Beef udon and katsu udon set for weekend dinner: Kosi Gwanak

When you want udon and handmade pork cutlet near Seoul National University Entrance Station

After running errands near Seoul National University Entrance Station, I got a craving for udon and handmade pork cutlet, so I headed to Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch.

There are so many good restaurants around Seoul National University Entrance Station, including in Sharosu-gil, and Kosi is one of them.

Kosi is a well-known Sanuki udon chain with quite a few branches. There's one near Gyodae Station and others too, so it's worth checking out wherever you are.

The branch I visited, Kosi Seoul National University Entrance, is newly opened. Even from the outside, it looks clean and well put-together.

The Kakao Map rating wasn't very high — around 3.2, if I recall. So why did I go anyway? It looked delicious, and it seemed like reviews complaining about unfriendly service were what dragged the score down.

But I'm not saying this just because I got a free meal — the food was genuinely delicious and the staff were so kind that it was a pleasant visit overall.

Given the location, it seemed like a place that would draw a lot of Seoul National University students and nearby office workers for lunch or dinner. It looked like it would get busy on both weekdays and weekends, but I visited on a weekend evening.

Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch info

• Name: Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch
• Address: 466 Bongcheon-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 101
• Location: About 144m from Exit 5 of Seoul National University Entrance Station
• Hours: Daily 11:00 – 20:50
• Break time: 15:00 – 17:00
• Signature menu: Pork cutlet, udon, soba
• Parking: Available on weekends and holidays
• If a building parking space is empty and marked with a sign, move the sign aside for up to 1 hour of parking
• Empty spaces on the building's side (facing the main road) are often available
• Recommended to check on-site guidance when parking

A row of signature menu items lined up outside. There's mazeudon (mixed udon), katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl), and plain pork cutlet — the restaurant clearly pushes Sanuki noodles as its main draw.

They set up the menu so you can browse it before even entering the restaurant. It might not have exactly what you're craving, but this thoughtful touch heads off any hesitation before you even walk in.

When I went, there was no wait and plenty of open seats, but seeing the waitlist packed with names suggests this place does see plenty of waiting during busier times.

Inside the restaurant and seating

Inside, there are 4 counter seats facing the window and about 7 tables for 2 to 4 people. There are also counter seats facing the inner wall.

It didn't show up in the photos, but the kitchen is open, so you can see how clean it is, which built trust. A kiosk machine is set up at every table, and it's designed so that the order isn't finalized until payment is completed.

Each table had utensils, seasonings, and sauces set out. On the left was probably furikake, then pepper, sesame, and the sauce for the cabbage salad.

This person seemed to be the owner. It looked like he had appeared on a TV show about masters of their craft, as a master of Sanuki noodles. He looked less like a TV personality and more like a true artisan — considering humidity, viscosity, and every other condition to pull the noodles at the best possible quality. He kind of resembles Don Spike, so maybe that's why he seems so serious about the flavor too.

The menu

I only photographed the signature items. There were side dishes too, and a wide variety of udon and pork cutlet options.

How was the beef hot udon?

We ordered hot udon — specifically, the one with beef on top. The flavor of the beef broth came through rich and deep, and the noodles were chewy, which paired well. Loading up a spoon with noodles, broth, and meat and eating it all at once was the kind of dish that would chase away the cold, even though it wasn't cold out.

Mazeudon with pork cutlet set

I ordered the mazeudon with the pork cutlet set. The set came with one piece of inari sushi (fried tofu pouch rice). It wasn't a throwaway extra just because it was only one piece — it was genuinely excellent on its own.

Some places make mazeudon (mixed udon) taste too much like curry or too bland, but here it was pleasantly thick and well-seasoned. I ate about half just mixed as is, then drizzled vinegar over the rest.

Then I mixed in the rice too and cleaned my plate thoroughly.

Sweet potato korokke, 2 pieces

We also ordered 2 pieces of sweet potato korokke, and the inside was packed full of sweet potato. The just-fried crispness paired really well with the dense sweet potato filling. I was already full, but it was so good I forced myself to finish it.

Three-line summary

• Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch, close to Exit 5 of Seoul National University Entrance Station, is a place where you can enjoy Sanuki udon and pork cutlet together.
• The chewy-noodled beef hot udon, the thick and well-seasoned mazeudon, and the crispy pork cutlet and sweet potato korokke were all satisfying overall.
• Being a newly opened branch, it was clean and the staff were friendly, and being able to use the building's parking for an hour on weekends and holidays is a nice bonus.