Restaurants near college campuses are known to be especially cheap. Considering students' low budgets, eateries there tend to offer affordable food that is quick-to-serve and caters to all tastes.
Serving one, signature dish is often a sign of the owner's confidence in the taste and quality of food. Built on years of know-how, there is no sophisticated technique involved. Such dishes do not rely on sophisticated ingredients. Instead, it’s the homely taste that pulls in customers.
Hanyang University in Wangsimni, Seongdong-gu, is one of top universities here for engineering.
With its focus on engineering and startups, the school has an unusually high ratio of male students to female students around the campus -- maybe a reason why simple and quick-to-make dishes are particularly popular around here.
Jangeo Gui
The name of the restaurant directly translates into grilled eel and it's version is marinated with spicy gochujang paste. But what everyone orders here is kimchi jjigae, a stew made with kimchi.
Kimchi jjigae is such a familiar home staple in Korea that it is nothing special, even for students. It only requires few ingredients -- kimchi, pork and tofu, with spring onion as a garnish, and then only if you have it. It is neither a must-try-menu for foreigners, among an array of Korean food.
But what’s unique about kimchi jjigae at Jangeo Gui is the size, price and the deep taste of the jjigae. Student restaurants are known for their generous portions and low prices, but they often lack a homely taste.
The small-size kimchi jjigae for two is only 12,000 won, with a complimentary dish of fried eggs. You need to pay an additional 1,000 won if you want to add ramen. When the noodles absorb the flavor of the jjigae, start with them. Then sip a spoonful and enjoy how the jjigae offers clean spiciness.
Thinly sliced pork is used in the jjigae, instead of the chunks that are more commonly used. This makes it easy to mix into rice, but maybe it was chosen to save costs by using frozen meat and thinly slicing it to cook faster.
Jangeo Gui has been around for over 20 years and its ingredients are locally sourced, except the kimchi, which is from China. It opens every day from 9 a.m. till 12 a.m.
Ddingddong Waffle
Located right in front of Wangsimni station, Ddingddong Waffle probably one of Korea's oldest custom-made waffle shops. It offers light and crispy waffles that are folded in half, filled with whipped cream and drizzled with sweet apple jam.
Ddingddong Waffle’s Wangsimni branch is the brand’s first store that opened in 2011 and there are now 13 stores near universities across the country.
Besides its most popular waffle -- a plain waffle with whipped cream, melted butter and apple jam -- a large variety of options has been added to the menu, such as cream cheese and Nutella. But it is the crispy, hot waffle and signature sweet sauce that has people coming back for more.
“I have been coming here for five years and my favorite doesn’t change. Plain waffle with yogurt ice cream with a fruit mix. If I want something lighter, I opt for a plain waffle with whipped cream and apple jam. The simpler is the better at here,” said Yoo Young-shin, a 26-year-old student at Hanyang University.
Prices start at 1,900 won goes up to 4,500 depending on the toppings you add. The shop is open every day from noon to midnight.
