Gyodae Station gimbap set before a Gangnam meeting: Halls Gimbap

On a day I had a meeting in Gangnam, I stopped by Gyodae Station on the way to grab lunch first. I ended up at Halls Gimbap Main Branch, which turned out to be an easy Gyodae gimbap lunch — and more importantly, the gimbap itself was totally my type.

Where is Halls Gimbap Main Branch, and what is the shop like?

Halls Gimbap Main Branch sits down an alley near Gyodae Station, and as you walk in, a big orange HORSE sign comes into view. The space used to be the Auto Gimbap Seocho branch, but according to the signage out front, they haven't relocated — they've been running here for 8 years.

I didn't have to wait in line that day. But once I sat down to eat, customers kept streaming in and out — some picking up takeout, others eating solo — so it stayed busy the whole lunch hour.

Solo seats at the window

Inside Halls Gimbap Main Branch there are group tables, plus a long row of solo seats along the window. I actually saw quite a few people eating alone, so it seems like a good spot for anyone looking for solo dining near Gyodae Station. It also worked well for me — a quick meal between appointments before heading out again.

The horse-character props and the menu board on the wall give the place a subtly cute vibe. There was also some kind of sponsorship notice posted on one side, which caught my eye while I was looking around.

Menu and prices at Halls Gimbap Main Branch

Halls Gimbap starts at ₩6,000, and there's quite a range: wasabi gimbap, spam gimbap, konjac water-parsley gimbap, Jindo green onion tuna gimbap, and more. There's also a set where you can get gimbap with fried chicken together, and I went with the Halls + Fried Chicken set for ₩11,000 plus a cola.

They also had a huge variety of cup noodles haha. If you're into the gimbap-plus-ramyeon combo, you could easily grab one here to eat alongside.

Next to that was a self-serve bonito broth station. Sipping a bit of warm broth between bites of gimbap paired really well.

The 11,000 won Halls gimbap and dakgangjeong set: portion and taste

Finally, the dish I ordered! Eight pieces of Halls gimbap and fried chicken arrive together on one plate. Each gimbap piece is noticeably bigger than your average roll, so with the chicken added it made for a decent-sized single meal.

And honestly, the gimbap outshone the fried chicken for me that day. Looking at the cross-section, the black rice is packed in thin while the filling — egg, cucumber, carrot — is stuffed generously. It's not a rice-heavy roll; there's real texture in every bite, and one piece in I already felt like I'd picked a winner.

If you like this style, you can see why so many people seek this place out as a go-to Gyodae gimbap spot. Next time I'd like to try the Jindo green onion tuna roll or one of the other varieties instead of the basic one.

Dakgangjeong topped with chili

The fried chicken comes evenly coated in sauce, served alongside a few pieces next to the gimbap. Gimbap alone might feel a little light, but with the chicken added on the side, the portion made for a solid Gyodae gimbap lunch.

I also tried topping a piece with the chili pepper that came with it. Adding chili into the sweet fried chicken shifted the flavor partway through, and I actually liked eating it this way.

And once I got into the fried chicken, cola was a must haha. Alternating between the warm broth and the cola, I cleaned the plate.

Is Halls Gimbap a good solo lunch near Gyodae Station?

For me, it worked out well. Halls Gimbap Main Branch has fast table turnover and dedicated solo seating, so I never felt like I was eating under anyone's watchful eye. Between appointments in Gangnam or Gyodae, it was an easy, no-pressure stop for solo dining near Gyodae Station.

I stopped by just to grab lunch on the way to a meeting in Gangnam, and ended up more satisfied than expected with how good the gimbap was at Halls Gimbap Main Branch. If you're someone who likes gimbap packed with filling rather than rice, this place should suit you. Next time I have a Gyodae gimbap lunch on my schedule, I'll try one of the other rolls.