Lamb masala and butter garlic naan in Hapjeong: Mandala Indian Lounge

Hapjeong restaurant recommendation: 'Mandala Indian Lounge', Hongdae-area Indian food

Hi~ this is Masuri. The weather got cool for a bit and then went straight back to summer haha. Today I was craving authentic Indian curry, so I went to 'Mandala Indian Lounge' near Hapjeong Station, a Hapjeong curry spot recommended for Hongdae-area Indian food~ It'd been a while since I was in Hapjeong so I was in a good mood, and the curry was delicious too~ Even though it's authentic Indian curry, it works really well for Korean palates too, which is why I picked it~

Where is Mandala Indian Lounge, and what are the hours?

Mandala Indian Lounge

Mandala Indian Lounge is at 26 Dokmak-ro 3-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 3rd floor, and it's open 12:00–23:00.

'Mandala Indian Lounge', the Hapjeong curry spot recommended for Hongdae-area Indian food, is close to Exit 3 of subway Line 2. It's about 200 meters away so it's really easy to find~ Even I have a terrible sense of direction and found it quickly, so no worries for the directionally challenged folks out there!!!

What is the interior of Mandala Indian Lounge like?

Let me show you the inside of 'Mandala Indian Lounge', the Hapjeong curry spot recommended for Hongdae-area Indian food~ First off, they had a ton of liquor, which made me think a cocktail next time might be nice~ Everything was so neatly arranged too!!

The interior was really nicely decorated, and the seats were spaced far apart so it was great for a date or for focusing on conversation quietly~ The lighting was also so clean and the mood was really good~

What we ordered: chicken makhani, lamb masala, butter naan and butter garlic naan

Here's the menu at 'Mandala Indian Lounge', the Hapjeong curry spot recommended for Hongdae-area Indian food~ Everything looked so good it took me forever to choose~ There were so many kinds of curry, and the naan looked amazing too.

Chicken makhani Lamb masala Butter naan Butter garlic naan

After a lot of deliberation I went with the most basic chicken makhani, and since I was craving lamb, the lamb masala, plus a garlic butter naan and a plain naan~ Doesn't the menu look delicious just from the visuals alone?

Doesn't it look tasty even in the video? While I was taking photos and video, the smell was so incredibly good~

Lamb masala: how strong are the spices and the lamb smell?

First I tried the lamb masala~ It had a lot of vegetables in it, and a lot of lamb too~ The sauce was genuinely amazing — even though I'm pretty sensitive to spices, there was no spicy taste at all and it seemed perfectly suited to Korean palates~

The sauce wasn't greasy at all and was really tasty, and especially the crunch of the bell peppers with the sauce was such a good combo~ Actually, at places that aren't great with lamb, you can sometimes smell it, and I'm pretty sensitive to lamb smell, but at 'Mandala Indian Lounge', the Hapjeong curry spot recommended for Hongdae-area Indian food, there was none of that at all~

The combination of lamb, bell pepper and sauce was great, and it went really well with the naan too~

Butter naan and butter garlic naan: portion size and texture

The naan portion was really generous too, so my friend and I kept saying 'I'm full, I'm full' while still reaching for more~ The naan was so soft~ It had that soft yet chewy quality that was really delicious, and especially the butter garlic naan, with the smooth richness of the butter, was addictive~ And since it's made fresh the moment you order, it came out warm, which made it even better~

How does the chicken makhani taste?

Next, the chicken makhani!! Doesn't it look soft just from looking at it? The portion was huge too~

The chicken was soft too~ The combination with the sauce was really great~ It was so good I almost ordered another naan just for it, no joke!

I wrapped it in the naan and also dipped the naan into the curry sauce, and it was all so delicious~ Honestly I'd had a small snack before going that day so I thought I might not finish it all, but my friend and I ended up eating at an insane speed, not that I'm admitting that...

These are the traces of battle.. we finished every single bit without leaving anything behind... hahaha

Who is Mandala Indian Lounge best for?

If you're looking for a great Indian curry spot in Hongdae, a quiet date spot or a restaurant with good atmosphere, or a good place to eat in Hapjeong, how about 'Mandala Indian Lounge', the Hapjeong curry spot recommended for Hongdae-area Indian food??