Affordable Eats in Sinchon

Finding good food around the Yonsei University, Sinchon campus in Seoul is extremely easy, but finding a good meal at an affordable price can be a bit more challenging. If you are looking for food that helps you stick to your budget, here are some of my recommendations!

Kkosyong Pork Cutlet

Kkosyong Pork Cutlet specializes in pork tonkatsu. You can choose from meals with one, two, or three pieces of pork, and every meal comes with rice, soup, and salad. The best part? A full meal can be as cheap as ₩4,000. This is a great option if you are looking for something quick and affordable but very filling. Note: Kkosyong Pork Cutlet only accepts cash and the restaurant is quite small, so going with a group of more than four people might require a longer wait-time. 

Strawberry Gol

Strawberry Gol has a wide variety of Korean dishes, from kimchi-jjigae and sundubu to bibimbap and ramyun. My go-to order here is the kimchi sundubu. Most dishes are around ₩6,000 and come with a few side dishes. Strawberry Gol is located near the dorms at Yonsei, so this is a great option if you are living in the dorms and want a good meal without having to walk too far. 

Hangyeonggwan Cafeteria

Hangyeonggwan is a Korean buffet-style cafeteria located on the Yonsei University campus in building 552. It’s open on the weekdays for lunch and dinner. They typically serve rice, meat, a noodle dish, side dishes, and soup. One meal costs ₩7,000 with a Yonsei student ID and ₩8,000 as a guest. Hangyeonggwan is a great option if you are looking for a filling lunch or dinner in between or around classes since it is located on the campus. The buffet-style also allows you to help yourself to as much of each dish as you want, guaranteeing you walk away well-fed. 

Rolling Pasta

Rolling Pasta serves Italian food like pasta, pizza, and salad. It’s a chain and relatively easy to find across Seoul and other parts of South Korea. Although not the cheapest spot on this list with most dishes ranging around ₩9,000, Rolling Pasta is a great option if you are looking for affordable Italian or Western food, and you can get a bowl of pasta for as low as ₩8,000. Featured in the photos is their Rose Cream Shrimp pasta. 

Coffee: Banapresso, Mega Coffee

If you’re like me, you prefer doing work in cafés over the library or your room. The downside is that the café tax (the cup of coffee) can add up fast and quickly become unaffordable. My recommendation if you still want a good cup of coffee and access to cafés is to go for the larger coffee chains in Korea. My favorites have been Banapresso and Mega Coffee, where you can get a latte for around ₩3,500.