10-minute wait for Saturday lunch udon and katsu in Gwanak: Kosi

On a Saturday for lunch, I was trying to figure out what to eat near Seoul National University Entrance Station when I finally made it to Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch, a place I'd wanted to try for a while.

I'd had my eye on this place because you can enjoy chewy udon and crispy pork cutlet together. Trying it in person, both the udon noodles and the katsu had such distinct charms that the visit really stuck with me.

If you're searching for good restaurants near Seoul National University Entrance Station and can't decide between udon and pork cutlet, this is a fun spot for picking a menu.

How long is the Saturday lunch wait at Kosi?

The Saturday lunch wait at Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch was about 10 minutes. We visited during Saturday lunch hour.

Since it was the weekend, there were already people waiting when we arrived. I was a little worried about how long it might take, but the actual wait was only about 10 minutes. Our turn came faster than expected, so it wasn't too much of a hassle.

Walking inside, the interior caught my eye right away — clean but warm.

True to a place that specializes in udon and katsu, the whole atmosphere felt like a real restaurant in Japan. Best of all, you could see the kitchen boiling udon noodles and frying katsu — hearing the frying sounds while waiting made me even hungrier haha. Opening the menu, there were so many kinds of udon and pork cutlet that I spent a while deciding.

Among restaurants near Seoul National University Entrance Station, this seemed like a good option when you want noodles and katsu in one place.

Tori tempura bukkake udon set: tsuyu flask and chewy noodles

What I picked was Kosi's tori tempura bukkake udon set. As soon as the food arrived, the first thing that caught my eye was that the udon and the tzuyu (dipping/pouring sauce) came separately. The tzuyu in particular came in a tiny gourd-shaped flask, and it was so cute. Getting to pour the tzuyu myself rather than having it already mixed in made it more fun to watch, too.

The way to eat it is simple — pour as much tzuyu from the flask onto the udon noodles as you like, then mix it in well before eating.

Before pouring the tzuyu, I tried a bite of the noodles plain, and they were much chewier than I expected. Compared to the usual soft udon noodles, these had a lot more bounce, and the springy texture stayed alive the more I chewed. Even though I couldn't eat right away because I was busy taking photos, the noodles didn't go soft quickly, which I liked.

Once I poured the tzuyu and mixed it in, a salty, savory flavor soaked right into the noodles. It had a different charm from broth-filled udon, and I kept reaching for more with my chopsticks. If you usually like springy, chewy noodles, this is a udon dish worth keeping in mind when looking for udon near Seoul National University Entrance Station.

The crispy tori tempura that comes with the udon

The tori tempura (fried chicken) that came with the bukkake udon deserves a mention too. After eating chewy udon for a while, alternating in some crispy fried chicken really changed up the texture in a good way.

Going back and forth between the chewy noodles, salty tzuyu, and crispy tori tempura, I ended up nearly finishing the whole bowl before I knew it.

For someone like me who finds udon alone a bit lacking and wants fried food alongside it, this combination was a great fit.

Can't pick just one? The fresh pork loin half-and-half katsu set

The person I went with picked Kosi's fresh pork loin half-and-half katsu set. The feature of this menu is that one plate gives you half regular pork cutlet and half cheese pork cutlet.

No need to agonize over regular katsu versus cheese katsu — you get to try both, which felt like a smart pick the moment I saw it on the menu. Since it uses fresh pork loin, the meat was quite thick, too. The breading outside was crispy while the loin inside stayed moist, so you could really feel the contrast in texture between the outside and inside.

The cheese pork cutlet in particular caught my eye. The moment it was cut, the cheese inside stretched out in long strings — impossible not to photograph.

Eating the salty, savory cheese together with the thick loin had a different charm from regular pork cutlet. One side was a clean, plain loin cutlet, and the other was a savory cheese cutlet, so alternating between them meant you didn't get tired of it until the end. I got to try a piece too, and it made me want to order the half-and-half katsu myself as my pork cutlet pick near Seoul National University Entrance Station on a future visit.

As a side, we also had the sweet potato cheese korokke, which was nutty and crispy and delicious.

Where to eat lunch near Seoul National University Entrance Station

Visiting in person, I found that Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch makes it easy to decide on a menu with a group even when everyone's tastes differ, since you can each pick udon or pork cutlet separately.

If you like chewy noodles like I do, go for the tori tempura bukkake udon; if you want to try crispy katsu and cheese katsu at once, look into the half-and-half katsu. Keep in mind there may be a wait on Saturday lunch like we had, so plan accordingly.

Personally, what stuck with me most from this visit was the chewy noodles of the bukkake udon. Pouring the tzuyu myself from the little flask was fun, and adding the tori tempura made for a satisfying meal overall. If you're looking for good restaurants near Seoul National University Entrance Station or trying to decide between udon and pork cutlet for lunch there, it's worth checking out Kosi's menu.

Next time, I'm planning to try the fresh pork loin half-and-half katsu set that my friend had. :)