Hongdae Italian restaurant: gochujang butter pasta at Omil

Finding Omil Hongdae from Hongik University Station

Today, I visited ✔️Omil Hongdae (오밀 홍대)✔️, a great-value pasta spot in Hongdae!

From Exit 8 of Hongik University Station, walk straight for about two minutes, then turn right at the Starbucks on the corner. Omil Hongdae is right in front of you on the second floor! It’s directly opposite Hongdae AK Plaza.

Friday lunch wait and the restaurant atmosphere

We arrived around noon on a Friday, and there was a wait—as you’d expect from such a popular place! Still, it moved quickly after about 10 minutes, haha. There were dedicated waiting seats too, so it was comfortable while we waited~

While waiting, we checked out the signature-menu display on the wall, haha. The gochujang butter pasta 🌶️ and Rubber Duck omurice 🐤 looked so delicious!

There were plenty of tables for two and four, so it looked great both for a date and for coming with a group >_<

What we ordered and the self-service bar

We ordered sizzling cheese katsu (₩19,900), gochujang butter pasta (₩18,900), Rubber Duck omurice (₩16,900), and drinks.

Ring the bell and a staff member comes over to take your order, haha 🔔 So cute, right?

While waiting for the food, we picked up water, pickles, and more from the self-service bar! There are chargers there too, just so you know~

Finally, our drinks and food arrived. Everything came out together in order, which was perfect for photos 👍

Sizzling cheese katsu with melting cheese

The dish I was most excited for was this sizzling cheese katsu!

The staff member thoughtfully gave us time to get our video ready before pouring on the cheese, haha. Can you see that cheese flowing? 🤤

If you love cheese, you really have to try the sizzling cheese katsu. The rich cheese and katsu combo is insane 👍

When I cut into the katsu, mozzarella cheese flowed out from the inside too… cheese + cheese = 🩷

There are grilled onions underneath the katsu too, so make sure to eat them together~

Rubber Duck omurice and the free duck toy

Next up was the Rubber Duck omurice—the reason I came to Omil Hongdae 🐤 My younger cousins were coming to Seoul, and while I was deciding where to take them, I saw this omurice and ended up coming here ☺️

I didn’t know this, but that duck toy isn’t just decoration—it’s a free giveaway!! (No secret that I liked it even more than my younger cousins did…)

The Rubber Duck omurice was even cuter in person than I expected 😆

Looking at the duck-shaped quail eggs, I thought about how someone must have attached every little eye and beak one by one, and it almost felt too cute to eat.

It wasn’t just about the looks either: the soft egg and tangy sauce went so well together that we scraped the plate clean!

The gochujang butter pasta all three of us chose

Finally, I tried the gochujang butter pasta. It was less spicy than I expected and so tasty! The nutty gochujang butter with the little flag in it was especially delicious 🤤

All three of us picked the gochujang butter pasta as our best menu item, so it’s the kind of dish you’d regret not ordering. You really have to try it too 👍

A bite of pasta + gochujang butter + meat is pure heaven ☺️✨

Restroom amenities and a visit tip

By the way, the restroom is right in front of the restaurant, and I loved that they thoughtfully provided mouthwash and hand cream, haha.

If you’re looking for a great-value pasta restaurant near Hongik University Station, definitely give Omil Hongdae a visit!