Hongdae restaurant solo lunch: soba maki and gochujang butter pasta at

I went to Omil, one of those Hongdae restaurants that manages to be casual and still offer a wide variety of dishes. It's right near Hongik University Station so it's easy to get to, and the menu is good value, making it a nice spot to visit with friends or for a Hongdae date.

• Hongdae restaurant Omil Hongdae
• Gochujang butter pasta
• Omil soba maki

Omil Hongdae's location and atmosphere

Omil Hongdae is a restaurant that's easy to get to since it's right in front of Hongik University Station. The store is on the 2nd floor, so you go up the stairs. The interior is clean and pretty cute.

You order by ringing the bell for staff, which made me a little shy haha. I visited a bit after lunch hour but there were still plenty of customers, so I waited a while for the food. Pickles and water were available to grab yourself from a simple self bar.

Omil Hongdae's menu

The menu had a wide variety, including pasta, omurice, risotto, and gnocchi. Besides the mains, there were sides like truffle fries and crunchy corn fritters, plus dishes hard to find elsewhere, like the Omil soba maki. I visited alone, but if you go with a group it'd be great to order a bunch of different dishes. The most popular menu item is the rubber duck omurice, which comes with a cute rubber duck for free haha. That makes it a favorite for a Hongdae date restaurant!

What does the gochujang butter pasta taste like?

The first dish I tried was the gochujang butter pasta! It has a slightly rosé-like look, right? At first you get the savory richness of the butter, then the umami of gochujang (Korean chili paste) rises gently after. That scoop on top is the gochujang butter.

I was curious how gochujang and butter together would taste, but they went really well. The sauce was thick and rich, clinging to the noodles nicely instead of sliding off. Thick sous vide pork neck was mixed in too, and the meat paired well with the savory sauce.

I'm pretty weak with spice, so it got spicy as I ate, but it wasn't extremely intense — just spicy enough that people who enjoy normal spice levels would find it tasty.

If anything, the spicy, sharp kick of the gochujang cut through the richness of the butter and pasta, so I finished it all without getting tired of it. Since the sauce is so rich, pickles from the self bar are a must! Because the butter is mixed into the gochujang, it doesn't feel greasy, so I think guys would enjoy it too — good pick for a Hongdae date restaurant.

Omil soba maki: gimbap rolled with buckwheat noodles

The next dish was the Omil soba maki. It's gimbap (seaweed rice roll) made with buckwheat noodles instead of rice — kind of like keto gimbap? Or futomaki? Anyway! It's got a special sauce, buckwheat noodles, vegetables, and a thick Japanese-style rolled egg inside.

The buckwheat noodles rolled tightly in seaweed came in big bites, so I had to open my mouth wide to eat it. The buckwheat's clean, slightly bitter taste paired with cucumber for a refreshing feel. The thick rolled egg was moist and soft. You're meant to eat it with a bit of wasabi on top for a mouthful, and it totally hit my taste, plus it went well with the pickled ginger served alongside. It was so light that I kept picking up piece after piece.

The gochujang butter pasta is subtly spicy, but the buckwheat noodles neutralized it in between bites. It's a light, healthy dish, so if you're looking for a Hongdae restaurant while dieting, give Omil a try.

In short

Omil Hongdae is a Hongdae restaurant with such a varied menu that it makes you want to order several dishes. The rich, thick gochujang butter pasta, the light and refreshing Omil soba maki, and the omurice with its cute rubber duck are the signature dishes. If you're looking for a good-value restaurant among Hongdae eateries or a spot for a Hongdae date, it's worth a visit~