Solo lunch near Gajwa Station: Philly cheesesteak burger at Hippo

Why I walked to the end of a Yeonnam-dong alley on a 60-minute lunch break

Lunch for an office worker in the tail end of their twenties is a daily battle. The time given: exactly 60 minutes. Just the round trip from my office near Gajwa Station to a corner of Yeonnam-dong eats up a full 20 minutes.

My budget was roughly ₩20,000. Tired of the oil smell from the same old rice-and-side-dishes place, I just wanted one day to pick up a knife and eat like a human being — that's what got my feet moving. So this efficiency-obsessed office worker found themselves walking, almost hypnotized, toward the Seongmisan-ro alley on a weekday afternoon while the late-summer heat still lingered.

493m from Gajwa Station Exit 1, 7 minutes on foot

My destination was a brunch café converted from a house, tucked at the far end of Yeonnam-dong. Out of Exit 1 of Gajwa Station, exactly 493m and, at my pace, 7 minutes later, a giant hippo character painted on the exterior came into view.

I'd heard rumors of long waits so brutal you wouldn't even bother, so I braced myself before going in. The moment I stepped through the ground-floor entrance, a trendy interior filling the space and outdoor terrace seating caught my eye. And that's where the first trial began.

The sweet pumpkin tteokbokki sold out right in front of me

I sat down confidently at a corner window seat for two and opened the menu, only to witness the signature dish I'd had my heart set on, sweet pumpkin tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes), run out of ingredients right before my eyes.

The table right in front of me had just taken the last plate. Cold sweat, instantly. My office-worker brain, already running on a tight lunch clock, scrambled to process this unexpected variable. But there was no way I'd sweated all the way here just to walk out empty-handed.

The backup dish and the price

I started scanning the menu top to bottom. Remembering the shop's own description — servings as big and generous as a hippo's mouth — I decided to go with the safe, can't-fail option.

So I landed on the Philly cheesesteak steak burger and an orange mango juice. The burger was ₩16,800, the juice in the ₩7,000 range. Order placed, I gripped the buzzer a little tighter.

The Philly cheesesteak burger: what three bites tell you

The moment the food hit the table, the disappointment of missing the tteokbokki vanished like it never happened. The Philly cheesesteak burger, piled high on its tray, grabbed my attention instantly. Meat and cheese cascading over the plate looked heavy enough to add calories just by staring at it.

I took a knife, cut through bread and meat, and took a big first bite. On that first chew, the juices from well-grilled chadolbagi (thinly sliced brisket) and galbi-style beef spread savory warmth across my whole mouth.

On the second chew, melted, stretchy cheese tangled through the grain of the meat and added a deeper richness. Then on the third chew, the crisp surface of the bun and its soft interior hit at once, and the savory punch of a salty sauce landed right on the tip of my tongue.

It kept its American brunch identity while showing consideration for Korean palates, not overdoing the richness. They'd apparently cut back on artificial seasoning and made the sauce in-house — and sure enough, there was no lingering aftertaste of over-seasoning, just the meat's own savory flavor coming through fully.

The orange mango juice I drank midway to wet my throat was an excellent relief pitcher. Its bright, sweet fruit juice washed away the heavy, salty grease of the Philly cheesesteak in one go.

A space where dog owners and solo diners sit side by side

At the next table, a customer with a dog leisurely enjoyed a pasta dish, while I, in between, kept my knife and fork busy alone.

Wait, I don't usually eat rich American-style food for lunch, do I!

Before I could even answer myself, the plate was already empty.

Thanks to the spacious room converted from a house, I never once felt self-conscious eating alone, and the staff's friendly service made a short lunch break feel like a proper meal out.

7 minutes on foot, 25 minutes to eat, ₩20,000: the verdict

Seven minutes on foot from Gajwa Station, 25 minutes total to eat, just over ₩20,000 spent! Missing the sweet pumpkin tteokbokki turned out to be the perfect excuse for discovering this place's heavyweight Philly cheesesteak burger!

After an exhausting day, it felt like a proper reward. Next time, I'll leave 10 minutes earlier and crush that sweet pumpkin tteokbokki for sure.