Gwanak udon restaurant with a Sunday wait: ten bukkake set at Kosi

Kosi, a Seoul National University Entrance Station favorite with a wait even for a late lunch. I'd wanted to try it since seeing it in Isu, and it turns out they opened a branch near Seoul National University too, so I went. Both the udon and the tonkatsu were seriously good — I ate in surprise! Here's my honest review.

Where is Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch, and what are its hours?

Kosi Seoul National University Entrance Branch is located at 466 Bongcheon-ro, 101ho, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, near Exit 5-6 of Seoul National University Entrance Station. It's open daily 11:00-20:50, with a break time from 15:00-17:00.

Kosi, an udon favorite near Seoul National University Entrance Station, is located near Exit 5-6. It was past 1:30pm on a Sunday and there was still a wait 🫢

Kosi's menu and how ordering works

The menu at Kosi, a favorite near Seoul National University Entrance Station. We ordered:

• 📌 Ten bukkake udon set ₩16,000
• 📌 Half-and-half katsu set ₩17,000

Both the udon and the katsu were genuinely delicious.

Inside Kosi: seating and solo dining at the bar counter

The interior of Kosi, an udon favorite near Seoul National University Entrance Station, is a decent size and has a bar counter, so it's good for solo dining too.

We sat at the bar counter. You order through the kiosk.

What comes in the 16,000-won ten bukkake udon set

Here comes the ten bukkake udon set. The bukkake udon (topped noodles) comes with sweet pumpkin and shrimp tempura, along with a piece of tonkatsu and an inari (fried tofu pouch) sushi. Such a generous set that it's really filling.

This is the half-and-half katsu set. The katsu sets come with kake udon (hot broth udon). Also really generous 😆 Kosi, a favorite near Seoul National University Entrance Station.

Since it's bukkake udon, only the noodles and toppings come out first; the sauce is served separately.

Should you pour all of the bukkake tsuyu sauce over the noodles?

You pour this bottled sauce over the udon. It's not salty and more broth-like, so it's fine to use it all. It's similar to cold soba dipping broth, and it goes really well with the udon!

The udon set costs just ₩5,000 more but comes with an extra piece of tonkatsu — a genuinely great deal 👍 The tonkatsu is really tasty too, so if you can manage the portion, definitely get the set.

I also added the grated radish, chopped green onion, and tempura flakes that come as garnish. Maybe thanks to that, I didn't get tired of it at all.

Time to pour in the udon broth~

A shallow pool of broth. I only poured in about half at first, worried it might be salty, but it wasn't salty at all and tasted great, so I ended up pouring it all in later. The noodles are thick, so eating them together with a bit of the broth seems to balance the seasoning better.

The bukkake udon broth is a soy-sauce-based sauce with a slightly sweet Japanese feel. It's exactly the kind of soy broth that's easy to get tired of, but I really didn't get tired of it at all. Better than what I had in Japan 😍

How do Kosi's house-made udon noodles taste?

And now the most important part — the udon noodles!!!!! Being a shop that makes its own noodles, they're completely different from store-bought ones. Chewy, springy, and totally delicious. This is exactly the udon place I'd been looking for. Kosi is fully approved as an udon favorite near Seoul National University Entrance Station 🥰

The tempura items were all good too. And honestly I didn't expect much from the tonkatsu, but it was so tender and delicious I nearly flipped 😅

The 17,000-won half-and-half katsu set: pork tonkatsu and cheese katsu

Next up is the half-and-half katsu set. This menu comes with regular tonkatsu and cheese katsu. There are various katsu combinations, so pick according to your taste~

As I mentioned, the tonkatsu is really delicious.... The breading was just the right amount of crispy, and I was surprised at how tender the meat was. Kosi really nails the tonkatsu too — a solid favorite near Seoul National University Entrance Station.

The udon here comes as hot udon, which pairs well with the katsu. The broth is clean and tasty too.

The noodles seem to be the same as the bukkake udon, but being in hot broth, they're slightly less chewy and a bit softer. Both have their own charm 😆

The basic tonkatsu is really, really good. It's low in fat so it's very clean-tasting, but not dry at all — tender and delicious.

The sauce has a slightly tangy, yuzu-like scent to it, which makes the tonkatsu even less tiresome to eat. Confirmed favorite near Seoul National University Entrance Station.

The cheese katsu also comes piled with cheese, and it's crispy and tender as well. Next time I want to try the katsu set with shrimp tempura.

Is Kosi in Gwanak worth the Sunday wait? Final verdict

A truly delicious meal at Kosi, an udon favorite near Seoul National University Entrance Station. Both the udon and the tonkatsu were excellent. A place I definitely want to visit again.

Cleaned every plate ✌️ Highly recommend.