Pangyo Japanese lunch restaurant: Godai Kitchen Lunch Special

Godai Kitchen Lunch Special at Pangyo Samhwan Hi-Pex

I came to Godai. It seems “Godai Kitchen Lunch Special” is the full business name, haha. That does not mean it closes at dinner, though, so no misunderstandings. It is on Basement 1 of Building A at Pangyo Samhwan Hi-Pex, where restaurants are everywhere. I knew there was a place like this in the building, but this was my first visit. When you only go to your usual spots, there are more restaurants you have not tried than you think.

You can also pay with PAYCO, the wallet of Pangyo people. Looking at the traces of the waiting list, it seems to get busy around noon. My company’s lunch starts at 1, so my visit was nice and relaxed. Yes, that is how that works.

By the time we had finished eating and left, around 1:30, everyone had gone back to work. Anyway, as you can see, there are plenty of seats, so even if there is a little wait, a table should open up quickly. The food also comes out fairly fast, so do not worry.

How to order and choose a menu

You order at the kiosk. It says these are the eight best menu items, so please use that as a guide when choosing.

They say they keep five promises, so perhaps buy a prepaid card that can also be used at the neighboring restaurant Bulgogi On Sobban and keep a close eye on whether those promises are being kept.

The spoon and chopsticks come individually wrapped, so I am giving them an extra star for hygiene.

How was the loin cutlet and zaru soba set?

This is the loin cutlet and zaru soba (cold dipping soba) set I ordered. I liked that it arrived neatly as a full set meal. I expected the loin cutlet to be small, but it was bigger than expected, which was satisfying.

Since it is zaru soba, pick up a bite at a time and soak it nicely in the 100% house-made tsuyu dipping broth on the right. Dip it back and forth a few times, then chomp! Maybe because the broth is house-made, it is not overly sweet or salty—the seasoning is just right. Perhaps because they floated lemon in it, there is also a little freshness. Even though it is not a standalone order, the portion of soba is quite generous.

The tonkatsu felt more like a side than the star of the meal, so I honestly did not expect much, but I liked the coating. It is so sad when a crust is so hard that it scrapes up the roof of your mouth, you know? Godai’s coating was crisp yet tender, so the roof of my mouth made it through safely.

There was a fatty section at the top too, which added just the right amount of richness. I dipped it generously in the tonkatsu sauce mixed with a little mustard. They also have tonkatsu as a standalone dish, so next time I should come specifically for that. Would the standalone version be thicker? I am curious, so I will have to come back and find out.

Sausage-and-fried-egg curry and the next menu item

This is the sausage-and-fried-egg curry that Unun ordered. The bowl that looks like a soup bowl contains mini udon.

There is a loooong sausage and two fried eggs. Speaking of those eggs, one is fully cooked and one is over-easy. Either way, eggs are expensive these days, so it was nice to get two. The curry has that friendly, home-cooked taste, like something a grandmother living in Japan might make. My own grandmother actually lives in Gyeonggi-do.

It keeps appearing on the display board, so this seems to be the best-of-the-best menu item... I am trying to stop ordering three dishes for two people now—though I used to do it often—so we could not order it this time. If you are craving pork belly at lunch but do not have time to grill it properly, try Godai’s samgyeopsal butadon (pork belly rice bowl). Overall, there are lots of dishes that feel made to be chosen as an office-worker lunch. I especially think men who like tonkatsu and spicy pork will enjoy it. When you are in Pangyo wondering, “What should I eat today?”, it seems worth a visit.

Hours

• Weekdays 10:30–21:00 (last order 20:00)
• Saturday 10:30–14:00 (last order 13:30)
• Sunday 10:30–20:30 (last order 19:30)