Hongdae restaurant dinner with rubber duck omurice: Omil

A Hongdae dinner date with my younger friend back from Australia

I finally made plans in Hongdae with a dear younger friend—my former coworker—who had gone to Australia for language study! She is so full of dreams and gets things done, and she had only recently returned to Korea. While wondering which good restaurant to visit, we decided on this place, famous for its adorable plating!

In the end, the cute plating was such a visual treat! And the flavor? Absolutely. Per. Fect. ★ Let me introduce you to Omil Hongdae (오밀 홍대)!

It is a five-minute walk from Exit 4 or Exit 8 of Hongik University Station!

Omil Hongdae is on the second floor! Even the stairs up are sooo cute~

Weeknight waiting and the restaurant atmosphere

This is a place where queues build up on weekends, whether it is lunch or dinner! Luckily, there was no wait on this weekday evening. (There may still be a wait at weekday lunch.)

Shall we open the door and head in~?

First comes the counter and cooking area,

and there are window-side seats and an inner dining room. With a range of tables for two through three or four people, this would be great for a Hongdae get-together or group meal! And for a date—need I even say it~?

The soft lighting would make a selfie with your companion look lovely, too~

Omil is named after “oh! meal :)”—that is why it is Omil, haha.

The self-service bar has chargers, paper cups, napkins, wet wipes, pickles, small side plates, a purified-water tap, and trays.

What we ordered at Omil Hongdae and the prices

Here is the menu. They are also running a Naver review event, so be sure to join in and claim the perk~

Looking over the menu, the set for two also seemed well priced and nicely put together—perfect for enjoying a special day with a generous spread!

• Rubber Duck Omurice (₩16,900)
• Spicy Seafood Pasta (₩17,900)
• Pineapple Ade (₩6,900)
• Basil Tomato Ade (₩7,900)

This is what we went with~

Two ades served in golden cups

The ades arrived first after ordering. The pineapple ade—haha—came in a golden pineapple cup. What a clever touch~

The pineapple ade tasted full of juice and fruit pieces, while the basil tomato ade was wholesome, refreshing, and fragrant!

Rubber duck omurice and spicy seafood pasta

Next came the rubber duck omurice—ahhh, so cute!! Right, this is the signature menu item it is sooo famous for!! You can even take the tube and rubber duck decoration home! This would be a great spot for a Hongdae family meal or family dinner with kids, too ♥

Flavor-wise, it was a combination anyone would enjoy: soft omelet egg with sweet-and-savory sauce and fried rice~

Next came the spicy seafood pasta! It was sharply spicy and salty in such an addictive way... It really does feel hot and intensely seasoned, yet you just cannot stop eating it... ah.

The pairing of these two dishes was seriously sooo good ㅠㅠ

★A full table spread★ Delicious food, cheerful and happy chatter, and time with someone wonderful! This is healing~ >.<

How life in Australia had been, how she had grown, and what she wanted to do next... Hearing this lovely younger friend’s updates and plans, I felt unexpectedly touched to see how much more mature she had become. Omil Hongdae was such a fitting space for this kind of long chat, too.

If you are looking for a cute, pretty, good-vibe restaurant for a Hongdae date, or a decent place for a Hongdae family meal with children, I recommend Omil Hongdae!