# Yeongdeungpo pasta café with carbonara and pepperoni pizza: Mela - By Doyun Rim (https://superchart.com/en/@changsin-bean-window/) - Written Sep 17, 2026 - Local places › Cafés › Yeongdeungpo, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after receiving a complimentary visit from the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@changsin-bean-window/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@changsin-bean-window/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/index.md) ## In short Mela Times Square is a brunch café on the 1st floor of Times Square in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, right beside Zara and H&M. On a couple's date at Mela, we ordered the classic pepperoni pizza, carbonara and a grapefruit ade, split the 6 pizza slices 3 each, and emptied every plate. Nothing at Mela is over-seasoned — the flavors stay true to the ingredients, and that alone makes it worth a return visit. ## Good to know - **Location**: 1st floor of Times Square, next to Zara and H&M (look for the apple sign) - **Restroom**: Right next to the restaurant - **What we ordered**: Classic pepperoni pizza, carbonara, grapefruit ade - **Pizza slices**: 6 slices, a good amount for two people - **Seating**: Tables for 2 and 4, wide spacing between tables, high chairs available - **Reservations**: Naver reservations come pre-set; booking recommended on weekends - **Pickles**: Served when you ask a staff member *as written by the visitor on Sep 17, 2026* A real rare date with my husband. I didn't have the energy to cook, but he kept saying let's go out, so I dragged my tired body outside. The weather's gotten so much cooler lately. ![Scenery of a Times Square date on a newly cool day](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-01-aravv-900.webp) ![Heading out toward Times Square](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-02-i2vx5-900.webp) ## Where is Mela Times Square inside Times Square? Mela Times Square is on the 1st floor of Times Square, next to Zara and H&M. Just look for that apple sign! There's a restroom right next door too. I said 'let's go out' and then ended up on an indoor date haha. In the end we came to our usual spot, Times Square. Let me introduce one of the good restaurants here! You all probably know which one already, right? ![Entrance of Mela on the 1st floor of Times Square](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-03-v6vu7-900.webp) ## Mela Times Square menu: what we ordered Looking at the Mela Times Square menu, my husband picked the classic pepperoni pizza, and I chose carbonara. We agreed to each pick one thing fairly 😊 At home I was clearly craving brunch-mode French toast, but once we got here I suddenly wanted pasta? My mind can't make up its mind. It's been literally a million years since I've ordered carbonara. ![Menu board at Mela Times Square](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-04-6q0pm-m-900.webp) ## High chairs and seating at Mela: do you need a reservation? Mela Times Square has high chairs ready and wide spacing between tables. There's a good mix of 2-tops and 4-tops! If you reserve through Naver, your table is pre-set and you can settle in more comfortably. Definitely recommend booking ahead on weekends. ![Seating at Mela Times Square with wide table spacing](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-05-yeaty-900.webp) ### Grapefruit ade at Mela I've been craving something sour lately so I ordered a grapefruit ade too. I asked for it less sweet, but I regretted it a little — should've kept it sweeter haha. Still tasty though. The grapefruit syrup is house-made, and you could really taste the texture of the rind, which was great. ![Grapefruit ade made with house-made grapefruit syrup](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-06-ad7eb-900.webp) ![Classic pepperoni pizza and carbonara set together](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-07-1ld17-1200.webp) ## Classic pepperoni pizza: why the pastry dough won us over Mela Times Square's classic pepperoni pizza is cut into 6 slices, a perfect portion for two people to share. I saw someone order it solo too, though. It's been genuinely a while since I've eaten Western food, and the visuals here were great. The pepperoni pizza looked like it had a pastry-style dough at first glance, which is exactly my type 🔫🔫 ![Pastry-dough pepperoni pizza cut into 6 slices](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-08-uezxk-900.webp) The cheese stretched beautifully and the dough was crisp like pastry, so I worried it might crumble into pieces — but not at all. It held together chewily. The taste was incredible too. Normally I'm supposed to eat 2 slices and my husband 4, but I got greedy and ate 3 haha. It's the kind of flavor you don't want to let go of. The tomato sauce was great, the dough was great, and altogether it was the kind of amazing flavor that makes you want to come back 🩵 The raw red onion on top cut through the richness just right and added a nice crunchy texture — total pass! ![A slice of pepperoni pizza topped with red onion](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-09-qax4i-900.webp) ![Cross-section of pepperoni pizza with stretchy cheese](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-10-1cxwy-900.webp) ## Mela's carbonara: mix the egg yolk right in Mela's carbonara felt like the textbook definition of carbonara. One egg yolk sitting right on top, tons of bacon visible?! And a good dusting of black pepper on top! ![Carbonara topped with egg yolk and bacon](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-11-1r5hz-900.webp) I'm not really drawn to raw yolks, so I quickly tossed it over to my husband and just enjoyed the thick, creamy sauce myself. ![Carbonara noodles mixed with cream sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-12-8zjdg-900.webp) But my husband said mixing the yolk in made it way nuttier and more delicious? Now I regret not eating it myself,, but honestly the cream sauce alone was plenty delicious too 🩵 There's a good pool of sauce left at the bottom, so mixing it all together is heavenly. Not greasy at all, just the right amount of delicious. Why can't I ever get this taste at home? ![Carbonara plate with leftover pooled cream sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-13-1lq32-900.webp) ### Pickles only come if you ask Pickles only come if you ask separately. My husband said it'd be a bit of a tragedy without pickles, so we asked staff and got some. He's a guy who hates raw cucumber but is totally fine with pickled cucumber haha. If you need pickles, just ask the staff! At this rate, a few more years and he'll be asking for kimchi next haha. ![A plate of pickles received after asking staff](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza-14-1k5i4-900.webp) ## What we'd order on a return visit to Mela We cleaned every plate, seriously — dishes done! Finished the drink and the pickles too ^^ I think this would be great for a date with my mom too, gotta save this place. Next time we visit again, I think we'd either order the same two dishes again or try the vongole pasta?! Both dishes were that good 🩵 Mela Times Square wasn't over-seasoned or trying too hard — it stuck to honest, true-to-itself flavor, showing us what textbook pizza and carbonara should taste like. ## Where it is - Mela Times Square (멜라 타임스퀘어점) - 103-9, 15 Yeongjung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 영등포구 영중로 15 103-9호 1층 멜라 타임스퀘어점 - 37.5172145, 126.9025629 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%A9%9C%EB%9D%BC%20%ED%83%80%EC%9E%84%EC%8A%A4%ED%80%98%EC%96%B4%EC%A0%90/@37.5172145,126.9025629,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@changsin-bean-window/mela-timesquare-carbonara-pepperoni-pizza/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt