Yerim Doh · 2 stories

A Hillside Kitchen in Changsin

Writes about small restaurants around Seoul's older hillside neighborhoods. · Writes about: Restaurants

Hongdae brunch café with 1-hour validated parking for drivers: MELA

MELA Hongdae is an all-day brunch café on the first floor of Nudit Hongdae, a mixed-use cultural complex in Seogyo-dong, Mapo, Seoul. MELA Hongdae has an underground self-parking lot, and registering your license plate at checkout gets you 1 hour free; the meal here was salmon eggs Benedict (22,000 won), minari (water dropwort) vongole pasta (23,000 won), and a house-made lemonade (7,500 won). In parking-scarce Hongdae, MELA is an easy place to drive to for a relaxed European-style brunch.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Mangwon Japanese restaurant for karaage and futomaki: Padong

Padong is a fusion Japanese restaurant on the basement level of an alley building by Mangwon Market in Mapo, Seoul, a five-minute walk from Mangwon Station Exit 2. Three of us ordered four dishes — futomaki, tuna rice bowl, kimchi cheese nabe and chicken karaage — to balance rice, hot broth and something fried. The futomaki with the spicy kimchi cheese nabe was the best pairing, and Padong feels easy enough for a small gathering or a solo meal.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored

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