Solo dining in Hongdae: spicy galbi bowl set at Myeon Sikdang

Did everyone survive Monday okay? Lunch is over, so let's push through to quitting time. The weather's been so nice lately and the sky is so pretty that it's perfect for getting out and about! A little hot, but still — let's make the most of autumn.

I went to a restaurant near Hongik University that makes me jealous of all the students there — perfect for solo dining, and popular for delivery too! Affordable, but the portions are massive. This is Myeon Sikdang Hongik University branch.

Myeon Sikdang Hongik University branch: location and menu

It's right next to Hongdae, so it's super accessible. A great spot for a hearty, delicious meal whether it's lunch or dinner!!! Myeon Sikdang has a really varied menu — tonkatsu, curry, soba, rice bowls, all of it. If you want to try everything, definitely check the set menu combos!

Why this Hongdae restaurant is great for solo dining

There are plenty of seats for eating alone. Sit down and eat confidently and comfortably by yourself. No side-eyes here, guaranteed.

The place is clean and has a restroom inside, making it an even more convenient Hongdae restaurant to use. Order easily right at the table. Ramen, soba, pho, katsu, buta-don, udon, rice bowls — it's all there!!

There were so many menu items on the tablet that I agonized over what to order. I wanted to eat everything! And the spread came out so generously, right? This place is a soba spot for real! The broth was killer, haha. I want to come back. I want to eat it again right now.

Spicy galbi rice bowl + mini cold soba, ₩12,900

A great-value set that even includes cold soba. There's also a standalone rice bowl option.

Mix the spicy galbi with the egg yolk on top and it turns silky smooth, and really spicy. It gets spicier the more you eat. Perfect for someone like me who loves spicy food! And when you mix it with curry (I ordered a curry dish too), it actually reminded me of Aviko Curry??

There's so much meat piled on generously that you just mix it all up and dig in! The mini cold soba has that sweet-salty balance, so it pairs even better with the rice bowl. Just drinking the cold broth alone wipes away the spiciness.

Slurp down that cold soba. Getting a generous, budget-friendly Japanese home-style meal like this makes me happy! A set you can enjoy for just over ₩10,000. I don't usually drink much broth (health reasons), haha, but I finished almost all of it. It's better than at dedicated soba shops. Broth addiction, unlocked.

Karaage curry rice bowl + mozzarella cheese katsu, ₩15,400

Curry with fried chicken and cheese tonkatsu thrown in — who wouldn't like this? A flavor everyone loves, young and old. I thought I was going to burst that day. The portion is seriously huge, haha.

The cheese stretches like crazy!!! Wow!!!! It pulled so far I had to take a photo mid-bite, haha. The outside is fried super crispy, and inside the cheese stretches out gooey and nutty, with all that tonkatsu juiciness too. I wanted to order more.

Mix the karaage right into the curry and dig in. This Hongdae restaurant, great for solo dining, lets you try so many dishes — Myeon Sikdang Hongik University branch! From single dishes to sets and sides, they've got ramen, soba, pho, katsu, buta-don, udon, and rice bowls galore, so if you're craving Japanese food, I highly recommend it. The plating is gorgeous too, and they even do takeout and delivery — this is the spot for great-value Japanese home cooking!

Business info

• Address: 104 Wausan-ro, 2nd floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 10:30–21:00
• Break time: Weekends only, 16:00–17:00