Hongdae fusion restaurant date lunch: honey truffle fries, Omil

Lethal levels of cuteness: that's Omil Hongdae. It's at 178-8 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd floor, open Mon–Fri 11:30–21:15 and Sat–Sun 11:00–21:15 (last order 20:30). You can also book through Naver Reservation.

Last weekend my boyfriend and I finally got out for a Hongdae date, and we headed to Omil Hongdae for lunch, a place I'd bookmarked from Instagram ages ago. I'd seen their ridiculously cute dishes and decided we had to go, and the timing just worked out.

Omil Hongdae weekend wait: do you queue on the stairs?

For the weekend wait at Omil Hongdae, don't queue on the stairs. Register first at the Catchtable machine inside on the 2nd floor. We arrived around 11:55 and the line already stretched down the stairs.

(I took this photo on the way out after eating! 📸) I asked the person in front of us, "Do we just stand in line here?" They said there was nothing to register, you just stand there, so we started waiting under the blazing sun.

But then, as the line inched forward and we finally got up the stairs, there was a Catchtable waiting-list machine just sitting inside. It was an incredibly hot day, and knowing we could have skipped sweating outside almost made me cry. 😂 If you're going after reading this, please don't stand blankly on the outer stairs like we did. Head straight up and register on Catchtable first!!

When you're 5th in line, you get a KakaoTalk notification, so register and go browse somewhere cool nearby. We finally registered, escaped to the building right across, wandered around in the air conditioning, and before we knew it our turn came and we hurried in.

What's the atmosphere inside Omil Hongdae?

Omil Hongdae is a bright, cool space with lots of natural light. Stepping inside, the sweltering heat outside was instantly forgotten; it felt cool, very bright and comfortable. The interior is clean too, the kind of place where every angle makes a good photo!

Omil Hongdae menu and prices: what did we order for two?

At Omil Hongdae the two of us ordered the signature Rubber Duck Omurice (omelet rice), salmon steak gnocchi, a side of truffle fries, and an Oh! Basil & Tomato Ade. Looking at the menu, we picked the signature Rubber Duck Omurice, the salmon steak gnocchi whose name alone promises it can't be bad, truffle fries as a light side, and one Oh! Basil & Tomato Ade I was curious about!

• Rubber Duck Omurice ₩15,900
• Salmon steak gnocchi ₩18,900
• Truffle fries ₩9,900
• Oh! Basil & Tomato Ade ₩7,900

A self-serve bar with phone chargers

At the Omil Hongdae self-serve bar you can grab water and pickles, and one side has chargers for all kinds of phones. I picked some up while waiting for the food and thought it was a thoughtful touch.

How is the Oh! Basil & Tomato Ade?

The basil tomato ade, ready first a little later, was so cute at first sight! Even the cup and straw are adorable, and the taste is so refreshing and sweet! Basil and tomato is already a can't-go-wrong combo, and I realized it works as a drink too.

By the time I'd finished about half the ade, all our dishes were finally set out on the table in one big spread.

Rubber Duck Omurice: can you take the duck home?

The staff explained that the decorative duck on the Rubber Duck Omurice at Omil Hongdae can be taken home as a souvenir after the meal. Naturally the first thing we dug into was the star, the Rubber Duck Omurice. A sea of sauce, a soft egg blanket, and little quail egg friends sitting on top; it was so cute that my partner and I lost count of how many times we pressed the camera shutter.

I wondered how I could possibly eat something so precious, but as always I took a ton of photos and then scooped it all up with my spoon without mercy. The duck is even a rubber toy that goes "quack" when you squeeze it, haha.

How is the salmon steak gnocchi?

The salmon steak gnocchi at Omil Hongdae looks gorgeous, with a thick, golden-seared salmon fillet sitting on the gnocchi.

The salmon was grilled beautifully and was very moist, and the generous green vegetable garnish on the gnocchi had a subtle spicy kick that cut the richness neatly. The balance was the charm.

Are the truffle fries worth ordering as a side?

The truffle fries (₩9,900) at Omil Hongdae are the perfect side when two mains feels slightly short and three would be too much. We thought three dishes would be too much food so we ordered them casually, and they turned out to be a surprise hit!! Thin, crispy fries with a waft of truffle and a sweet honey coating on the outside; you could eat them nonstop.

Omil Hongdae: an Instagram hotspot, but is the food good too?

Lunch at Omil Hongdae had cute looks and flavor too. Honestly, Instagram hotspot menus built around visuals are often average or disappointing, so I didn't expect much, but it was a satisfying lunch where our eyes had fun and our mouths did too.

I peeked at what everyone else was eating, and lots of people were enjoying the gochujang butter pasta and the iron-plate cutlet with flowing cheese. Both looked fantastic, so my partner and I agreed that next time we crave pasta in Hongdae, we'll try that pair.

The menu and plating are cute, and with high chairs available it looked good for coming with kids too. If you're looking for a hip date restaurant in Hongdae at a reasonable price where both eyes and mouth are happy, Omil Hongdae is worth putting on your list!