[College Eats] ‘Sharosugil’ a hotspot for foodies

Seoul National University, located at the foot of Gwanaksan, has a signature food alley -- Sharosugil.

The “Sha” comes from how the word resembles the shape of the main gate at the university, while the rest is a nod to Garosugil, an upmarket shopping street in Southern Seoul.

From delightful, cheap eateries for students to fancy restaurants for couples, the neighborhood of Seoul National University has become one of the most visited places in Seoul for foodies.

Because the area is in the vicinity of Gwanaksan, which is a popular mountain for hikers, and groups of families visit the nearby park during the weekend, eateries here cater to a wide variety of visitors with different tastes.

Sundae soup (Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald)

Gijeolchopoong Wangsundae

Sundaeguk is a soup with a deep broth that is a favorite of men in their 30s and 40s because of its reputation as an excellent hangover remedy. When it comes to Gijeolchopoong Wangsundae’s signature spicy broth, both university students as well as young couples are fans. Gijeolchopoong means astonishing in Korean.

This hearty Korean soup place offers a different taste, as the broth is spicy, unlike the usual milky white sundaeguk.

Using homemade Korean blood sausage that is mostly filled with vegetables and glass noodles, the soup is prepared with a flavorful broth that includes sliced sundae, other types of offal, vegetables, and noodles. Rice can be added to the soup or served on the side.

Typical of sundaeguk places, Gijeolchopoong Wangsundae’s kimchi and kkadugi are savory, matching the rich taste of the soup.

Sundaeguk costs 9,000 won. The restaurant opens every day from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Babdoduk gimbap (Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald)

Ohwoleui Gimbap

All of a sudden, it has become difficult to see rice in gimbap, a seaweed rice roll with a variety of vegetables inside. Blame it on the advent of keto gimbap. Keto gimbap, which replaces rice with protein-rich eggs, has become a solution for gimbap lovers on low-carb diest, garnering nationwide popularity among young women.

But the egg gimbap at Ohwoleui Gimbap is beyond expectations. When you look at the massive bite-sized pieces of gimbap, all you see is the tightly packed filling of thinly sliced eggs and a thin layer of rice. There is also another layer of thin fish cake stir-fried in spicy sauce.

The spicy flavor of the fish cake adds a kick, but the gimbap is subtle on the taste buds because the flavor of egg, rice and seaweed is not overpowering. The shop named this gimbap Bapdoduk gimbap, which translates to “rice thief” -- a Korean phrase used to describe moreish foods.

Salad gimbap is another popular item, according to the owner. The cool, crunchy vegetables on a thin layer of rice and seaweed create a delightful texture.

One roll of gimbap costs around 5,000 won. Ohwoleui Gimbap opens every day except Mondays from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. during weekdays. It closes early on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Red bean, chocolate and black sesame scones. (Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald)

Rami Scone

There are many gluten-free bakeries around Seoul, but what’s unique about Rami Scone is the variety of bagels and scones that taste the same or even better than regular versions.

From original bagels to steamed chestnut bagels and sweet pumpkin bagels to scones in 10 different varieties, including red bean, chocolate walnut and black sesame, there are many flavors and textures to try.

Rami Scone’s other signature item is its gluten-free cheese souffle cakes, complete with a light whipped cream coating. The taste and texture of the cheese souffle here is light and airy. The honey drizzled on top of the cake maximizes the sweetness of this fluffy cake.

Not only does the shop use gluten-free ingredients, it only uses natural, organic sweeteners.

Prices range from 3,900 won to 5,000 won per scone or bagel. The souffle cake is 13,800 won.

Rami Scone opens every day from noon til 10:30 p.m.

By Kim Da-sol(ddd@heraldcorp.com)