doesn't come out fast.
5. Pork specialty store, “Shogunjipâ€
“Shogunjip†sells pork ribs, seagull meat, skin, fillets, and entrails. It is popular among college students for its reasonable price and generous portions. The most popular menu is the pork and seagull set, which the staff use tongs to quickly turn it over and grill it. When the meat is cooked, lamb is placed on a bento with green onions and eaten with a special sauce. The unique chewy texture of pork ribs, the crispy green onion sauce, and the umami of the special sauce make it great to enjoy with sake. Noodles are also delicious when eaten with cheese fondue, the skin dipped in savory soybean powder, and the sweet and sour kimchi roll.
â–²Location: 23-5, Hoegi-ro 25-gil, Dongdaemun-gu â–²Business hours: 15:00-03:00 â–²Price range: Seagull pork belly half (600g) 22,000 won, kimchi roll (600g) 14,000 won, kimchi roll noodles 3,000 won â–²Testimonial (Dinner on Friday): The boss carefully packed and was kind even in the midst of his busy~~A glass of beer topped with green onions on pork belly makes you feel exhausted!!
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