Hongdae tonkatsu restaurant for four: cold soba set, Myeon Sikdang

The place my neighbors kept raving about! I finally made it there. Introducing a Hongdae restaurant right next to Hongik University!

Where Myeon Sikdang Hongik University Branch is and when it opens

Myeon Sikdang Hongik University Branch 104 Wausan-ro, 2nd floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul - Hours Daily 10:30–21:00 *Weekend break time 16:00–17:00

This restaurant is right next to Hongik University's main gate. It's about a 10-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit 9.

You go up to the 2nd floor through the building entrance. The sign above says "No one has eaten here only once" — so bold, haha. As someone who hadn't eaten there even once yet, I marched in with high hopes.

Seating at Myeon Sikdang: solo counter or a table for four

This Hongdae restaurant Myeon Sikdang had a nice range of seating, from solo-dining tables to spots good for groups.

The restaurant was clean and had a restroom inside, so the facilities were well set up. If you're visiting as a group of 4 to 8, Naver reservations are available, so keep that in mind.

How the Myeon Sikdang set for two works

You order through a tablet and can pay right away. Myeon Sikdang's set menus were really good value. If you're eating alone, the solo set of soba & mini katsu or ramen & mini rice bowl is plenty filling, and if you come with a group like I did, the set for two lets you order a bunch of things and dig in messily — even better, haha.

With the set for two, you pick 2 mains, 2 sides, and an ade. Some menu items add an extra charge, but even with that, the value is still great.

Today's order (4 people) Mains Cold soba / Mazesoba / Half-half katsu Sides Kimchi mini pork bowl / Fire-flavor mini pork bowl / Fillet katsu half / Mozza cheese katsu 2pc Ade Shine muscat ade

We ordered one set for two, plus one extra main and two extra sides, putting together a nicely varied spread.

Dishes came out as they were ready! We waited a bit to snap the thumbnail shot. The ade comes in a bottle — just stir up the syrup at the bottom and pour it out.

Cold soba: the icy broth to order in summer

Cold soba is chilled soba with a thin layer of ice floating on top. The day we went was scorching hot, ugh. The moment I saw the words "cold soba," I ordered without hesitation! The cold broth was genuinely so refreshing and tasty that we all went "aahh! ohh!!" like our insides had opened right up, haha. Insanely refreshing. Turns out why it tasted so good — it's their own house-made broth! For real!! A must-try for summer!

Mazesoba: mix the mini rice in at the end

It's a noodle restaurant, so we had to get one more noodle dish! I wanted bibim-style noodles too, so I ordered the mazesoba. You pop the egg yolk on top and mix it well with the other toppings. The noodles and toppings blended together nicely for a variety of textures, and the sauce — need I say more — was so good.

They also give you this cute mini rice, so finish the noodles first and mix the rice in at the end. Skipping this would genuinely be a loss!

Oh, and at Myeon Sikdang there's also a "maze-bap" version where rice comes instead of noodles! Order whichever fits your taste.

Half-and-half katsu: spicy scallion katsu and double cheddar katsu

Half-half katsu lets you enjoy spicy scallion pork cutlet and double cheddar pork cutlet at the same time. Whenever things get too rich, the scallions cut through it, and whenever it gets too spicy, the cheese calms it down — a perfect balance!

They piled on so much cheese it was spilling over the sides, can you see? A truly rich, thick cheddar cheese pork cutlet.

The spicy scallion pork cutlet, with plenty of scallions on top of spicy sauce, is a little spicy even by my low spice tolerance!? But paired half-and-half with the cheese one, the combination worked really well together. It also came with mini rice and salad, which made it even more enjoyable.

Sides at Myeon Sikdang: fillet katsu, mozzarella cheese katsu, mini pork bowls

Fillet katsu, cheese katsu, pork bowl — small but delicious sides make their appearance! They're only small compared to the mains; when they actually arrive, they're not really tiny at all.

This is the pork bowl with the surface torched for a smoky, fire-grilled flavor. The half-half version with kimchi mixed in was also really good.

The side pork cutlet was also thick and tasty, perfect for sharing.

Is Myeon Sikdang in Hongdae worth it?

Myeon Sikdang Hongik University Branch, a Hongdae restaurant, was great value and had a solid set menu, making it a satisfying and filling place to eat near Hongik University. Turns out that "no one has eaten here only once" sign wasn't a lie... This is a place I want to go back to again! They're good at pork cutlet, soba, ramen and rice bowls alike, so you really can't go wrong with any pick! Whether you're dining solo or in a group, be sure to stop by Myeon Sikdang.