Seocho gimbap shop solo dinner: bonito broth and wasabi roll, Halls

Where is Halls Gimbap Main Branch near Gyodae Station?

Halls Gimbap Main Branch (홀스김밥본점) is a well-known gimbap (seaweed rice roll) spot in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, a 4-minute walk from Gyodae Station Exit 1. Since it's already famous for its gimbap, I went by myself for an early dinner on my way home from work.

I'd been craving gimbap like crazy lately and was searching for a good gimbap place on my commute, and what do you know, Halls Gimbap Main Branch was right near Gyodae Station?! I couldn't be bothered to cook at home anyway, so I went for an early dinner ٩₍ᐢ. ◞ . ᐢ₎۶

The exterior has a horse drawing and HORSE written in big letters, so it was no trouble to find. From the notice posted out front, it seems the shop used to have a different name before becoming Halls Gimbap? They say it has been running for a whole 8 years ദ്ദി ՞• ·̫ •՞ ꒱

Oh, and there were outdoor tables too!

Is Halls Gimbap Main Branch good for eating alone?

Apart from 2 four-person tables, the inside is all bar seating. So it felt more optimized for solo dining than for visiting in a group *,,*

Inside the shop there was also a detailed write-up about Halls Gimbap. The more I read, the more I felt how much love the owner has for the place. With that, how could the food possibly be bad, haha

You order and pay at the kiosk ★

Halls Gimbap menu and prices: what I ordered alone

Going solo, I ordered the wasabi + double cheese egg gimbap (₩7,300), a small Halls dakgangjeong (₩10,000) and a soft drink (₩2,000). There's a wide range of gimbap, and the set combinations are good value too.

Lots of the items are different from other places, so I was extra curious and had high expectations (͔ ¤̴̶̷̤́ ω ¤̴̶̷̤̀ )͕

It's not on the menu board, but Halls also sells cup ramyeon (instant noodles)! There's a good variety, so you can pick whichever you like (̨̡ ◜𖥦◝)̧̢

How was the dine-in-only dashi broth?

If you eat in at Halls, you get katsuobushi (bonito flake) dashi broth as an appetizer. I heard it has no added seasoning, and maybe that's why it tasted so clean and good.

Salty~ and it warms your belly. Nice (•̀ω•́)

While sipping the broth, my order arrived ta-da ʕ•̫͡•ʔ♡ But seriously, how can chicken and gimbap look this pretty? They were so pretty I just kept taking photos for ages ^^

Wasabi + double cheese egg gimbap review

The wasabi + double cheese egg gimbap (₩7,300) comes with 6 pieces of each roll. Even at a glance you can tell there's more filling than rice, and I couldn't wait to get it in my mouth ( ; ᷄ᾥ ᷅ ; )

Double cheese egg gimbap: rolled egg, cheddar and perilla leaf are the kick

First bite: the double cheese egg gimbap! Just as the name says, it has cheddar and egg, and the fluffy rolled omelet with the nutty cheddar was seriously amazing. Insanely good, for real.

Personally I thought the perilla leaf was a kick too. With its aroma added, the flavor felt richer ♥

Wasabi gimbap: stir-fried fish cake, veggies, and a sharp dipping sauce

The wasabi gimbap is mostly spicy stir-fried fish cake and a generous load of vegetables. There's no wasabi inside the roll itself; the sauce served alongside seems to be the wasabi sauce?

Dipping it generously in the sauce adds that signature wasabi kick to the gimbap, and it's insanely addictive!!! (And I could taste the spiciness of the fish cake now and then, nice.)

Thanks to the huge amount of vegetables, it also felt a bit like a salad gimbap and was light, which I liked. I joked that this could count as diet food, haha

Is the small Halls dakgangjeong really that good?

The small Halls dakgangjeong (₩10,000) was honestly, no exaggeration, ridiculously good ;; I used to think all dakgangjeong was pretty much the same, and Halls totally smashed that idea.

I mean, this dakgangjeong tastes like Kyochon's Honey Combo, and when you eat it with the cheongyang chili pepper, the spiciness keeps it from getting greasy and it goes down right to the end. Fresh from the fryer, the crispy-outside, juicy-inside texture is no joke ｡ﾟ(ﾟ-᷅⩊-᷄ ﾟ)ﾟ｡ I was so happy the whole time I ate ♡

Why Halls Gimbap Main Branch is my pick for solo dining near Gyodae Station

Halls Gimbap Main Branch is a must-visit not just for gimbap lovers but for dakgangjeong lovers too. Honestly, no exaggeration, it's the best dakgangjeong I've had in my life ★

And of course the gimbap wasn't the kind you find just anywhere, which made it even better, hehe. I only meant to have a light meal, but somehow I walked out completely stuffed. Highly recommended if you're looking for a solo meal near Gyodae Station~~