Seongsu fusion restaurant for a 5pm date dinner: Omil Seongsu

What kind of place is Omil Seongsu?

Omil Seongsu is a fusion Japanese and fusion Western restaurant on Achasan-ro 5-gil in Seongsu, popular as a Seongsu pasta spot and a date spot. It was a place I really wanted to try in Seongsu. There are several branches, but the Seongsu one looked so cute and prettily put together that I had to visit. Maybe because it's known for its pasta, it seemed like a lot of couples come here for meals on Seongsu dates.

• Address: 37-1 Achasan-ro 5-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Unit 101, 1st floor)
• Hours: daily 11:30-21:15
• Last order: 20:30

Omil is a fusion Japanese and Western brand that reworks both cuisines in its own style. The shop is charming and memorable too, so you'll probably want to stop by on a Seongsu date.

What was the atmosphere like at 5pm?

We arrived around 5pm, just as dinner time starts, and before long the place was packed with customers. The modern, clean interior left a good impression.

At Omil Seongsu you get a free service item if you write a Naver receipt review or a Google Maps review, so why not leave a quick review and get something extra?

What did we order at Omil Seongsu?

True to its reputation as a Seongsu pasta spot, Omil Seongsu has lots of pasta, but there are also omurice (omelet rice) and cheese katsu (cheese-filled cutlet), so the choice was wide. We focused on signature dishes and picked what we'd wanted to try.

The side menu has Omil soba maki and truffle fries. I'd seen the soba maki in so many reviews that I had to order it too. So we ordered Omil's signature soba maki as well.

What's in the self-serve corner?

The self-serve corner at Omil Seongsu has aprons, water, cups, pickles and more, so help yourself. Since it's a Seongsu date restaurant, I saw plenty of guys, mostly the ones out on dates, grabbing things from the self-serve bar.

All our dishes arrived: the Omil soba maki, sizzling iron-plate cheese katsu and Rubber Duck omurice.

What does the Omil soba maki taste like?

Omil soba maki is a fusion Japanese dish: buckwheat noodles rolled up like gimbap (seaweed rice roll). The end piece stamped with a cute character seal stood out. In general, the food decorations at Omil Seongsu are cute and detailed, with plenty of touches I think women will love.

It's just rolled egg, but give it a face and it becomes endlessly cute.

The soba maki rolls egg, cucumber and more in buckwheat noodles like gimbap, and since it uses noodles instead of rice, I guessed it was low-calorie. Women have to worry about calories even while eating something delicious, and this dish seems to read that need exactly. Boyfriends heading out on a Seongsu date have to think about calories too, don't they?

The soba maki is really good topped with the wasabi and pickled ginger that come with it. It's fusion Japanese, so it's hard to find elsewhere, which made me like Omil's soba maki even more.

How does the Rubber Duck omurice come out?

The Rubber Duck omurice at Omil Seongsu comes with a rubber duck toy on the side of the plate, a free gift of sorts. And an omurice topped with such cute quail-egg ducks! I stared for ages wondering how they make them. The faces are finished with black sesame and corn kernels, and with seven of them together it looked like baby ducks cheeping.

Cuteness aside, I enjoyed the Rubber Duck omurice. Eaten together with the quail eggs, the flavors blended nicely. Ordering something this cute on a Seongsu date would probably make the mood warm and cheerful.

How is the sizzling iron-plate cheese katsu?

For the sizzling iron-plate cheese katsu at Omil Seongsu, the staff set up the dish and pour white cream onto the hot plate, so you can watch the sauce bubble and sizzle right there.

The katsu has stretchy cheese inside and was soft and tasty.

Is Omil Seongsu good for a date dinner?

Omil Seongsu is often visited as a Seongsu pasta restaurant, but surprisingly the omurice and cheese katsu were really good too. It's a place where you can find cute dishes on a Seongsu date, so I think it's popular.