Gwanak Japanese restaurant with spicy katsudon: Kosi

Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch

466 Bongcheon-ro, Unit 101, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea Hours are 11:00–20:50 daily, with a break from 15:00–17:00.

A Japanese-inspired exterior and dining room

From the exterior alone, it had such a strong Japanese feel that I could immediately tell it was a restaurant specializing in Japanese food! It was neat while still having that distinctive Japanese restaurant atmosphere, so I was excited before even stepping inside :)

There was also a standing sign at the entrance, so I could quickly see what was on the menu from outside. I also liked that there was a separate menu board by the entrance to browse before going in!

Inside, there were not only tables for groups but also separate seats for one, so it looked like a great place to come for a solo meal. It especially felt like somewhere people eating alone at lunchtime could visit comfortably!

And this was the seat I especially liked! It overlooks the view outside the window, and I thought it would be so nice to sit here and enjoy a relaxed meal.

A varied menu, from cold udon to donburi

The menu had lots of options, from basic cold udon to hot udon, plus various Japanese dishes such as tonkatsu and donburi (rice bowls). With so much variety, it seemed like a good place whether I was craving udon, tonkatsu, or a rice bowl! After some deliberation, we ordered bukkake udon and spicy katsudon :)

The table was set with salad dressing, shichimi (Japanese seven-spice blend), sesame seeds, and more, so we could take as much as we needed. Having them ready at the table was convenient because we could add them right away to suit our tastes!

Chewy, springy bukkake udon

Our order arrived all at once, faster than I expected!

Doesn't it look so delicious already? Haha

First, I tried the salad that came with the meal, drizzled with the dressing that had been set out on the table.

And then, the bukkake udon I ordered! There was an option to add shrimp tempura, karaage (Japanese fried chicken), and more on top, but that day I wanted to enjoy the udon itself simply, so I ordered it on its own without toppings. The udon broth was served separately, so I could add it little by little to suit my taste. They also gave me scallions, grated radish, and tempura crumbs separately, so I just added as much as I wanted! I really liked being able to adjust everything to my own taste this way. And honestly... the cold udon noodles here were insane. I'm already a huge cold udon fan, and the noodles I had here were seriously delicious. They were wonderfully chewy and springy, and among all the cold udon I've tried, these were easily some of the best. If you love cold udon, I really hope you try them at least once...!

Gently spicy katsudon

Next was the spicy katsudon! Even though it was labeled spicy, it wasn't overwhelmingly intense; instead, a gentle heat came through and went so well with the katsudon. The slight spiciness added to the soft rice bowl kept it from feeling rich, and I kept going back for more :) Overall, the food was so good and the restaurant was neat, making Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch a very satisfying visit! I especially loved the cold udon noodles, so if I have reason to come to Seoul National University Entrance again, I think it would be great to return for a solo meal or with a group.