Gangnam Korean restaurant for abalone pot rice: Moa Gangnam

At the start of the crisp autumn season, I visited Moa Gangnam, a great Korean restaurant near Gangnam Station. My 22-month-old was at daycare, and when my neighbor said she would drive an hour to come all the way to my neighborhood, I thought it would be nice to meet somewhere in between—Gangnam. That is how I found this fusion Korean spot, Moa Gangnam.

At the start of autumn, when a pleasantly gentle breeze was blowing morning and evening, I finally had a little outing to Gangnam Station with my neighbor. We thought we should meet while the weather was lovely, and it would be nice to chat away about our shared interest: raising twins.

Fusion Korean food near Gangnam Station Exit 11

The place we chose for a neat yet filling meal was Moa Gangnam, a fusion Korean restaurant close to Exit 11 of Gangnam Station.

It is on the first floor of Geumseong Building at 31 Teheran-ro 5-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, about 330 m from Exit 11 of Gangnam Station. Hours are 11:00–22:00, with a break from 15:30–17:00.

The restaurant is clean and calm, just right for chatting over a meal with a neighbor or friend. Seven years have passed since we used to go back and forth between our upstairs and downstairs homes while raising two sets of twins together. Now the children are in upper elementary school, while we are still just the same! We cheered each other on and comfortably talked about parenting and everyday life.

Perilla oil pasta and abalone mushroom butter pot rice

We ordered the perilla oil salted-seafood pasta and abalone mushroom butter pot rice as our meal dishes, plus grilled pork jowl with chamnamul chimichurri as a shared dish. After ordering, a refreshing, clear egg soup arrived first. It even had roe in it, with a salty, deep flavor. We ate while agreeing that all three dishes were delicious.

The perilla oil salted-seafood pasta was nutty, pleasantly salty, and clean-tasting—just the sort of flavor that wakes up your appetite. They set an individual plate in front of each of us and kindly checked whether we needed white aprons before bringing them over, so I could relax and enjoy the meal with my neighbor.

The perilla oil salted-seafood pasta looked delicious from the start, piled high with fragrant shredded perilla leaves. Once I mixed the leaves through with my chopsticks, its nutty, light flavor had me reaching back for more.

The savory umami of pollock roe and salted octopus, the popping texture of whole sesame seeds, and the rich aroma of perilla oil all clung beautifully to the noodles.

Steam rose from the hot abalone mushroom butter pot rice, carrying nutty butter and shiitake aromas. Generous, chewy pieces of abalone, scallions, and a pat of butter melted softly together, coating every grain of rice—it was excellent.

It was nutty and generously filled with abalone and mushrooms. Paired with the clear soup containing roe, it felt like a warming, substantial autumn restorative meal.

Moa Gangnam also has a green apple ade coupon event on Naver Place, so do check it before you visit.

What came with the grilled pork jowl and chimichurri

The grilled pork jowl with chamnamul chimichurri was wonderfully nutty and satisfyingly chewy. Topped with chamnamul, a fragrant Korean herb, it balanced a clean flavor with the herb’s fresh aroma and had a lovely texture.

The pork jowl was golden and crisp outside, yet tender within.

There was plenty of fragrant chimichurri, a basil-style herb sauce, along with coarse salt, whole-grain mustard, wasabi, and a house sauce, so it was nice to pair everything according to our own tastes.

On a day with a soft autumn breeze, a warm meal that was not overly seasoned and let the ingredients’ natural flavors shine made my time with my neighbor even fuller and more enjoyable. If you are looking for clean, atmospheric fusion Korean food near Gangnam Station, I would recommend it. Thanks to the delicious meal, my steps felt much lighter as I headed back in time for the children’s school pickup.