Cube steak rice bowl set with extra fried chicken: Hekbap Konkuk Main

I had some errands near Konkuk University and ended up at Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch. I was looking for somewhere to eat around Konkuk University Station and this place worked out great — I especially liked that the vibe was totally comfortable for eating alone.

Isn't this just about the best view for solo dining? The weather was great too~

The vibe: window-side solo seating

The inside was neatly arranged mostly with 2-person and 4-person tables, and along the window side there were also seats set up nicely for eating alone. Maybe that's why it actually felt quite comfortable to visit for solo dining. I think it'd be a good spot for anyone looking for a place to eat alone near Konkuk. There were actually a lot of other solo diners too.

How the cube steak rice bowl set turned into 7 pieces of fried chicken

I ordered three items total that day.

First, I ordered the cube steak rice bowl set (큐브스테이크덮밥정식). The set comes with mini udon and 2 pieces of fried chicken, but I didn't realize fried chicken was already included when I ordered, so I separately ordered 5 more pieces of fried chicken on top. Turns out I ended up with a whopping 7 pieces of fried chicken. Still, it was so good I finished every last piece haha.

The cube steak rice bowl had meat that wasn't tough at all — nicely soft, and great eaten together with the rice. On the first bite, the savory flavor of the meat comes through first, and the sauce blends naturally with the rice so you just keep scooping up spoonful after spoonful. It was really tender and had so much meat, I was happy.

Half meat, half rice — the meat was big and generous. The seasoning wasn't too salty and it was really delicious.

The mini udon that comes with the set

The mini udon that came with it had a warm, clean broth that paired well with the rice bowl. It wasn't an intense or heavy flavor, more of an easy, comfortable udon, so taking a spoonful of broth here and there felt like a palate reset. I expected the noodles to be soggy, but they were surprisingly chewy — that stuck with me.

5 extra pieces of fried chicken, result: a fried chicken party

I also separately ordered a 5-piece fried chicken, which combined with the pieces already in the set made for a bigger feast than I expected. The outside was crispy fried while the inside stayed moist and tender, so it was tasty even on its own, and especially good eaten warm when the savory flavor of the fry really came through. It unexpectedly turned into a fried chicken party, but in the end it was a good call.

Try it with the vegetables that come with the set. Eating them together was delicious.

3 potato croquettes

Lastly, I also ordered a 3-piece potato croquette. The outside was crispy while the inside kept that fluffy potato texture alive, giving it a charm different from the fried chicken. The clean, savory taste of the potato came through, making it a great side to eat alongside everything else.

What made it good for eating alone

Overall the menu had a lot of variety so it made for a filling meal, and what I liked most was being able to eat comfortably even visiting alone. Having window-side solo seats especially meant I could enjoy eating alone without feeling any self-consciousness.

Isn't the apron hanger just so cute? haha

Eating alone at Hekbap on a nice-weather day felt like pure luck. Both the main dish and the sides were delicious, and there's such a variety of menu items I want to try them all one by one.

If you're near Konkuk looking for a rice bowl or a simple but filling meal, Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch is worth a visit as one of the go-to spots near Konkuk University Station.

Parking info near Konkuk University Station

Here's some good parking info to know ahead of time. Using the Konkuk University Hospital lot gets you 30 minutes free, then ₩500 per 10 minutes after that. Also, if you park at Lotte Department Store and install their app, you can get 2 hours free — worth knowing if you need parking.