Have you ever been out for lunch with a friend or partner, but you haven’t decided yet on where to go so you wander around, looking for somewhere good, and happen upon somewhere that sounds good but you aren’t 100% sold, that then turns out to be one of the best meals you’ve had in a long time? Yeah, me too. And that’s how I found Kissa Seoul on Sharosu-gil, the newest hotspot of the city.
Sharosu-gil hotspot
Sitting in prime location near Seoul National University subway station at the top end of Sharosu-gil, an area of Gwanak-gu comprising one main street with several smaller side streets full of places to eat and drink, Kissa Seoul is one of the hottest places to eat south of the river. Serving Japanese donburi – rice bowls with different toppings – as well as some other well-known dishes and sides, it’s no wonder why Koreans and foreigners alike are flocking there. This type of food is already popular but Kissa Seoul, with their concise menu and pretty plating, is getting a lot of attention for it.
High-quality eats
However, it’s not only the look of the food that has people paying attention, but the quality of it too. Kissa Seoul has managed to turn a simple donburi experience into a real treat. All the main dishes come served with several accompaniments including pickled vegetables, baked aubergine, kimchi, and fresh peach. They also offer non-rice bowl dishes and sides, including the popular soft-centre omurice (fried rice served with an omelette and a sweet and tangy sauce).
A sandwich to remember
The standout item of the whole menu, however, has to be the donkasseu sandwich. It’s a pork cutlet with a combination of soft meat and deliciously melty fat inside, cooked to crispy outer perfection and put between crustless soft white bread with a little of the same sauce poured over the omurice. This is the kind of sandwich I will have dreams about many years in the future. The kind of sandwich I will try to replicate at home and fail miserably. The kind of sandwich I will tell my grandchildren about. (Too much? Maybe. But really, it’s amazing.)
I’ve visited Kissa Seoul three times and have been consistently pleased each time I go back. The dishes come out the same every time and are so simple but really delicious – it’s the kind of restaurant I can’t forget about. Coupled with the vintage décor, the people at Kissa Seoul have created an incredibly humble but oh-so-satisfying menu and atmosphere. It’s impressive in it’s simplicity – Kissa Seoul doesn’t boast fancy food or use flamboyancy to attract customers and create memories. Word of mouth is good enough here, and lives up to what is spoken about it among friends and on the internet.
Sharosu-gil in the south of Seoul is becoming more and more popular, and a stand-out star of the area is Kissa Seoul, a sophisticated restaurant serving simple but delicious Japanese food. It’s great menu and even better quality of food sets it apart from the rest, and will leave you with memories worth sharing over and again with others.
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 11:30-22:00 (break 15:00-17:00), closed on Tuesday.
How to get there: Line 2, Seoul Nat’l Univ. station, exit 2. Walk straight out the station and turn left down Sharosu-gil. Kissa Seoul will be on the 2F on the corner on your left.
Address: 서울 관악구 남부순환로266길 31 2층 킷사서울
Visit their Instagram: @kissa.seoul
