Sharosu-gil udon restaurant, Seoul: cold udon à la carte vs set, Kosi

Chewy udon noodles, crispy tempura, and if you want the pork cutlet too, go for the set🍤

I went to Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch (코시) for lunch near Seoul National University Station! I'd been curious about this Sharosu-gil favorite because you can get cold udon and tonkatsu (pork cutlet) together. The tori ten bukkake udon (udon topped with chicken thigh tempura) was especially good. I'd go back just for it, haha. Even the à la carte version was more filling than I expected, and the cutlet that comes with the set was great too, so I'll leave notes on the difference between the two!

Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch: hours and break time

Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch is at 466 Bongcheon-ro, Unit 101, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, and is open daily 11:00–20:50. Break time is 15:00–17:00, and takeout, delivery and reservations are all listed as available.

If you're planning a late lunch, remember that break time starts at 3 p.m., so check before you go!

Is there a wait at Kosi on Sharosu-gil at 2 p.m.?

I got there around 2 p.m. on a weekday, after the lunch peak, and walked straight in without waiting. Even then, about four tables were still eating.

Kosi is known as a go-to spot near Seoul National University Station, and the exterior is clean and nice-looking, so it caught my eye before I even went in👀 There's a menu board outside too, so you can check the dishes and prices before you enter!

There's a waiting list at the entrance, but we came around 2 p.m., after the lunch peak, so we were seated right away. Even then, about four tables were still eating🫢

Kosi seating: is it good for solo diners?

Inside Kosi, the kitchen is open, and there are seats for one to four people. It looked fine for a solo lunch or a meal for two!

There was actually someone eating alone! The staff were friendly too, so we had a comfortable meal, haha.

Kosi menu: cold udon à la carte vs set, what's the difference?

Kosi's à la carte udon comes with one inari sushi (fried tofu pouch rice) and a salad, and choosing the set adds a pork cutlet. We ordered two things: the tori ten bukkake udon (cold) à la carte for ₩11,000 and the tempura bukkake udon (cold) set for ₩16,000.

• Tori ten bukkake udon (cold), à la carte: ₩11,000
• Tempura bukkake udon (cold) set: ₩16,000

Even the à la carte udon I ordered came with udon + 1 inari sushi + a salad. Choosing the set adds the pork cutlet! If udon alone feels like not enough and you want to try the cutlet too, the set seems like the right fit~!

Tori ten bukkake udon: crispy chicken thigh tempura

The tori ten bukkake udon (cold) was my favorite of the day💛 It's topped with big pieces of chicken thigh tempura, and even the à la carte version made a filling meal.

Each piece of fried chicken on top was quite big, so it looked hearty from the moment it arrived👀 Crispy outside, with moist, tender chicken thigh inside. Perfect combo!

Even though I ordered à la carte, eating the tempura with the inari sushi and salad felt like a proper full meal, haha.

What are Kosi's handmade udon noodles like?

Oh! The noodles at Kosi are also made by the owner himself. They're 1.5 times thicker than regular udon, and chewy with a kind of packed-full feeling?, so they were filling and delicious🤤

Ten bukkake udon set: when you want tonkatsu too

The tempura bukkake udon set (cold, ₩16,000) comes with udon topped with a huge shrimp tempura and kabocha squash tempura, plus a pork cutlet.

I tried a bite of the shrimp tempura too, and it was so crispy outside and moist inside that I thought, this place really knows how to fry!! And then the pork cutlet that came with the set! I came for udon and was surprised the cutlet was so good too😳

The meat was moist, and the coating tasted so clean, like it was fried in really fresh oil…!

Lunch near Seoul National University Station: what to order at Kosi

If you like fried chicken, get the tori ten bukkake udon; if you want shrimp tempura and the pork cutlet together, get the tempura bukkake udon set! The chewy noodles at Kosi were good, but the tempura is what stuck with me most.

It's a good place for a meal with a friend or a date, and also somewhere I'd stop by again on a day I want good udon by myself. Next time I'll order the tori ten again, haha.