Fish cake udon with extra tonkatsu and cold soba for two: Kosi, Gwanak

I hadn't seen a friend of mine — well, more like a younger sibling figure — in a while, so we met up for a meal at Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch. Whenever we meet near Seoul National University Entrance, picking a place is oddly hard. There are so many good spots around Sharosu-gil that we always end up going "so... what do we eat?" for way too long haha.

That day I was craving warm udon but also wanted tonkatsu, so after some searching I settled on Kosi. In the end we ended up eating udon, tonkatsu, soba, and tempura all in one sitting — pretty thorough, if I do say so myself.

Where is Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch?

The address is 466 Bongcheon-ro, 101ho, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, about 144m from Exit 5 of Seoul National University Entrance Station. It's genuinely close to the station — just a short walk from Exit 5, which makes it an easy meeting spot.

It's also a convenient option for anyone searching for places to eat near Seoul National University Entrance Station, or for Bongcheon-dong or Sharosu-gil restaurants in general.

What two people ordered at Kosi

Here's what we ordered that day at Kosi:

• Fish cake udon + extra tonkatsu
• Soba noodles
• Sweet potato cheese croquette (2 pcs)
• Shrimp tempura (2 pcs)

We went in planning to just eat something simple, but by the time we finished ordering, we'd filled the table with sides too haha. Still, sharing everything between the two of us made the menu choices feel satisfying.

How were the fish cake udon noodles?

The first thing that caught my eye when the fish cake udon arrived was the noodles. They're thicker and plumper than typical udon noodles, and lifting them with chopsticks you could really feel the springiness.

They go down smoothly but still have a good amount of chew. Personally I prefer this chewier style over noodles that have gone too soft, so the noodles alone won me over.

The broth is clean and mild rather than punchy. It has fish cake, mushrooms, and green onion in it, and eating it warm felt easy on the stomach. Between a bite of chewy noodles and a sip of broth, I kept going back for more.

Adding tonkatsu to the udon at Kosi

Eating udon alone felt like it'd leave us a little short, so I added tonkatsu too. Even while taking photos I liked how thick the cutlet looked. The outside was fried crisp while the inside stayed moist and tender.

Despite the thickness, it wasn't dry at all, which made it easy to eat. A bite of crispy tonkatsu followed by a sip of warm udon broth turned out to be a surprisingly good combo. No need to choose between udon or tonkatsu — you can just have both haha.

Personally, the fish cake udon with extra tonkatsu combo was the most filling and satisfying dish of the day.

If you're looking for a place near Seoul National University Entrance Station and craving udon, ordering this way is a solid choice.

How the cold soba is served

My friend ordered the soba noodles. It came on a wide plate with a generous portion of buckwheat noodles, alongside tsuyu dipping sauce, green onion, grated radish, and wasabi served separately.

You add plenty of grated radish and green onion into the tsuyu, mix in a bit of wasabi, then dip the noodles in. It's refreshing and slightly salty, and the radish gives it a clean finish.

Going from warm udon to a bite of cold soba has its own charm. If you're visiting as a pair, ordering one udon and one soba to share is a good idea too. No need to agonize over hot or cold —

you can just have both haha.

Croquettes and shrimp tempura on the side

Stopping at just noodles felt like it would leave us wanting more, so we also ordered the sweet potato cheese croquette (2 pcs) and shrimp tempura (2 pcs) at Kosi. The croquette was crisp outside and sweet and savory inside, good for a bite here and there. The shrimp tempura was fried crisp too, and it paired well with both the udon and the soba.

The main dishes alone would've been plenty, but if you like sharing a bit of everything, adding one side dish is a good move.

In the end, that day we had it all — warm udon, cool soba, thick tonkatsu, and crispy fried sides. Pretty serious dedication to menu selection that day haha.

When you want noodles near Seoul National University Station

Kosi doesn't feel like a place for just one dish — it feels more like somewhere you mix and match udon, soba, tonkatsu, and sides to your taste. If a group of udon lovers, soba lovers, and tonkatsu lovers went together, nobody would need to fight over the menu haha. Above all, the udon noodles were what stuck with me most that day.

Thick, chewy noodles with warm broth, plus crispy tonkatsu on top, made for a proper, satisfying meal.

Being close to Seoul National University Entrance Station makes it easy to get to, and the varied menu makes it a comfortable spot to eat with friends or siblings. If you're looking for restaurants near Seoul National University Entrance Station, or craving udon, soba, or tonkatsu among Bongcheon-dong or Sharosu-gil restaurants, it's worth a visit. Next time I go, I'll probably add tonkatsu to udon again — once you've tried the combo, you can't resist it haha.

Chewy udon, thick tonkatsu, refreshing soba, and crispy sides all in one visit — that was Kosi near Seoul National University Entrance.