[FOOD COURT] Check out these restaurants K-Arts students love

The quiet neighborhood near Seongbuk District, northern Seoul, is where many creative minds attending Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts) gather.

U and Me's pound cakes [U AND ME]

The quiet neighborhood near Seongbuk District, northern Seoul, is where many creative minds attending Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts) gather.

The university surrounds Mount Cheonjang and spans a huge area, being close to various subway stations such as the Sangwolgok Station, Wolgok Station and even the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Station.

With the campus sprawled across a wide area, students go to various restaurants depending on what building they study at and which subway station they take.

If you also happen to wind up in the neighborhood, here are some restaurant recommendations by the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Duksoo Kalguksu

Crab meat kalguksu, or knife-cut noodles, sold at Duksoo Kalguksu [LEE TAE-HEE]

Duksoo Kalguksu is a small mom-and-pop shop located near the university's School of Film, TV and Multimedia building. Although it's not the fanciest looking restaurant, the food brings students to the place.

Kalguksu, or knife-cut noodles, mostly come with toppings such as small clams or chicken, but the restaurant has a special dish that comes with crab meat toppings. The crab meat is all hand-picked, and the restaurant might not be selling the dish if it sold all the fresh crab it has for the day. Although the crab meat itself is naturally salty, the flavor finds a perfect middle ground when it's mixed with the restaurant's mild kalguksu broth.

Those that have a big stomach can ask for a bigger portion when ordering the menu, and the restaurant owner will add in more noodles for free.

The crab meat kalguksu is the only main dish on the menu, excluding the small rice balls that customers can order as sides. But cold buckwheat noodles are also available in the summer. The noodle is topped with shredded chicken, paprika and lettuce, and customers can dip the toppings in chili sauce to enjoy the sweet and spicy flavor.

26, Hwarang-ro 32-gil, Seongbuk District, northern SeoulBusiness hours: Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.02-960-3323

Sain Baina uu

Mongolian goulash sold at Sain Baina uu [LEE TAE-HEE]

It's not that easy to find Mongolian restaurants in Korea, but one of them is located in the streets near K-Arts. Known as Sain Baina uu, which means hello in Mongolian, the restaurant serves various types of Mongolian dishes.

Mongolian goulash is one of the dishes on the menu, which comes with cubes of beef that are so tender that they fall apart before you even try to cut them. There are sides that come with the dish, such as thinly cut lettuce and carrots seasoned with a sweet and sour sauce.

Buuz, or steamed meat dumplings, is another dish customers can order. Stuffed with beef and lettuce, the dish boasts a rich meat flavor. Khuushuur, another type of dumpling, is a side that is good to order. Ground meat is put into dough shaped like a half-circular pocket and deep-fried until crispy.

63, Dolgoji-ro, Seongbuk District, northern SeoulBusiness hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. 0507-1323-2948

U and Me

Desserts and pastries sold at U and Me [U AND ME]

Located about a five-minute walk from the university's main gate, U and Me is a small bakery cafe that offers a variety of sweet desserts.

The cafe's delicious tarts are one of the reasons for its popularity. There are many to choose from, such as the green grape, red grape and strawberry. All tarts come with fresh fruits that are densely lined on top of the cream cheese filling. Those who prefer sweeter tarts can go for the lemon tart, which comes with a thick and delightful custard filling.

Pound cakes are another option, with flavors such as caramel lotus, matcha and blueberry offered.

193, Imun-ro, Dongdaemun District, eastern SeoulBusiness hours: 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. 0507-1315-1149

YRI Cafe

Namul (seasoned greens) pasta at YRI Cafe [LEE TAE-HEE]

Although named cafe, YRI Cafe is where you can order just about anything. From pasta and cakes to tea, the restaurant has it all on its menu.

Those who want a full meal can order various kinds of pasta, such as pasta pomodoro, vongole, aglio e olio and cream pasta. The restaurant also has a vegan option, which is the namul (seasoned greens) pasta. There are also dishes that are best to share with a group of friends, such as the gambas al ajillo and seafood stew. Its homemade scones are a good choice for those who came for a light dessert, with a variety of flavors such as chocolate, earl grey and blueberry.

The restaurant is remodeled from an old house and has a cozy ambiance with traditional lattice window frames still standing strong. There are also huge bookshelves and blankets around the place, adding to the snug atmosphere.

111, Hwarang-ro 32-gil, Seongbuk District, northern SeoulBusiness hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.0507-1316-7864

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