Konkuk Univ. rice bowl date spot: spicy pork jowl set, Hekbap

What is Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch?

Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch is a restaurant near Konkuk Univ. Station that specializes in Japanese home-style rice bowls (donburi) and ramen. I went on a date around Konkuk, ate well and did lots of fun things, and the Konkuk Univ. restaurant I enjoyed most was Hekbap, so I'm going to introduce it to you!

Hekbap is known for keeping the local flavors of everything from rice bowls to soba, udon, curry, katsu and ramen, which makes it even tastier. There are lots of branches, mostly near universities. The name means "core rice" (핵심 밥), and it carries the ambition of putting care into every bowl and serving the tastiest meal. Just like the name says, the full-of-care lineup and the taste left me satisfied, so here's my review.

Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch location, hours and parking

Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch is at 127 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd floor. It's open daily 11:00–21:00, with a break time of 15:00–16:30 and last order at 20:30! There's no parking, so I think you can leave your car at a nearby public parking lot.

As a proper Konkuk Univ. restaurant, it's close to Konkuk Univ. Station: walk about 4 minutes from Exit 3 and it's right there on the 2nd floor.

The menu is really varied, so you can come even with someone whose tastes are different from yours, no pressure!

What are the atmosphere and seating like at Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch?

When you walk in, Hekbap's core values are written at the entrance: they say they work hard to provide fresh ingredients, care, generous portions and a comfortable space.

The dining room is spacious, reaching far to the back, and there are lots of solo seats, so there were plenty of places to sit. It's a seating setup that's great for eating alone. The chandelier on the ceiling and the Japanese-feeling decor on the walls caught my eye.

There's a self-serve corner where you can get extra side dishes, but they already give you plenty by default, so I don't think we used it.

What did we order at Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch?

You order and even pay on a tablet. There were cold soba sets as new summer menu items, but since this is a rice bowl specialist, I wanted to try the rice bowls first, so we ordered the spicy pork jowl bowl set and the cube steak bowl.

The set comes with 2 pieces of fried chicken and a mini udon added. The fried chicken was so good that I recommend getting the set or adding it as a side!

They were running a review event: post a Naver receipt review and you get a free drink, so post your review and enjoy a drink!

While we sat waiting after ordering, we played with the "Magic Worry Solver" placed at every seat and chatted, and before we knew it the food arrived.

The cutlery is neatly wrapped one set at a time, and every seat has tissues and wet wipes, so we never had to call a staff member.

The table shows how to enjoy each dish at its best, and for the rice bowls the point is not to mix them.

Is Hekbap's pork jowl bowl spicy enough to scare off spice-shy eaters?

The pork jowl bowl at Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch has a smoky, spicy-sweet sauce, and even I, someone who can't handle spice, finished it happily. The aroma was amazing the moment it arrived. There's a chili icon on the pork jowl bowl, so I knew it was spicy, but the spicy smell was no joke.

It's the pork jowl bowl set, piled high over the rice with lots of pork jowl, so it was a hearty meal. The pork jowl's signature crunchy texture was there, and you could tell the vegetables were fresh.

I put some of the topping on the rice and took a bite, and right away there was a smoky flavor and the spicy-sweet sauce hit with a kick, so good. Even though I can't handle spice, it was deliciously spicy and I ate it well. Toward the end I was sniffling a bit, but it wasn't so hot that I couldn't eat it. Onion, green onion, mushrooms and other vegetables with nice textures are in there too, which made it even better.

Set fried chicken, mini udon and grilled rice cake

Wow, the fried chicken in the Hekbap set was so good. The sauce comes on top, so it was tender yet crispy. The sauce tastes like sweet mayonnaise, and it went really well.

The mini udon broth was seriously rich, and it gave me a jolt on par with the intense pork jowl bowl. The noodles were cooked just right, too, and tasty.

I ate the rice cake as dessert, and since it's grilled, it was perfect for that.

What does Hekbap's cube steak bowl taste like?

The cube steak bowl at Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch is drizzled with a soy-sauce-based sauce, and I liked that there was a lot of meat. I put some topping on the rice and took a bite, and the cube steak's meaty aroma was no joke and the meat was completely tender.

The sauce is mild but seasoned just right. The cube steak bowl also has mushrooms and green onion, so the varied textures were nice, and as I ate I found sauce pooled at the bottom, but it wasn't salty even eaten as is, which surprised me.

Is Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch good for dates and solo meals?

It was my first time eating rice bowls at Hekbap, and with big portions, a varied menu and good taste, I think it's a great place for a date and for eating alone. If you're looking for a Konkuk Univ. restaurant, a good-value Konkuk spot, or a good place to eat solo near Konkuk, I recommend Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch!