Hyehwa Station family restaurant with a 30-minute lunch wait: Omil

This is a review from a Hyehwa date with a fellow blogger neighbor of mine at Omil Hyehwa Daehangno. There are so many cute menu items that are great to eat with kids, so I wanted to introduce this Hyehwa Station restaurant that I'd love to revisit with my young niece.

• Hours: 11:30–21:15
• Address: 35 Daemyeong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (2nd floor)

How long is the Saturday lunch wait at Omil Hyehwa Daehangno?

After watching a play in Daehangno, we stopped by Omil Hyehwa Daehangno around 12:40pm for lunch. It was full, so we had to wait. 9th in line, of all things, oh my 🤦

There were barely any people on the street, but here everyone was. Anyway, the sign that says 'eat smile love' has such cute coloring and lettering 😍 We tried a claw machine while waiting. The doll we wanted wouldn't budge at all...

About 30 minutes later we got a call to come in, and ran in eagerly.

Inside Omil: the room, families with kids and high chairs

The vivid yellow color turns the corners of your mouth into a smile. Kids' chairs are ready too.

The window bar seats let you watch people passing by while you eat 👍 There were no kid customers while we were eating, but a whole group of kids came in as we were leaving. I guess word has spread that this is a great Hyehwa Station restaurant to visit with kids.

We were shown to a spot where one wall was decorated with cute knitted doll props. The vibe is like a family restaurant meets café.

Hello, green onion, apple, and potato 👋 ☀️ 😊

What's at Omil's self-service bar?

At Omil Hyehwa Daehangno's self-service bar there are cabbage and cucumber pickles, plus phone charger cables. Trays, cups, and tissues too.

I brought some pickles over. Crunchy and delicious.

You order here.

• Order placed
• 1 Rubber Duck Omurice
• 1 Sizzling Cheese Katsu
• 2 Pineapple Ades

Pineapple ade

I wonder if these luxurious pineapple-shaped ade glasses were custom made? The gold color made them look even more stylish. The pineapple ade came served refreshingly with floating ice. It was great to sip before and after the meal to cleanse the palate.

Before visiting, I'd seen a clip of cheese being poured onto a heated iron plate, and I got so excited thinking about seeing this dish in person. And the omurice has such a cute rubber duck on it, there's no way I couldn't order it.

Rubber duck omurice, 16,900 won, with salmon rice inside

The Rubber Duck Omurice is ₩16,900. The plate matches the omurice so well, with a rubber duck wearing a tube floating on top, seven rubber ducks huddled together, and even a parasol~~~~ Absolutely adorable.

I liked that there was plenty of sauce, and inside the swirled omurice was a salmon rice bowl 👍 When you soak the moist rice in plenty of sauce and top it with a rubber duck to eat, your mouth fills with deliciousness. The texture went down smoothly. A dish that's fun for both the eyes and the mouth. If you visit Omil Hyehwa Daehangno with kids for a Hyehwa date, be sure to try this.

Sizzling cheese katsu, 19,900 won, and the cheese-pouring show

The Sizzling Cheese Katsu is ₩19,900, and the katsu, about the size of an adult man's fist, came out on a heated iron plate. Along with corn, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli.

A staff member pours boiling hot cheese over the katsu. When the cheese and katsu meet on the hot plate, an explosion of savoriness happens. The katsu, full of juices, dipped generously in cheese, was so delicious.

We cut the grilled corn in half and shared it with my neighbor, split the broccoli in half, split the cherry tomatoes in half—we shared everything in halves. Sharing is love 💕

Is Omil Hyehwa Daehangno worth the wait?

Omil Hyehwa Daehangno is a family restaurant great for a Hyehwa date or for going with kids. I stopped by for lunch after watching a Saturday play, and I was very satisfied with a menu that pleased both the eyes and the mouth.