Yeongdeungpo brunch café for two: scallop risotto at Mela Times Square

Looking for brunch at Yeongdeungpo's Times Square? I went to Mela Times Square with a friend I hadn't seen in a while, hoping for a nice-looking spot to eat well and catch up properly.

Where is Mela Times Square, and what are the hours?

Mela Times Square is at 1F 103-9 in Times Square, across from H&M near GATE 4. It's currently open daily from 10:30 to 22:00.

• Address: 1F 103-9, 15 Yeongjung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Location: 1F Times Square, across from H&M, near GATE 4
• Hours: Daily 10:30 – 22:00
• Parking: 30 min free over ₩20,000 / 1 hr over ₩30,000 / 2 hrs over ₩50,000
• Reservations: Available via Naver Reservation
• Takeout / Wi-Fi / high chairs / separate restrooms / group seating

Being right across from H&M near GATE 4 made it easy to find, and it's close to Yeongdeungpo Station too, so it's convenient by public transit. From what's posted, there's no separate break time, so it seems fine to drop by not just for brunch but for lunch, a later meal, or just coffee while shopping.

How much parking does Mela Times Square validate?

Mela Times Square offers parking support based on your bill: 30 minutes over ₩20,000, 1 hour over ₩30,000, and 2 hours over ₩50,000. The key menu, parking info, and usage guide are all clearly posted at the entrance. On weekends and holidays, table time is limited to 2 hours.

Since it's inside Times Square, it's convenient if you're driving too. Times Square's own parking is listed as free for the first 30 minutes, then ₩1,000 per 10 minutes, so if you want the discount applied, it's most accurate to check with the store about parking registration/discount after paying. If you're planning to eat and then go shopping in Times Square like we did, definitely double-check the parking discount.

What the Mela Times Square interior looks like, and where to take photos

Mela Times Square has a bright atmosphere blending green tones with wood. The place itself is quite clean and the overall vibe is cheerful, so my first impression was great.

Mela's food was great, but I also liked the interior. There are photo-worthy spots everywhere, from the check patterns to the plants to the window seating. The tables aren't packed too tightly, and the floor-to-ceiling windows show the outside view, so it was nice to eat leisurely while chatting with my friend. It seemed like a good place to stop by for a pretty brunch or meal while shopping in Times Square.

Mela's self-bar even has hair ties

The self bar at Mela Times Square has water, cups, tissues, and wet wipes ready. But looking to the side, I spotted something else — hair ties!

There were several hair ties set out. If you have long hair, there are times mid-meal when you want to tie it back, and it's not common for a restaurant to have hair ties ready like this. Seeing this little detail made me think, 'oh, nice touch.' It seems like a small thing, but it really stuck with me.

What is on the menu at Mela Times Square?

True to its brunch café feel, Mela isn't only about brunch dishes. There's pasta, risotto, gnocchi, pizza, tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes), salad, French toast, and more — a varied menu that seemed great for ordering several things to share with a friend.

Three dishes for two people at Mela

So many options, so many things we wanted to try... two indecisive people struggling hard to pick a menu......... But my more organized friend had already scoped it out beforehand and said the scallop mushroom cream risotto came up as the top pick most often, so that was an instant yes. Since we went with cream risotto, let's get something red too — and who knew plain-good rice cakes could come with ragu sauce! Picked. We're lifelong dieters, so we wanted pizza too, but out of conscience we had to get a salad......... so we went with the mushroom poached egg avocado salad, packed with things we love.

So after much deliberation between the two of us: scallop mushroom cream risotto ₩23,000 / ragu tteokbokki ₩22,000 / mushroom poached egg avocado salad ₩19,000. Given today's prices and considering the portion and quality, it didn't feel overpriced at all (though cheaper would still be nice~~~). Honestly, it was even tastier than expected!!!!!!

There was a food pickup counter, but since it was a quiet weekday afternoon, they brought everything to us directly.

Scallop mushroom cream risotto, 23,000 won

The scallop mushroom cream risotto comes topped with four scallops, and it looked appetizing from the start. As someone who loves scallops, this was already a win for me. The scallops were nicely plump, and the cream risotto itself wasn't too watery or mushy — the rice texture was just right. The savory, smooth cream had a nice mushroom flavor, and eating it together with the scallops on top made for a great combination.

Ragu tteokbokki, 22,000 won

The ragu tteokbokki was a combination of rice cake and ragu sauce that worked better than I expected. Chewy wheat rice cakes meet a long-simmered ragu sauce — Mela's own reinterpretation of ragu tteokbokki (that's literally what the menu calls it). I'm personally a wheat-rice-cake person, and the bouncy, chewy texture paired so well with the rich ragu sauce that it was tastier than I expected. A bite of salad, a bite of cream risotto, a bite of tteokbokki (an absolutely perfect combo~~~).

Mushroom poached egg avocado salad, 19,000 won

The mushroom poached egg avocado salad has avocado, grilled mushrooms, and a poached egg on a bed of fresh greens — pretty to look at and more filling than expected. There's a generous amount of grilled mushrooms especially, so mushroom lovers will be happy. Popping the poached egg and mixing the yolk in with the greens, mushrooms, and avocado added a savory, smooth richness that made it delicious. Since every ingredient was something I love, this ended up being an especially favorite dish.

Is Mela worth a meal at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo?

It was great being able to order three dishes between the two of us and try a bit of everything. All three menu items we agonized over ended up suiting both our tastes well, and I'd recommend this combination to anyone stuck deciding what to order.

The food overall was delicious, but the clean, pretty atmosphere also makes it a good spot for photos while eating with a friend or on a date. Being inside Times Square is also convenient since you can eat, shop, and catch a movie all in one trip. Next time I'd like to try the pasta or French toast I didn't get to this time. If you're in Yeongdeungpo looking for a nice brunch café or a Times Square restaurant, check out Mela Times Square :)