Daehangno western restaurant with pineapple-shaped ade cups: Omil

A good restaurant find: Omil Hyehwa Daehangno

Dinner in Hyehwa before the play Western Story

With the holiday coming up, my friend and I decided to have a theater date after ages ~ My friend has been really into a play running right now in Daehangno called Western Story.

She's such a huge fan that she insisted we absolutely had to see it before the run ended, so we timed a weekday evening and headed to Hyehwa.

It had been forever since I'd come to Daehangno to see a play, and the moment I got off at Hyehwa Station I felt this little flutter of excitement haha.

Inside Omil Hyehwa Daehangno: a second-floor room with hand-knit decor

We needed dinner before the show, so we stopped by Omil Hyehwa Daehangno.

Before going, my friend and I looked up the location and browsed food photos, and every dish looked carefully plated with a nice-looking interior too, so I was quietly looking forward to it before we even got there ~

Once we actually stepped inside, the cozy feel, warm lighting, and all the adorable little props exceeded expectations, and I felt so pleased that we'd picked a great spot for dinner even before ordering 😀

Little hand-knit props placed carefully here and there gave the whole place a warm, cute feeling — can you tell too, neighbors?

What we ordered at Omil, and the pineapple-shaped ade cup

Sitting down and wondering what to get, we looked at the menu and ordered the signature gochujang butter pasta, rubber duck omurice, and pineapple ade.

The pineapple ade came out first, served in a sparkling golden pineapple-shaped cup — when that gold pineapple cup showed up, I somehow felt like a treated guest haha.

Wow~!! I was curious where they even got this cup, haha, and it was so pretty I wanted to ask if I could buy one to take home. Then the main dishes arrived and filled the table with even more cuteness 🙈🤭

The gochujang butter pasta came out alongside the rubber duck omurice — the pasta stood out with its stylish color combo and plating, and with the little chick-shaped quail eggs and the rubber duck on top of the omurice, the cuteness was over the top, haha.

(And on top of that, you get to take the rubber duck home as a little gift after the meal!!) But Omil isn't just about a nice atmosphere and cute, well-plated food — it turned out to be a place where the taste itself was really satisfying too ~~

How does Omil's gochujang butter pasta taste?

The gochujang butter pasta had gochujang (Korean red chili paste)'s slight spiciness paired expertly with butter's rich, smooth flavor — the combination felt really well done.

The sauce was flavorful and thick, and the noodles were cooked just right, so the harmony and texture between sauce and noodles were great too.

There was also tender meat that seemed sous-vide cooked served alongside, so even though it was pasta, it felt as filling as getting a sous-vide steak set as well 👍

Rubber duck omurice and the hand-knit chick

The rubber duck omurice also had nicely fried, fluffy fried rice underneath,

topped with soft egg and demi-glace sauce, making it even more delicious as omurice (rice omelet).

The little chick shapes, made by hand one by one in the store, were plated on with real care,

and it felt like they were treating us with love even in one small piece of food, which put me in a good mood.

Why Omil is worth a return visit with a child

With the cute atmosphere of the store, the carefully made food, and the kindness on top of it,

I thought it would be great to stop by here next time I come to Daehangno with my child to see a play, so I've saved it on my visit list. They have baby chairs ready too, so it seems like a good place to drop by with little kids on an outing.

If you're wondering where to eat before a play in Hyehwa Daehangno, or after an outing with kids, I think Omil is worth keeping in mind!!