[FOOD COURT] Must-visit restaurants near Dongduk Women's University

Dongduk Women's University is situated in a relatively quiet area, with many restaurants worth paying a visit to, hidden in smaller alleyways.

Pasta at Villa de Costes [VILLA DE COSTES]

Dongduk Women's University is situated in a relatively quiet area, with many restaurants worth paying a visit to, hidden in smaller alleyways.

Although many universities in Seoul tend to be located near busy shopping districts created as the schools grow, Dongduk Women's University stands in a residential neighborhood surrounded by many big apartment complexes.

With students from the university and residents from nearby apartments looking for places to eat out, various restaurants that can satisfy the tastes of a wider group of diners can be found in the area.

If you are struggling to find restaurants to visit near the Dongduk Women's University, here are some recommendations by the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Jena Kitchen

Jena Kitchen's beef bibimbap [LEE TAE-HEE]

Jena Kitchen is a restaurant close to Wolgok Station, selling all kinds of Korean dishes.

Classic meals such as soegogi muguk (beef and radish soup), kimchijjim (braised kimchi with pork) and sundubu jjigae (spicy tofu stew) are available at affordable prices between 8,000 and 9,000 won. All dishes come with sides such as tofu, salad and kimchi and a bowl of soup — either doenjang (fermented soybean paste) or seaweed soup, depending on the day — to warm up the customers.

The bibimbap is one of the students' favorites due to its huge portion. Diners can choose between beef or spicy squid toppings, with other must-have ingredients such as bean sprouts, carrots and fried egg also included. Grilled mozzarella cheese is another topping that comes with the dish, kept sizzling hot until the end of the meal as the bibimbap comes in a heated stone plate.

The restaurant can require a short wait of 10 to 20 minutes during busy hours. Even though restaurants near universities tend to be crowded only during the weekdays when students are on campus, Jena Kitchen is crowded even on the weekends, with residents living nearby often dining at the restaurant.

23, Hwarang-ro 11-gil, Seongbuk District, northern SeoulBusiness hours: Sunday to Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Closed on Saturdays)02-941-5282

Jay

Rosé pasta at Jay [LEE TAE-HEE]

Jay is a few minutes' walk away from the university, but the restaurant is a nice place to go for special dinners or any time you want a fancy meal.

Serving Italian dishes such as pasta with arrabbiata sauce, cream and rosé sauce, the diner offers reasonably priced dishes at around 11,900 to 13,900 won. Its rosé pasta has a touch of cheddary taste, with generous amounts of shrimp and mushrooms used as toppings.

But the restaurant also has some special dishes at a bit higher price, such as grilled scallops. The scallops are grilled in butter and placed on top of a thick mashed potato spread with a creamy flavor. Another dish for a special occasion is the uni pasta, with sea urchin roe and pieces of dried sea trumpet sprinkled on the noodles.

Try taking a few photos with your friends when you visit Jay, as the restaurant has various props, such as bunny ear headbands and party tiaras, for the customers to use freely. There are also a few glass markers at each seat, which the customers can use to decorate their wine glasses with friends.

46-8, Jangwol-ro 1ma-gil, Seongbuk District, northern SeoulBusiness hours: noon to midnight010-8470-8245

Villa de Costes

The gosari (dried bracken) pasta at Villa de Costes [VILLA DE COSTES]

Villa de Costes is a good option for those who stick to a specific dietary choice. The menu shows if each menu is OK for people on a vegan, pesco or lacto diet.

Its coconut tomato pasta, suitable for vegans, uses coconut cream instead of milk and animal-based cream. Topped with shredded coconut slices, the dish has a slightly sweet but nutty taste that goes well with the tomato sauce. One of its vegan options is the gosari pasta, which uses dried bracken as the main topping. The restaurant mixes the pasta in garlic-infused olive oil and adds some diced pepper, giving the dish a mellow taste.

The restaurant might be the place for animal lovers, too, with customers allowed to bring their pets, whether big or small. There's also food for pets, such as the shrimp cream pasta made with lactose-free milk and gluten-free quinoa, coming in three sizes — small, medium and large — for the animals to choose from. Pet cookies, made with rice powder, sweet pumpkin and eggs, are also available.

4, Hwarang-ro 5-gil, Seongbuk District, northern Seoul,Business hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.0507-1360-5532

Chogyewon

Chogyewon's noodles mixed in black sesame sauce [CHOGYEWON]

If anyone is reminiscent of Jeju Island cuisine and happens to be near the Dongduk Women's University area, Chogyewon is the place to go.

The restaurant only sells three noodle dishes: noodles with meat and broth, bibim guksu (spicy noodles) with meat and noodles with black sesame sauce. All three noodles are topped with Jeju Island black pork slices, known for their thicker and meatier taste compared.

Mixing noodles in black sesame sauce might sound a bit odd for some people, but the sauce — made by blending black sesame, perilla seeds, gim (dried seaweed) and a dash of sesame oil — gives a nice nutty and creamy flavor that makes the noodles seem like a fusion of both Korean and western cuisine.

Another of the restaurant's dishes, the bibim guksu, does come with spicy sauce but has a sweeter taste than most Korean-style spicy sauces would have. The restaurant mixed apples, pineapples and paprika in the sauce, making it less spicy and easier to eat.

69, Jangwol-ro 1-gil, Seongbuk District, northern SeoulBusiness hours: Monday to Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.010-4146-7357

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]