Gyodae gimbap restaurant lunch with Jindo green onion tuna roll: Halls

I've been on a bit of a gimbap (seaweed rice roll) hunt lately, and since I had errands near Gyodae, I stopped by Halls Gimbap Main Branch, where you can get gimbap and dakgangjeong (Korean fried chicken) together.

It's an easy walk from Gyodae Station Exit 1, so it's a great pick if you're looking for lunch near the station. I went during lunch hour and saw delivery riders and office workers from nearby constantly coming in for takeout!

Where is Halls Gimbap Main Branch, and what are its hours?

Halls Gimbap Main Branch is located at 서울 서초구 서초중앙로22길 90 1층 101호. Hours are Mon–Fri 08:30–20:00 (with a break from 15:00–16:00), Saturday 08:00–15:00, and closed Sundays. Takeout, delivery, and dine-in are all available.

The cute horse-illustration sign made it easy to spot. Access from Gyodae Station is pretty convenient, so it seemed popular for office workers' lunches. Gimbap is great to take out, but this time I ate right there at the restaurant.

Is Halls Gimbap Main Branch good for eating alone?

Inside, there were plenty of seats set up for solo dining. Given the nature of a gimbap shop, turnover is pretty fast, so it also seemed great for a quick bite before heading out. Watching customers keep streaming in, it clearly seemed already famous as a gimbap restaurant near Gyodae.

Halls Gimbap menu and prices: what I ordered

Halls Gimbap has quite a variety, from basic gimbap to wasabi gimbap, spam gimbap, double cheese egg gimbap, Jindo green onion tuna gimbap, and konjac water-parsley gimbap. They don't just sell gimbap — there's dakgangjeong and tteokbokki too, so for someone like me who feels like one roll of gimbap isn't quite enough, it's great to order together.

• Jindo Green Onion Tuna Gimbap ₩7,000
• Halls Dakgangjeong S ₩10,000

The food finally arrived! Ordering gimbap and dakgangjeong together made for a surprisingly hearty meal. At first glance, the gimbap clearly had less rice and lots of filling, while the dakgangjeong looked so glossy that I wanted to dig in right away while I was still taking photos. 😂

What I liked most at Halls Gimbap: the black rice

Looking at the cross-section of the gimbap, the filling was really packed in. And personally, what I liked most was the black rice! When gimbap has too much rice, all you taste is rice and it gets heavy — but here, the filling outweighs the rice, which I loved. In particular, the Jindo Green Onion Tuna Gimbap had a nutty, clean tuna flavor with green onion added, making the overall taste feel clean and light.

Another thing I noticed while eating was how alive the vegetable texture was! There was quite a lot of cabbage packed inside the gimbap, so each bite had a nice crunch. Tuna gimbap can easily turn greasy, but with Halls Gimbap, the crunchy vegetables kept it much fresher-tasting. These days I find myself looking for gimbap that's packed with filling and satisfying enough for a full meal — and in that sense, Halls Gimbap felt healthy and delicious at the same time.

Halls Dakgangjeong S: better than expected

And then there was the Halls Dakgangjeong S I ordered alongside it! Honestly, since it's a gimbap shop also selling dakgangjeong, I didn't expect much compared to the gimbap — but it turned out much better than I thought.

The outside was crispy and coated in a sweet sauce, and it paired surprisingly well with the gimbap. Dakgangjeong really does taste best fresh, and with the crispy batter plus the sweet sauce, alternating bites of gimbap and dakgangjeong worked really well together. The pepper on top also added a light spicy kick here and there, cutting through any greasiness. Gimbap plus dakgangjeong — such a good combo.

Free bonito broth, the best part of dining in at Halls Gimbap

One more thing I loved about eating at the restaurant — the free bonito broth! I sipped a warm cup while waiting for my gimbap, and it quietly whetted my appetite. I ended up refilling it a few times while eating haha. Having a warm broth on the side made the meal feel much heartier than just eating gimbap alone. So personally, if you have the time, I'd recommend dining in rather than getting takeout.

Is Halls Gimbap Main Branch in Seocho worth a visit?

Overall, the Jindo Green Onion Tuna Gimbap and Halls Dakgangjeong I tried this time were satisfying. Here's a rundown of what stood out to me most.

• Black rice kept the portion of rice from feeling heavy
• Plenty of vegetables in the gimbap for a nice crunch
• Generous fillings made it a hearty full meal
• Free bonito broth available for dine-in guests
• Crispy dakgangjeong that paired well with the gimbap

If you're near Gyodae wondering "what should I eat for lunch today" or "is there somewhere simple I can eat alone," Halls Gimbap, where you can pair a roll of gimbap with dakgangjeong or tteokbokki, is worth a visit. If you're a gimbap lover like me, I'd recommend starting with the Jindo Green Onion Tuna Gimbap and working your way through the other menu items one by one! If you're looking for a filling yet clean meal in Gyodae, this is a gimbap restaurant worth trying at least once. 🤍