Hongdae Korean restaurant: egg-free vegetable bibimbap at Kimgane

It felt like a waste to stay home, so Eolleongi (얼렁이) is out and about again! Haha. Today I was wondering what to have for dinner in Hongdae and ended up at Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch (김가네 동교동삼거리점)! Hongdae has tons of great restaurants, but when you're eating alone, it's hard to decide where to go, right? So today I picked Kimgane, which is easy for solo dining and also has hearty Korean dishes.

And the thing is... the rice in the bibimbap here was unusually good?! Let me walk you through it one by one: the vegetable bibimbap I had for dinner in Hongdae, the solo seats and how to order, and info on the gimbap menu! Haha.

Where is Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch?

Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch is close to Exit 5 of Hongik Univ. Station, at 7 Sinchon-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the first floor. It's a good spot for dinner in Hongdae, and also handy for a quick meal while shopping nearby.

The opening hours were posted at the entrance when I visited, so please check the photo too!

What's on the menu besides gimbap?

Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch has far more than gimbap: ramyeon, udon, bibimbap, fried rice and stews. There were also warm seasonal menus posted separately, such as beef stone-pot bibimbap, udon and soft tofu stew (sundubu-jjigae).

Kimgane makes you think of gimbap first, right? But looking at the menu, there's a much wider variety than I expected! It works for days when you want a light gimbap in Hongdae, and for days when you crave a proper rice meal, Korean food is a fine choice too.

On a chilly day, a warm menu like these would make a good Hongdae dinner, wouldn't it? But I decided on vegetable bibimbap (rice bowl mixed with vegetables) today!

Are there comfortable seats for eating alone in Hongdae?

Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch has a long bar counter along the window where you sit in a row, which makes eating alone easy. These solo seats were my favorite part of the place.

It's comfortable to sit by yourself, and you can look out at the street while you eat.

When I visited, there were really a lot of people eating alone. So even though I came in to eat solo, I didn't feel self-conscious at all.

I like this atmosphere where nobody pays attention to anyone else and everyone is busy eating. A place where you don't even have to think about the fact that you came alone, you know?

Besides the solo seats, there are regular tables, so it looked fine for two or more people too. If you're choosing a place to eat alone in Hongdae, I recommend the window seats!

How do ordering and side dishes work?

At Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch, you order at the kiosk by the entrance and get side dishes, water and broth yourself from the self-service bar. You check whether your order is ready on the screen at the front.

At first the kiosk was showing an English screen and I was like, huh...? I panicked for a second, but you can just switch it to Korean. There are so many foreign customers here that it made sense.

After you order, you can check on the screen at the front whether your menu is ready.

The self-service bar had kimchi, pickled radish (danmuji) and warm broth. I grabbed kimchi and water myself. This self-service style actually felt more comfortable when eating alone.

The vegetable bibimbap at Kimgane: the rice was different

My dinner that evening was the vegetable bibimbap at Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch, ordered without egg. What surprised me most was neither the vegetables nor the gochujang (red chili paste) but the rice, which was unusually moist and sticky compared with other Kimgane branches.

And here comes today's star! The bibimbap had lots of different vegetables evenly arranged, so it looked hearty just to look at. The reason I picked bibimbap for a solo dinner in Hongdae was actually simple.

I just wanted warm rice loaded with vegetables, haha. And it turned out to be a very good choice. But what surprised me most this visit wasn't the vegetables or the gochujang... it was the rice.

Bibimbap is something I often eat at other Kimgane branches too. But here the rice felt unusually moist and sticky. It had a freshly cooked kind of moisture, and the more I chewed, the softer it got.

With bibimbap you usually focus on the seasoning and the toppings, but here the rice itself was so good that I was shocked. I mean, who gets moved by plain rice when they came for bibimbap? Haha.

I added gochujang and mixed it up, and the vegetables blended evenly and went really well with the moist rice. One spoonful and I was already thinking about the next! If you're considering bibimbap as a Korean meal in Hongdae, I'd recommend the vegetable bibimbap at Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch.

Topping it with kimchi from the self-service bar

Of course bibimbap needs kimchi! I put a piece of kimchi from the self-service bar on top and ate them together. Moist bibimbap plus crunchy kimchi! This combo was quietly delicious too.

It was a very filling dinner in Hongdae. I really feel like I've only eaten properly when I've had rice, haha. Gimbap is great, but on a day like today when you crave a hearty Korean meal, bibimbap was just right.

Can you leave out ingredients for a vegan-style meal at Kimgane in Hongdae?

At Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch, the writer ordered the vegetable bibimbap without egg, and when asking the staff, was told they can also make gimbap without egg and ham. This could help anyone looking for vegetarian-style options in Hongdae or who wants to leave out certain ingredients.

However, I didn't check whether other ingredients like the broth or seasonings are vegan, so if you want a strict vegan meal, please confirm when you order. This time I had the vegetable bibimbap, but next time I'm going to try the gimbap menu in Hongdae with changes like this! Haha.

A lively restaurant with lots of takeout and delivery orders

Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch was so busy that takeout orders kept piling up on one side even while I ate. During my visit, I saw quite a lot of packed food.

Lots of foreign customers, lots of people eating alone, and takeout orders too! The place was far livelier than I expected. It seemed like many customers also come to take away gimbap in Hongdae or use the Korean menu for a quick, easy meal.

The empty bowl is my proof

And in the end... I cleaned the whole thing out, hahaha. The empty bowl explains for me how good today's bibimbap was. Because the rice was moist, I could enjoy it right to the last bite.

After the meal, you just return the empty bowl to the tray return window and you're done! From ordering to returning dishes, everything is self-service, so using the place was simple. Laziness beats everything, but Eolleongi beats it with delicious rice.

Verdict: a solo dinner in Hongdae at Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch

I liked that Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch has plenty of good seats for eating alone, but above all, the vegetable bibimbap is what stayed with me. The rice was unusually moist and sticky compared with other branches, with vegetables evenly mixed in! I think it's a decent choice if you want a filling Korean meal in Hongdae.

The menu is varied too, so it's a good reference for anyone looking for gimbap in Hongdae or wondering what to have for dinner there. And if you're looking for vegetarian-style options in Hongdae, it's worth knowing that ingredient changes are possible.

Next time I eat alone in Hongdae, I plan to try the gimbap at Kimgane Donggyodong Samgeori branch! I can't wait to see how well it wins over Eolleongi's taste buds again! Haha.