Gyodae Station gimbap shop: egg roll I failed to copy at home, Halls

What is Halls Gimbap Main Branch?

Halls Gimbap Main Branch (홀스김밥본점) is a snack bar near Gyodae Station that sells healthy gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) made with black rice and olive oil, plus handmade dakgangjeong. In summer your appetite just drops, right? It's too hot to eat, but you can't skip meals either. Gimbap is what I always think of in those moments. So on my way home from work, passing through Gyodae, I ended up grabbing Halls gimbap to go!!!

The shop ran for six years under the name "Tokimbap" (토김밥), then suddenly had to change its name because of a lease problem ㅠ_ㅠ You can feel the owner's sincerity in wanting to start fresh as Halls Gimbap Main Branch, and reading it I found myself cheering them on.

How to get to Halls Gimbap Main Branch from Gyodae Station

Halls Gimbap Main Branch is 365m from Gyodae Station Exit 1. The big sign with a horse drawing on an orange awning catches your eye right away. Let's head in.

Is Halls Gimbap Main Branch good for eating alone?

The shop has counter seating with stools, so it's really a comfortable setup for eating alone. It feels like a neighborhood diner that people living alone drop into casually.

On nice days you can also eat on the terrace in front of the shop. It's under a red awning with checkered tablecloths, and I think sitting there in the evening would have a pretty nice atmosphere.

Free bonito broth and ingredient origins

Inside Halls Gimbap Main Branch, they set out bonito (gasuobushi) broth you can have for free. Apparently there's no added seasoning! You can feel how carefully the owner pays attention to details.

The seaweed, black rice, minari (water dropwort), cabbage, eggs and chicken are all domestic, and the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and white wine vinegar are from Spain and Italy, they say. Seeing this really makes the "healthy gimbap made with olive oil and black rice, no refined sugar" idea sink in.

The takeout bags have a cute Halls logo too. The address and phone number are printed on them, which is handy when you want to find the place again later.

There are little horse figurines on the counter shelf, small and cute enough that my eyes kept going to them haha

The drink selection is seriously wide, with Boon Dabug, Coca-Cola, Sprite, Pepsi, Welch's, Teazle and more, so you can pick whatever you like.

How to order at Halls Gimbap Main Branch, and menu prices

You can order by telling the owner or by using the kiosk. For cash or Zero Pay (a Korean mobile payment), you go straight to the counter.

Here are the single gimbap roll prices.

• (Recommended) Halls Gimbap ₩6,000
• Spam Gimbap ₩6,000
• Wasabi Gimbap ₩6,000
• Konjac Minari Gimbap ₩6,500
• (I won't share a table with anyone who hasn't tried it) Double Cheese Egg Gimbap ₩7,000
• Jindo Green Onion Tuna Gimbap ₩7,000

The dakgangjeong, chicken and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) are a total must-order too..

• Seochodong Nurungji Tteokbokki ₩7,500
• (Insanely good) Halls Dakgangjeong S ₩10,000
• Halls Dakgangjeong L ₩20,000
• Halls Boneless Fried Chicken S ₩10,000

There's a cup ramen corner too

Halls Gimbap Main Branch has its own cup ramen corner inside. You can get all kinds of cup ramen for ₩2,000–2,500, which is perfect when you want a little something more while eating gimbap. It has a neighborhood convenience store feel and yet is so homey, and I think that's part of this place's charm.

How did the takeout egg gimbap, Spam gimbap and dakgangjeong taste?

When I opened the Halls gimbap I'd picked up after work at home, the box was split into two sections: egg gimbap (egg and carrot) on the left and Spam gimbap on the right! I'm proud to say the handmade dakgangjeong is tastier than the famous Mangseok Dakgangjeong.. seriously. Do order the dakgangjeong.

Can you make Halls Gimbap's egg gimbap at home?

I fell for the Halls egg gimbap so much that I tried making it at home, and it just doesn't taste the same. I cooked the black rice separately and fried a thick egg omelet, but something is decisively different. I don't know if it's how they use the olive oil or the bonito broth, but I could never recreate it at home. ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Verdict: a Gyodae Station gimbap shop for solo meals and takeout after work

I came to Halls Gimbap Main Branch as a sponsored reviewer, but I'd been here before anyway. It's perfect when you have no appetite in summer, good for eating alone, and they pack the food neatly, so it's a great local Gyodae spot to stop by on the way home from work.