Hyehwa western restaurant a la carte lunch: soba maki retry at Omil

I went to Hyehwa for a play date with a friend. Looking for somewhere to grab a light lunch before the show without being too heavy, I zipped over to Omil Hyehwa Daehangno!

• Address: 35 Daemyeong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 2nd floor
• Hours: 11:30 - 21:15
• Break time: 15:15 - 16:30
• Last order: 20:30

Where is Omil Hyehwa Daehangno? Two minutes from Hyehwa Station Exit 4

Omil Hyehwa Daehangno is close to the station, about a 2-minute walk from Hyehwa Station exit 4, and it's on the 2nd floor of its building. It's also close to the theaters in Daehangno, so it was a good route for us, since we were grabbing lunch before watching a play!

Climbing the stairs to the 2nd floor, there's a menu poster on the wall, and before even entering the store, the bright butter-colored door and logo already gave off a cute vibe!

Inside Omil: seating for one to four and what the self-service bar holds

Walking in, the whole place felt more like a small stationery/goods shop than a restaurant. The interior uses butter tones and the logo throughout, with cute little props and an overall warm feel.

With window-side 1-person bar seats and mostly 2-4 person tables, it looked great for dates or hanging out with friends. When I was there, the crowd was actually pretty mixed — couples, groups of students, solo diners, and what looked like a mother-daughter pair!

Overall the space has a rounded shape, which made it feel even cuter and cozier.

The self-service bar had water, tissues, wet wipes, pickles, paper cups, and phone charging available.

Next to the self-service bar there's a photo-zone mirror, so of course I couldn't just walk past it and took a picture 👀

Omil Hyehwa Daehangno menu, prices and how to order at the table

• 2-person set menu ₩47,700
• 🌟Gochujang butter pasta ₩18,900
• 🌟Rubber duck omurice ₩16,900 (limited menu)
• 🌟Soba maki ₩12,900 (signature)
• Sizzling plate cheese katsu ₩19,900
• Daily omurice ₩15,900
• Salmon steak gnocchi ₩19,900
• Bacon cream pasta ₩18,900
• Spicy pollack roe pasta ₩18,900
• Spicy seafood pasta ₩17,900
• Beef flank spicy risotto ₩17,900
• Corn fritters ₩11,900
• Truffle fries ₩9,900

The 2-person set comes with 2 mains + 1 side + 2 drinks, so it looked good for trying a variety of dishes.

You order using the Tag Here device on the table.

• Unlock your phone and hold it near the device, and the ordering screen pops up right away
• If tag recognition doesn't work, you can order via the QR code below it

It was convenient that my friend and I could each order from the menu right at our seats using our own phones.

Rubber duck omurice, 16,900 won: salmon fried rice under the egg

What we ordered was the 🐤chick-chick-chick! rubber duck omurice and the buckwheat soba maki (buckwheat gimbap, a seaweed rice roll) plus 2 drinks.

First of all!!! The moment it arrived, it was so cute just visually 😭 With chick-shaped quail eggs lined up on the moist egg, the concept was clear from the menu name right through to the plating.

Why Omil's rubber duck omurice is a limited menu item

I was so hungry that day that I ordered based on the omurice's visuals alone without reading the menu description carefully — and then they gave me a rubber duck along with it...? At first I thought it was just a prop for photos.

Turns out ordering the omurice comes with a limited-time free rubber duck toy!! And they actually said I could take it home, which made it feel like an unexpected little gift and made me even happier — you could really feel how committed the owner is to the concept 💛

The sauce on the rubber duck omurice had a slight curry or hayashi rice-like feel, with a subtle tang. It wasn't overly sweet or sour, which paired well with the moist egg.

The fried rice inside wasn't your typical ketchup fried rice either — my friend and I both said while eating it that it had a savory, salty flavor kind of like bulgogi-flavored chip seasoning. Later, checking the menu description, it said it was salmon fried rice. To my taste, rather than a strong salmon flavor, I noticed the umami first, and it went well with the sauce!

Buckwheat soba maki, 12,900 won: the best buckwheat gimbap so far

The buckwheat soba maki we ordered together even had a little (๑´>᎑<) face drawn in egg on the end piece of the gimbap — such a cute detail!!

Honestly, I'd had buckwheat gimbap a few times back when it was trending, and back then the noodles were dry and the whole thing tasted bland, so personally I didn't have high expectations.

But Omil's buckwheat soba maki had moist buckwheat noodles, and maybe thanks to Omil's special sauce, there was a subtle umami running through it, with the egg and vegetables keeping their texture — the seasoning overall was just right.

Adding a little wasabi on top, my friend and I both agreed this was the best buckwheat gimbap either of us had ever had.

The free rubber duck toy and other events running at Omil

There was also a Naver review event running, giving out cherry, pineapple, or basil & tomato ade.

Is Omil Hyehwa Daehangno worth it for a pre-show lunch?

Stopping by Omil Hyehwa Daehangno for lunch with my friend before our play date, the food overall was delicious, and getting an unexpected rubber duck on top of it made it a meal I'll remember a little more! There was even a farewell message on the stairs on the way out, ending the visit on a good note all the way to the last step!