Hearty rice bowl sets for two near Dongguk University: Haekbap

Lately I've been going to Dongguk University a lot, partly to study and partly to prepare for a competition! Since I'm there for so long, I often have to sort out meals nearby, and I heard there's a tasty rice bowl place in the Dongguk student area near Chungmuro Station, so I went to Haekbap Dongguk (핵밥 동국대본점)! It had a great variety, and the food was clean-tasting and delicious, so I was really satisfied~ Let me tell you all about it!

How do you find Haekbap Dongguk?

Haekbap Dongguk is at 11 Seoae-ro 1-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, in an alley inside a building near the Chungmuro Dongguk University student area. Walk straight in from the building entrance, and when the path splits into three, take the left one.

This is the outside of Haekbap, near the Dongguk student area in Chungmuro! It's tucked away in more of a corner than you'd expect, so let me give you directions first.

Walk straight in from the building entrance and you'll reach a path that splits into three. Take the left one!

Keep going left and you'll see Haekbap. Besides rice bowls, there are lots of Japanese-style dishes like ramen, soba and katsu (breaded cutlet), so there's plenty of variety when choosing. I also liked that they set out drinking water outside the shop.

What are the interior and seating like at Haekbap Dongguk?

The inside of Haekbap Dongguk is clean and spacious, with lots of seats. Even in the Dongguk student area, which seems like it must get a lot of college students at lunchtime, we could eat comfortably.

Here's the interior! It's very clean and the shop is roomy, which I liked. It was nice to be able to eat in comfort. Being near the university, I'd guess lots of students come at lunchtime, but there are plenty of seats and it felt pleasant, which was great.

They also keep disposable aprons stocked!

Haekbap Dongguk menu and how to order

Besides rice bowls, Haekbap Dongguk serves ramen, udon, soba, curry and more, and you order on a tablet at your table. Both the menu board and the tablet have food photos, so choosing was easy.

This is the menu of Haekbap, a great rice bowl spot. Not just rice bowls but also ramen, udon, soba, curry and other dishes, which I loved. The signature items even have pictures, which was nice! Oh, and you order on the tablet screen, which also has menu photos, so it was really easy to pick.

Each menu item comes with notes on how to eat it for the best flavor, and overall the service felt really good haha

• Pork rib rice bowl set (돼지갈비양념덮밥 정식) ₩13,900
• Pork jowl rice bowl set (항정살덮밥 정식) ₩14,900

We ordered these two! The sets include karaage and a mini udon.

How are the taste and portion of the pork rib rice bowl set?

The pork rib rice bowl set (₩13,900) at Haekbap Dongguk has plenty of meat, and the dark-looking sauce was seasoned just right once mixed with the rice. For two grown men eating the sets, the portion was generous enough to leave us properly full.

First, the pork rib rice bowl I ordered! As you'd expect from a rice bowl specialist, the main dish looks impressive. There's a lot of meat, onions that go well with it, and the sauce is drizzled all over, which looked delicious~ It lived up to being a rice bowl spot near the Chungmuro Dongguk student area.

The taste was very satisfying too. The sauce looks strong, but mixed with the rice the seasoning was just right, and thanks to the sauce I couldn't taste the usual porky gaminess, which I liked. The onions were cooked nicely and still had a crunchy bite!

Meat rice bowls usually don't have much meat, so partway through you feel like you're running out, but here there was enough to enjoy with the meat until the very end haha. The udon noodles also had a nice chewy texture, which is my favorite, and the broth was seasoned well, so I really enjoyed it. Including me, two grown men eating the sets will get properly full. I was very happy with the portion.

Who is the pork jowl rice bowl set for?

The pork jowl rice bowl set (₩14,900) at Haekbap Dongguk has a spicy sauce that cuts the richness, and the pork jowl keeps its chewy texture. It suits anyone who likes chewy meat with a slightly spicy kick.

Next, the pork jowl rice bowl! The spicy sauce cuts the greasiness, and on the first bite I really liked the chewy texture. As you can see in the photo, the amount of meat is huge hahahaha. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a chewy texture but also wants a slightly spicy taste.

Is Haekbap Dongguk worth recommending to Dongguk students?

Thanks to its well-made rice bowls, wide range of Japanese dishes and generous portions, Haekbap Dongguk is worth recommending to Dongguk students and anyone passing through Chungmuro. Rice bowls come out fast, so it's good for a quick stop between classes, and the big portions looked great for dinner too.

I went to Haekbap Dongguk because I heard there was a great rice bowl place near the Chungmuro Dongguk student area. True to its reputation, the rice bowls were really well made, and I liked that there are plenty of other menu items besides rice bowls. I've had meat rice bowls elsewhere with small portions or poor meat quality, but here the portions were big and the flavor was polished, so I enjoyed it a lot.

They explain how to eat each dish, the menu has pictures that help you choose, and there's drinking water in front of the shop, so I was really satisfied with the service too. I'd recommend it if you're visiting Chungmuro or if you're a Dongguk student!

Location and hours

• Address: 11 Seoae-ro 1-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 중구 서애로1길 11)
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00
• Break time: 15:00–16:30