Konkuk Univ. donburi bar seats: soy-marinated shrimp bowl set, Hekbap

I was looking for somewhere to eat alone around Konkuk Univ. and ended up at Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch 🍚 When you're eating solo, it's nice to have a place where picking a menu item is easy and you still get a filling meal ☺️ Hekbap has lots of rice bowls (donburi) to choose from and feels comfortable for one person, so I think it's a good reference if you're hunting for a solo meal near Konkuk Univ. 🤍

How to get to Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch

Hekbap is a 3-minute walk from Exit 3 of Konkuk Univ. Station, so it's an easy stop when you're looking for a meal around Konkuk Univ. It's on the 2nd floor of a building, so on your first visit, check the sign and the entrance and head upstairs! There's no parking of its own, so if you come by car you'll need to use a nearby public parking lot.

Is Hekbap comfortable for eating alone?

The restaurant has big windows, so it feels less stuffy and quite open overall. As you'd expect from a place near Konkuk Univ., I saw quite a lot of students ☺️

Bar seats made for eating alone

What I especially liked was that there are bar-style seats ✌🏻 Even on my own, I could eat comfortably without worrying about other people's eyes.

Sometimes sitting alone at a big table feels awkward, but with bar seats that worry is much smaller! It felt like a great fit for students looking for a solo meal around Konkuk Univ., or anyone who wants a restaurant that's easy to eat at alone ✨

What did we order at Hekbap?

Here's what I ordered that day ❕

• Shrimp jang rice bowl set (saeujang deopbap jeongsik)
• 5 pieces of fried chicken

Hekbap serves a range of meals centered on rice bowls 🍚 Besides donburi there's also ramen, soba and more, so even when you come alone it's easy to pick whatever you feel like eating.

What's in the shrimp jang rice bowl set?

Hekbap's shrimp jang rice bowl set comes with tteok fritter (fried rice cake), karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and mini udon alongside the shrimp jang rice bowl 🍤 It was my main that day, and the set was more generous than I expected, which I loved!

Shrimp jang is shrimp cured in a soy-based marinade and eaten with rice, so it's what you think of when you crave a salty, deeply savory rice bowl, right~?!

Eating the rice and shrimp together, the springy bite of the shrimp and the savory depth of the sauce were crazy good 🫢

On top of that you get fried sides like the tteok fritter and karaage, plus mini udon, so you can enjoy a little of everything,,,!!! Getting extra sides instead of just a single dish is a plus too, so when you want a hearty meal, the Hekbap set is worth trying 😝

Is the side order of 5 fried chicken pieces worth adding?

Hekbap's side fried chicken is a decent add-on when a rice bowl alone feels like not enough. Since my pig-power was up (?), I couldn't settle for just the rice bowl, so I ordered 5 pieces of fried chicken on the side too, hahaha 🍗

Crispy fried chicken goes well with a rice bowl! If you mostly eat rice and nibble the chicken in between, the meal feels more varied. It's good on its own and also pairs nicely when you alternate with the bowl, so it's a fine add-on when a bowl alone feels short!!!

Dipping it in the karaage sauce made it even more!!! delicious 🥹 With the shrimp jang rice bowl set plus fried chicken, I put together a pretty hearty spread even eating alone that day ❤️

So, is Hekbap a good solo spot near Konkuk Univ.?

I came to Hekbap while looking for a place to eat alone around Konkuk Univ.! When it's hard to choose a menu on your own, or you're tired of eating the same thing, it seems like a good place to pick from the rice bowls or noodle dishes. If you're looking for a restaurant that's easy to eat at alone near Konkuk Univ., give Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch a look 🤍