Weekday dinner udon and cheese katsu near Konkuk Univ. Station: Kosi

5 reasons to try Kosi Konkuk University Branch

• 1️⃣ Self-made udon noodles aged 48 hours — made fresh daily for a chewy, springy texture
• 2️⃣ Chewy noodles that shine in chilled udon — especially in bukkake udon, where the noodle texture really comes through
• 3️⃣ You can enjoy udon and katsu together — if udon alone feels light, the cheese katsu makes it a hearty meal
• 4️⃣ A spacious restaurant good for solo dining or dates — clean wood-tone interior with a variety of seating
• 5️⃣ Ordering and paying is convenient — everything from menu selection to payment can be done via the table tablet

Hi, this is Ddudu. I'd been craving udon so badly today that I went straight to Kosi Konkuk University Branch. I actually tried to go last weekend too, but ran right into break time and had to turn back, haha. Then tonight the craving hit again, so this time I made it happen properly. Since it's known as a self-noodling udon specialist, I was really curious how chewy the noodles would actually be — and since there's a branch of this chain close to home near Konkuk University, I decided to have dinner there!

Where is Kosi Konkuk University Branch, and when is break time?

This is Kosi Konkuk University Branch, a self-noodled bukkake udon spot near Konkuk University.

• 📍 197 Achasan-ro, 1st floor, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• 🕰 11:10 ~ 21:00 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• 🚗 Parking available in front of the restaurant

Kosi: house-made udon noodles and pork katsu

Kosi Konkuk University Branch is a specialist restaurant where you can enjoy both self-made udon and katsu. It's been recognized on SBS's Life of Masters and reportedly praised highly by actor Kim Seung-soo, so my expectations were even higher! Kosi apparently values the idea of completing a healthy meal by adding time to good ingredients.

What really caught my attention was the udon noodles themselves. Made with just three ingredients — salt, water, and flour — the dough goes through a first and second fermentation, taking a whopping 48 hours to complete! They apparently use the traditional noodle-making method of Japanese Sanuki udon, which is said to give the noodles that distinct springiness and chewiness. In Japan, they describe udon with good bite and elasticity as having "koshi," and it seems this meaning is baked right into the restaurant's name. Kosi Konkuk University Branch even has a dedicated noodle-making room so you can watch the process yourself. Apparently any leftover noodles from the day's batch are discarded, which really shows their pride in the noodles!

What goes into the broth and the katsu at Kosi

The broth, an essential part of any udon, was also clearly given a lot of care. They use anchovies and kelp sourced directly from Namhae, and make their own soy sauce base by boiling down soy sauce imported from Japan. The katsu is also made from domestic fresh pork loin, pounded fresh daily and fried to order. So I'd say this is also a great spot for anyone searching for Konkuk-area katsu restaurants. I thought this place specialized only in udon, but they had the katsu fully dialed in too, which meant more options for a full meal!

A wood-toned room that suits solo diners and dates

The overall vibe of Kosi Konkuk University Branch was spacious and clean! The wood-tone interior gave it a warm feel, and there was a range of seating — from solo-dining spots to tables for 2–4 people, up to seating for larger groups. When I visited, I saw solo diners as well as couples on dates, so it felt like a comfortable place to visit either way. If you're looking for a Konkuk Station katsu or udon spot that works for both solo meals and dates, this seems like a solid choice!

Ordering was convenient using the tablet at each table. You could browse the menu at your own pace, order right away, and even pay directly from the table, which made the whole dining process simple.

What to order at Kosi Konkuk University Branch

Kosi's signature dishes are the self-made udon and katsu, so we each ordered a chilled udon to really get a feel for the chewy noodles. I got tenbukkake udon topped with crispy tempura, and my partner got tori-ten bukkake udon with fried chicken thigh. We also ordered a handmade cheese katsu to share. Gotta save room for it all — one dish per person is a must, haha 🤍

Tori-ten bukkake udon (chilled udon with chicken tempura)

The first dish to arrive was my partner's tori-ten bukkake udon. It's a chilled udon topped with generously sized, crispy fried chicken thigh, mixed together with cold tsuyu sauce.

This was actually my first time trying bukkake udon — you pour in the tsuyu, add lemon to taste if you like, and mix it all with the noodles!

After pouring in the tsuyu and mixing the noodles, I could tell the chewiness of the noodles right from the first bite. Seriously bouncy and elastic, with such a fun texture to chew on. It's honestly one of the best udon noodles I've ever had.

I always thought the broth was what determined how good an udon tastes, but this time I realized the noodles themselves could matter just as much. Eating the chilled udon at Kosi Konkuk University Branch, I understood why they emphasize the self-made noodles so much. The noodle itself had such great flavor and texture that it was delicious even on its own. So if you're looking for udon near Konkuk University Station, I'd definitely recommend trying the chilled udon.

The tori-ten was also tasty — it's made from seasoned chicken thigh fried until crispy, and there were a whopping three big pieces on top. Since it's thigh meat, it wasn't dry at all — it was juicy and tender. The combination of crispy batter and moist chicken thigh went really well with the chilled udon!

The free inari sushi and salad with every udon

When you order udon at Kosi Konkuk University Branch, salad and inari sushi (fried tofu rice ball) also come as complimentary sides. I'd actually considered ordering extra inari sushi separately, so it was nice that one came included. Udon alone can feel a bit light, but with the inari sushi it made the meal feel more filling. Alternating between the chilled udon and the inari sushi worked really well too.

Tenbukkake udon (chilled udon with shrimp tempura)

The dish I ordered was tenbukkake udon. It's a chilled udon mixed with cold tsuyu and crispy tempura, topped with one piece of fried shrimp and one piece of fried sweet pumpkin. The tempura, being handmade, was fried to a beautiful golden crisp. Personally, I actually liked my tenbukkake udon more than the tori-ten bukkake udon with fried chicken thigh!

The fried shrimp in particular really won me over — plump and springy shrimp with a crispy batter, which paired perfectly with the chewy chilled udon. So if you're looking for udon near Konkuk University Station, I personally want to recommend the tenbukkake udon. Being able to enjoy the chewiness of the noodles and the crispiness of the tempura together made for a really satisfying dish!

Handmade cheese katsu at Kosi

And we can't skip the handmade cheese katsu we ordered together. It's apparently made with domestic pork stuffed generously with natural mozzarella cheese, and fried fresh right after ordering.

The cheese was packed in so generously that it stretched with every bite. As someone who really loves cheese, this kind of cheese katsu is exactly my thing — I loved how generously the cheese was used. With crispy fried katsu and rich, gooey cheese, eating it alongside the udon made for a truly hearty meal!

I first tried it with a light dip of salt and wasabi, then with the katsu sauce — both ways were delicious. There was no off flavor from the pork at all, and the meat was tender. Since the katsu is also prepared fresh daily and fried right when ordered, the crispy texture really came through. If you're looking for Konkuk-area katsu and want udon on the side too, I'd definitely recommend this combo!

Kosi Konkuk University Branch: the verdict

What stuck with me most from this visit to Kosi Konkuk University Branch was, without a doubt, the noodles. I went in having heard about the self-made udon, and after actually eating it, I understood why they go through that 48-hour aging process. The bouncy, chewy noodles left a real impression, and eating them chilled made that texture even more noticeable. Being able to enjoy udon and katsu together was another plus, and the spacious, clean restaurant seemed like a good fit for all kinds of occasions — solo meals, dates, or family dinners.

I'd recommend this place not just to people searching for Konkuk Station katsu, but also to anyone craving chewy self-made udon. If you love udon like I do, give the chilled udon at Kosi Konkuk University Branch a try. If you're specifically looking for udon near Konkuk University Station, I'd personally recommend the tenbukkake udon topped with crispy fried shrimp. Order the katsu alongside it for an even heartier meal — I think I'll be back next time I'm craving udon in the Konkuk area.