# Gwangjin Japanese restaurant, pre-movie zaru soba set: Hekbap - By Yerin Doh (https://superchart.com/en/@mangnyeon-back-porch/) - Written Sep 21, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gwangjin, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a visit made with support from the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@mangnyeon-back-porch/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@mangnyeon-back-porch/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/index.md) ## In short Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch is a Japanese home-style rice bowl restaurant on the second floor at the entrance of the restaurant alley by Konkuk University Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. Before an evening film screening, two diners shared a cube steak rice bowl and a zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodle) set, and the juicy skirt steak, chilled noodles and thick pork cutlet included with the set all worked well together. Hekbap fills every seat once dinner hour starts, so arriving early is the safer plan. ## Good to know - **Location**: 2nd floor, 127 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, at the entrance of the Konkuk University Station restaurant alley - **What we ordered**: Cube steak rice bowl and zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodle) set with pork cutlet - **Seating**: Tables for two and four plus solo-friendly seats, second-floor window side - **Side dishes**: Refillable pickled radish and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), fried rice cakes with grain syrup - **Drinks**: Free drink through the Naver receipt review event (Pepsi Zero chosen) *as written by the visitor on Sep 21, 2026* On the day of a movie screening near Konkuk Station, I did a frantic search for somewhere to grab a quick dinner beforehand. Among all the options, Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch caught my eye for its clean, tidy set-meal presentation, so I headed over. ![Exterior of Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch in the Konkuk Station restaurant alley](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-01-4ng1u-900.webp) ![View near the 2nd-floor entrance of Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-02-151on-900.webp) ## Where Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch is and what the room feels like Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch sits on the 2nd floor right at the entrance to the Konkuk Station restaurant alley, so it was really easy to find even on my first visit. Stepping inside, the warm wood-toned interior stood out, and the whole space was clean and pleasant — it made a great first impression. There were tables for two and four, plus a nicely set-up space for solo diners, making it look like a great spot for both solo meals and dates with friends. ![Wood-toned interior seating at Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-03-1x4uu-900.webp) ## What we ordered at Hekbap before the screening The menu ranges from rice bowls to ramen, soba, and katsu, so we happily agonized over what to get. ![Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch menu listing rice bowls, ramen, soba, and katsu](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-04-hhi8d-1200.webp) We decided to order the cube steak rice bowl, which really lets you taste the meat, and the cold jaru soba (chilled buckwheat noodle) set to beat the heat, and share both. ![Cube steak rice bowl and jaru soba set from Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-05-1vgvj-900.webp) ![Set meal served on an individual tray at Hekbap](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-06-10ilv-900.webp) Soon our order arrived on a neat individual tray each. The tidy, cute presentation was a pleasure to look at even before we started eating. The crispy fried rice cake was delicious too. The jaru soba's cold broth and chewy noodles felt refreshing all the way down. ![Jaru soba with buckwheat noodles in chilled tsuyu broth with ice](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-07-1k2fw-900.webp) ### How the cube steak rice bowl tastes We tried the signature cube steak rice bowl. Thick-cut skirt steak came off the grill golden brown, and the first bite was full of savory juices and the umami of the house sauce — excellent. Shishito peppers, onion, and mushrooms were added generously too, giving it a really satisfying texture. Topping the rice with meat and vegetables, plus a touch of fresh wasabi, made for a clean finish without any heaviness. ![Cube steak rice bowl topped with skirt steak, shishito peppers, and onion](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-08-11otg-853.webp) ### The thick pork cutlet served with the zaru soba set The pork cutlet served with the jaru soba set was thick, with juicy meat inside and a crispy outside — really tasty. ![Thick-cut pork cutlet with sauce and cabbage salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-09-1g9mp-900.webp) The crispy cutlet paired really well with its sauce. I also enjoyed the cabbage salad. Dipping the chewy, springy buckwheat noodles into the cold tsuyu broth with ice cubes floating in it felt refreshing all the way through. The pork cutlet that came with the set was honestly the real MVP! Fresh out of the fryer, crispy outside with juicy meat still inside, it paired beautifully with the cold soba. Alternating between a hearty, filling bite of steak bowl, a crispy bite of cutlet, and a clean bite of cold soba meant we never got tired of it, right to the last bite. ![Alternating bites of rice bowl, cutlet, and cold soba](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-10-1gju1-900.webp) ![Fried rice cake with grain syrup and side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-11-1de0y-900.webp) ## Side dishes, drinks and the tablet menu at the table Between the standard side dishes and the fried rice cake with grain syrup, we cleaned our plates before we knew it. The basic sides, pickled radish and kkakdugi, were refillable, which was great. ![Refillable pickled radish and kkakdugi side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-12-12aky-900.webp) ![Empty plates on the table at Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-13-wc5nx-900.webp) Thanks to Hekbap's Naver receipt review event, we even got a free drink. We picked Pepsi Zero. Crispy cutlet and cola went really well together. ![Pepsi Zero received through the review event](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-14-19s2j-900.webp) ![The magic book placed on every table at Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-15-13ra5-900.webp) There was a magic book on every table — open to any page and you'll find some good words, enough to blow away any worries in one shot. Eating together and chatting while looking down at the street from the 2nd-floor window, it was suddenly time to head to the screening. ![Street view of Konkuk Station area from the 2nd-floor window](https://img.superchart.com/images/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba-16-wosop-900.webp) ## Is Hekbap worth it for a pre-movie dinner? A tidy set meal that satisfied on flavor, portion, and atmosphere all at once. As dinner hour approached, the tables filled up completely — I was glad we came early. If you're looking for a clean, filling meal near Konkuk University, I highly recommend Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch, where you can enjoy a juicy rice bowl alongside refreshing cold soba! Next time I want to try the mazesoba. ## Where it is - Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch (핵밥 건대본점) - 127 Neungdong-ro, 2nd floor, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 광진구 능동로 127 2층 - 37.5422709, 127.0714384 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%95%B5%EB%B0%A5%20%EA%B1%B4%EB%8C%80%EB%B3%B8%EC%A0%90/@37.5422709,127.0714384,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@mangnyeon-back-porch/haekbap-konkuk-cube-steak-zaru-soba/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt