Gyodae gimbap shop: lid-open takeout keeps dakgangjeong crisp, Halls

Today I picked up lunch to go at Halls Gimbap Main Branch, which sells gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) and dakgangjeong (sweet, crispy fried chicken) that I absolutely love~ It's a great spot near Gyodae Station, and you can eat solo there too, so it's an easy place to drop in for a filling, tasty lunch haha

Halls Gimbap Main Branch location and opening hours

Halls Gimbap Main Branch is at 1640-13 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul (1F, 90 Seochojungang-ro 22-gil). It's open 08:00-20:00 on weekdays and 08:00-15:00 on Saturdays. Break time is 15:00-16:00, and it's closed every Sunday.

Leave Gyodae Station by Exit 1, walk past Olive Young, Daiso and the CU convenience store in that order, then turn into the alley. Halls Gimbap Main Branch is on the ground floor of the building you'll see. There's a big horse character painted on the sign, so it should be easy to find haha

Is Halls Gimbap Main Branch good for eating alone near Gyodae Station?

Inside, there's a pretty big bar table, so I'd highly recommend it to anyone eating solo near Gyodae Station. There are also 2 huge tables in the middle of the hall, so a group can sit around and eat together.

The sunny window seats let you look out at the street while you eat, so I recommend those too haha I was taking my food home today, so I didn't use the hall. But while I waited, other takeout customers and delivery drivers kept coming and going, and I thought, so this is the real Seocho-dong, Gyodae favorite 👍👍

Halls Gimbap Main Branch menu and how to order

You order and pay at a kiosk at Halls Gimbap Main Branch haha There's gimbap on its own, dakgangjeong on its own, and a set menu where you get gimbap and dakgangjeong together for less!

Besides gimbap and dakgangjeong, you can also order tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), fried chicken, cup ramyeon and a variety of drinks! The cup ramyeon display was huge, like they'd brought in one of every kind haha

If you eat in, hot water for cooking cup ramyeon and katsuobushi (bonito) broth are provided too haha

What shop was Halls Gimbap Main Branch before?

Some of you in the know might be wondering, and they kindly put up notices both inside and outside the shop haha Halls Gimbap Main Branch was originally the Seocho branch of O Tto Gimbap, but it seems circumstances forced them to take the old sign down~ Luckily, they paid a transfer fee to receive the menu and recipes, so they say there's no problem operating as is. The owner, the staff, the freshness of the ingredients, the seasoning and the taste are all said to be just as before, so you can visit without worry 😆

Do they keep dakgangjeong from getting soggy for takeout?

I took out gimbap and dakgangjeong from Halls Gimbap Main Branch. The dakgangjeong had just been fried piping hot, so they left the lid open to keep it from going soggy and even told me exactly when it's okay to close it. Is this kind of dedication and professionalism why it's a famous spot? haha

• Halls Dakgangjeong S ₩10,000
• Halls Dakgangjeong Set ₩11,000

How does Halls Dakgangjeong S (₩10,000) taste?

They say Halls Dakgangjeong S is prepped fresh every morning of the same day to keep the most important thing, freshness, and is made with domestic chilled chicken thigh meat fried in a house-made sauce. To me, it's the best dakgangjeong of my life.

It's 100% chicken thigh, so there were no dry or tough bits and it was wonderfully tender. They say the house sauce has no corn syrup, so it tastes healthy, clean and delicious.

On top of that, when you order dakgangjeong they toss in plenty of sliced cheongyang chili peppers, so eating it with the sharp, spicy peppers gives you sweet-and-spicy dakgangjeong you won't get tired of.

What's in the Halls Dakgangjeong Set (₩11,000)?

The Halls Dakgangjeong Set comes with gimbap and dakgangjeong together for ₩11,000. If you want a hearty gimbap and tasty dakgangjeong but ordering both separately would be too filling and too pricey, the gimbap + dakgangjeong set is the perfect choice.

The set's gimbap stars fish cake simmered in a special sauce, packed with carrot, cucumber, low-sodium pickled radish and egg strips. The rice is spread thin, with lots of vegetables and protein, so it's great as a healthy diet meal for students and office workers. They also say the seaweed is from clean Wando waters, the eggs are antibiotic-free and the oil is olive oil, so it's a lunch spot in Seocho near Gyodae you can trust haha

The dakgangjeong in the set, in just the right amount, is truly the best dakgangjeong of my life..! Crispy, with a sharp spiciness and sweet seasoning, it's an addictive dish.

Who is Halls Gimbap Main Branch good for?

Halls Gimbap Main Branch is good for eating alone near Gyodae Station, and it's also great for students and office workers who want a quick, easy, filling lunch, so I highly recommend it 👍