Gyodae gimbap restaurant with a 3pm break time, solo set: Halls

I had some errands near Gyodae today, and while looking for a place I could eat a solid meal alone, I ended up finding somewhere worth sharing.

I'm actually a big fan of gimbap-and-dakgangjeong (Korean fried chicken) combo sets, but the quality varies a lot from place to place, so I always search before going rather than just picking anywhere. This time, while searching for Gyodae Station spots, I found a place famous for its gimbap-dakgangjeong sets — Halls Gimbap Main Branch (홀스김밥본점). Here's my honest review after visiting!

Halls Gimbap opening hours and break time

Halls Gimbap Main Branch runs weekdays 08:30–20:00 and Saturdays 08:00–15:00, closed Sundays. On weekdays there's a break time from 15:00–16:00.

• Weekdays 08:30 – 20:00
• Saturdays 08:00 – 15:00
• Weekday break time 15:00 – 16:00
• Closed Sundays

Since there's a break time, I'd recommend checking before you head over.

How to walk there from Gyodae Station Exit 1

It's about a 5–8 minute walk from Gyodae Station Exit 1. Head straight toward Gangnam Station and turn into one alley, and it's right there — more accessible than I expected.

The area seems to have a lot of office workers, since at lunchtime I saw many people eating quickly alone and heading back out. For someone like me just running errands nearby and looking for a meal, it was an easy, unintimidating spot to stop by.

Bar seats for solo diners and the self-serve broth bar

Walking in, there's a long bar table lined along the wall, perfect for eating alone — I felt completely comfortable, no awkwardness at all.

There's also a table in the center for groups.

And there are outdoor tables too.

On one side there's a self-serve bar with MSG-free bonito broth and hot water for cup noodles. Gimbap and dakgangjeong alone might feel a bit lacking, but being able to add a warm broth on the side made it a much more satisfying meal.

There was also a wide variety of cup noodles to pair with your meal.

On another side there was a kiosk for ordering.

While looking at the menu at my seat, I learned something interesting — this spot used to operate as 'O-to Gimbap' at this same location, and only the name changed to Halls Gimbap Main Branch, while the owner, staff, seasoning, and cooking methods all carried over.

What is on the Halls Gimbap menu

The stars of Halls Gimbap are, of course, the gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) and dakgangjeong. There's a good variety of gimbap, and beyond the single-gimbap-plus-chicken set, there's also a set where you pick two kinds of gimbap to have with the chicken — fun to choose based on your mood.

There were also side dishes like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), plus a variety of cup noodles and drinks, giving it that classic snack-bar feel.

I ended up ordering the set with konjac water-parsley gimbap, green onion tuna gimbap, and dakgangjeong. Being able to enjoy two gimbap flavors at once was especially appealing.

Tasting the half-and-half gimbap and dakgangjeong set

Here's the konjac water-parsley + green onion tuna dakgangjeong set I ordered. Half a roll of konjac water-parsley gimbap, half a roll of green onion tuna, and a small portion of dakgangjeong. If you eat alone often, you know the feeling — you want variety rather than just one dish. This combo really hit the spot for that.

Konjac water-parsley gimbap

First, the konjac water-parsley gimbap! Inside there's water parsley, pickled radish, cabbage, mushroom, and konjac — the moment I bit in, the fragrant aroma of water parsley spread through, tasting really healthy. The seaweed was nutty, the konjac was springy, and the water parsley was crunchy. It felt gentle on the stomach and easy to eat without any heaviness — even though it's gimbap, it felt like eating something genuinely good for you.

Green onion tuna gimbap

Next, the green onion tuna gimbap! This one has tuna, perilla leaf, cabbage, green onion, and pickled radish. The tuna was really generous, so every bite spread that clean, savory tuna flavor through my mouth. The green onion aroma lingered subtly as I chewed, never overpowering, which let the tuna flavor really shine. If you like tuna gimbap normally, you'll especially enjoy this one.

Dakgangjeong with cheongyang chili topping

Finally, the dakgangjeong! Crispy on the outside with a well-coated sweet sauce, and biting in revealed juicy, moist chicken thigh meat inside.

The batter wasn't too thick, so it never felt heavy, and each bite had a satisfying crunch. Adding the cheongyang chili topping brought in a spicy kick that balanced everything perfectly. The sweetness of the sauce combined with bursts of spice meant I never got tired of it and could eat it all the way through.

The verdict on Halls Gimbap

That's my honest rundown of Halls Gimbap Main Branch, a great solo dining spot near Gyodae Station! 📌 To sum it up:

• ✅ 5–8 minute walk from Gyodae Station Exit 1
• ✅ Well-equipped bar seating for solo dining, self-serve broth bar available
• ✅ Great variety of gimbap flavors and dakgangjeong available in solo sets
• ✅ Ingredients' natural flavors really come through, and the dakgangjeong is crispy and delicious

If you're looking for a satisfying solo meal near Gyodae Station, I'd definitely recommend Halls Gimbap Main Branch.