Hongdae fusion restaurant: risotto that tastes like jeyuk pork, Omil

Where is Omil Hongdae, and how was the wait?

Omil Hongdae is only a 1 or maybe 2 minute walk from Exit 8 of Hongik Univ. Station (Line 2), so it was super easy to find. Look for the bright yellow sign; the restaurant is on the 2nd floor! My husband and I went at opening for this Hongdae place known for its waits.

We arrived around 11:05 and it was already packed inside..... The interior was pretty too, but there were so many people that I couldn't take any photos of it, sob.

We got the last table, and when we left there were 20 teams waiting...!! If you're going to Omil Hongdae, please go at opening, everyone.

Omil Hongdae menu and how to order

The menu was the same as the one on Naver! There's a set menu of 2 dishes + Omil soba maki (a sushi-style roll) + 2 drinks (the side dish can't be changed), plus gochujang pasta, rubber duck omurice (they give you a rubber duck for free), salmon steak gnocchi, spicy seafood pasta, sizzling iron plate cheese katsu (with an optional cheese performance) and more. Everything was fairly safe and familiar, so deciding took forever haha.

Ordering time~ At Omil Hongdae you ring the bell! You can only order after ringing it.

We ordered these four!

• Flat iron spicy risotto 🌶️
• Spicy roe pasta 🌶️
• Truffle fries
• Cherry ade

Self bar, phone charging and the review event

At Omil Hongdae, after ordering you fetch water and pickles from the self bar. Phone charging is self-serve too! Perfect for charging while you eat, right?

Oh! There's also a free drink review event!!

Does the flat iron spicy risotto really taste like jeyuk?

Okay, let's try them one by one!! Omil Hongdae's flat iron spicy risotto is definitely a risotto, but it tasted like jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork)! Hahaha. It was 1 chili 🌶️ on the spice scale, which for a Korean is about the level an elementary schooler could handle!

There's grilled tomato and vegetables in the middle. Warm tomato is always good.

If you can't eat risotto because you dislike the milky taste, you'll definitely be satisfied with this one! (My younger sibling recommended it, saying it's insanely good.)

Is the spicy roe pasta actually spicy?

Omil Hongdae's spicy roe pasta isn't really spicy? It's just full of savory umami. It's sprinkled with pepper, and the staff told us to mix it and eat it with the garlic.

Twirl, twirl~ The smell passes the test already. I can see thin shredded scallion and chives too.

Put garlic and roe on top of the pasta. Then twirl the pasta my husband praised, haha.

The spicy roe pasta is definitely an oil pasta, but it also has a Korean flavor here. The garlic is thick, and eating it together gives you a whole other taste!

Western-style food that Korean-food lovers will like too. It's fusion Western, haha!

Truffle fries and cherry ade

Omil Hongdae's truffle fries are basic thin, crispy fries sprinkled with cheese and parsley. Fries are our love..

There's a subtle truffle aroma and a sweet syrup drizzled on top, so it was a proper sweet-and-salty combo.

I sipped the cherry ade throughout, and it's totally my style.... Not one of those syrupy, ugh-too-sweet ades; it's really refreshing with a subtle sweetness, so it was clean and cool to have alongside the food!!

Who should you go to Omil Hongdae with?

Omil Hongdae is a Hongdae spot where you'll want to work your way through the whole menu! It's good for dates (not for blind dates, though, no no) and for a nice meal with friends.

A rare Western-style meal with a hint of Korean flavor. I ate until I was full~~

The restroom is right before you enter the restaurant!

Omil Hongdae business info

• Address: 2nd floor, 178-8 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: daily 11:30–21:15