Gisoya Yeouido Central Branch

About

A bustling Yeouido basement staple serving comforting Japanese sets like spicy kimchi udon, tonkatsu, and hot pot cutlet to nearby office workers.

Tucked into the basement of Yeouido’s iM Securities Building, Kisoya operates with the well-oiled efficiency demanded by the surrounding financial district. Spanning a clean, spacious dining hall equipped with tabletop kiosks for immediate ordering and payment, it fills quickly with solo diners and team lunch groups, often drawing a line if you arrive past peak noon. The draw is an extensive lineup of Japanese-style comfort staples arranged in generous sets that eliminate the friction of midday decision-making. The undisputed centerpiece of the dining room is the kimchi udon set, a perennial fixture spotted across nearly every table. Melding the pungent, spicy profile of kimchi jjigae with plump, chewy Japanese udon noodles, the broth is bracing and sharp—frequently sought after by office workers as a morning-after cure. It arrives alongside a crisp, golden tonkatsu, rice, and shredded cabbage salad dressed to cut the heat. For a different take on simmered cutlets, the naembe donkatsu arrives in a piping-hot earthenware bowl. Thick slabs of fried pork cutlet and thick noodles simmer together in an assertive, peppery broth, absorbing the spicy soup while maintaining a hearty, substantial chew down to the last bite. Those seeking variety lean toward the cold soba set, which bundles chilled dipping noodles with sushi and pork cutlet on a single tray, or the tonkatsu albap set, pairing crackling fish roe rice with freshly fried pork—a hard-to-find lunch pairing in central Yeouido. Sides of fried chicken karaage and tempura shrimp frequently round out the spread. Clean, fast, and relentlessly consistent, this basement depot offers the reliable salt, crunch, and chili-spiked steam that powers Seoul’s corporate engine through the workday.