Seoul Forest date dinner, 15-minute wait: Hotcho Seongsu yakisoba

I'd actually had Hotcho's Sinsa branch in Gangnam saved on my list forever, so I was surprised to find out there's a Seongsu branch too! A friend and I met up near Seoul Forest and were craving okonomiyaki, so we went — and totally fell for this Japanese restaurant >_< haha. They say it's made the authentic Hiroshima way, and honestly, the food was so good I was just happy the whole time.

Hotcho Seongsu hours, parking and location near Seoul Forest

Hotcho Seongsu

⏰ Hours: daily 11:30–22:00, break time 15:00–17:00 🚗 No parking on-site; use the public parking lots nearby (3 minutes away) — Seongdong-gu Community Sports Center, Ttukseom Yusuji public parking 📍 Location

Hotcho Seongsu is a bit closer to Seoul Forest Station than to Ttukseom Station!

How long is the wait at 7pm on a weekday?

I figured there'd obviously be a wait on weekends, but there was one even at around 7pm on a weekday. Still, we got in after registering as party of 2 and waiting just 10–15 minutes. My friend showed up a bit late but I was able to put our name in early and wait alone, which was nice! Once the Catch Table notification pops up you have to get in within 2 minutes, so it's safest to just wait in the space in front of the restaurant, haha.

Bar seats by the hot plate vs. regular tables

I couldn't tell from outside, but the interior was bigger than expected!! We sat at the bar table right in front of the hot plate, but there were also plenty of regular table seats in the hall! Since everything gets cooked on the hot plate and then brought to your table anyway, seating location doesn't matter that much — but sitting right at the hot plate meant we got the bonus fun of watching them cook live, ha3ha.

Ordering on a paper checklist: the signature set for two

I wanted to order ahead of time so I checked the menu, and there were more types of okonomiyaki than I expected, plus a bunch of side dishes to add on — so I deliberated very carefully...

You order by checking boxes on a paper sheet on the table and handing it over — such a proper Japanese-restaurant touch, haha. But since I struggle when there are too many choices, I just went with the signature set for two!! Looking around, it seemed like that's what most people were eating.

After handing in our order, I watched them cook... It was like an okonomiyaki factory, churning things out at incredible speed.

Right in front of us they were stir-frying bean sprouts and meat, and I assumed that was our order...

But then suddenly a fully finished okonomiyaki appeared in front of us out of nowhere lolololol. I thought, well, now the actual cooking must start since it's the authentic style so it'll take a while! But...

Turns out that one of the many okonomiyaki I'd been watching them cook from afar was actually ours, hahaha. Seems like they finish them off on one side and bring them out for speed and efficiency. If I'd known, I would've watched more closely! Anyway, coming out fast is a plus in my book!!!

Hotcho Hiroshima okonomiyaki, 18,000 won

Anyway, from our set: Hotcho Hiroshima okonomiyaki, ₩18,000 as a single dish. Hotcho's signature dish, wrapped once in a thin egg sheet and topped with another sunny-side-up soft egg on top!

I was busy taking a ton of photos because it looked so pretty, and then the second dish came out. Togarashi yakisoba, ₩14,000 single — a spicy yakisoba made with chili sauce and seafood!

You can add extra sauce from the little bottle next to you to suit your own taste!!

Maybe because it has so much egg in it, the Hotcho Hiroshima okonomiyaki tasted less intense than it looked — actually pretty clean and light! If you like it saltier, add the sauce, but I was totally happy eating it just like this, haha. As for the taste... need I say more, so good... the cabbage was cooked down just right, the ingredients balanced perfectly, and even the char level was perfect... so good!!!!

I still haven't tried the real thing in Japan, but this must be exactly what it tastes like...

Is the togarashi yakisoba spicy? Add mayonnaise

Since togarashi yakisoba is chili-sauce based, I thought it'd be really spicy, but not at all!! My friend, who claims to be a total spice wimp, ate it without any trouble. Think of it less as chili sauce and more like chili oil, maybe.

It comes stir-fried with chewy soba noodles and loaded with seafood — so many ingredients, totally my style. It wasn't as spicy as expected but also didn't feel greasy, and when the staff recommended drizzling mayonnaise on it, I tried it and the creaminess got even richer — even more delicious!!!!! Highly recommend adding mayo if you order the yakisoba.

Yaki gyoza dumplings, 8,000 won - eat them hot

Last up, yaki gyoza, ₩8,000 single. The dumplings were grilled right in front of us, sealed neatly at the edges with a starch-water crisp — 5 pieces total, haha.

The dumplings tasted somewhat familiar, like galbi (short rib) dumplings, but I'd recommend eating them right away or at least not leaving them too long!!!

Because I got so absorbed in the main dishes and ate these late, they'd gone cold and it was a little disappointing ㅜㅜ. Of course they were still tasty even like that, but I feel like they would've been even better piping hot with the juices bursting out!!!!

Next visit: mentaiko cream tamagoyaki

Honestly I was curious about the mentaiko (pollock roe) cream tamagoyaki, which they say a lot of people order alongside the mains, but we were too full to add it — then it happened to be made right in front of us, so I stopped eating mid-bite to watch, hahaha.

I kept telling myself it's probably just a rolled omelette!!! but watching it actually being made, it ended up looking more like a pancake, which made me even more curious...? Guess I'll just have to come back and order it next time... hehe.

Is Hotcho Seongsu worth a date-night dinner?

It had been a while since I'd had okonomiyaki, and this place basically invalidated every okonomiyaki I'd had before... my friend said after the first bite that this Seongsu branch was even better than the other Hotcho branch she'd been to. As for me, this was the best okonomiyaki I've ever had in my life... though admittedly I haven't tried that many, haha. Hotcho Seongsu is open from lunchtime, so it's a great pick for a date restaurant with a friend or partner whenever you're in Seongsu near Ttukseom Station or Seoul Forest!! If you're looking for a Japanese restaurant with great atmosphere, food, and style, let's go to Hotcho.