Gangnam lunch for two: crab risotto, steak and Eulji Ade — Eulji Darak

Last time I visited, the risotto and pasta at Eulji Darak Gangnam Station were better than I expected, so I really wanted to go back! Luckily I had lunch plans with a close friend, so this time I brought her along. Gangnam Station is convenient for meeting up and easy to hop over to a café afterward, so a lot of people looking for a wedding invitation meetup spot end up there. But since it's such a busy area, places that are too loud or have tables packed too close together can make it a bit uncomfortable to talk for long.

Eulji Darak Gangnam has a casual vibe but the food still looks great on camera, so it seemed like a good spot not just for a lunch with a friend but also for a small wedding invitation gathering.

Inside Eulji Darak Gangnam Station: seating and atmosphere

Inside Eulji Darak Gangnam Station

It's one of those places that keeps popping up when you search for pasta restaurants near Gangnam Station. There are so many restaurants around Gangnam Station that it can be hard to decide where to go, but since I'd already eaten here once, picking the menu this time was pretty easy. I liked the food so much on my last visit that I wanted my close friend to try it too, haha.

What two people ordered for lunch at Eulji Darak

Menu

We ordered the spicy crab risotto and the pork neck steak, plus a refreshing Eulji Ade to go with it.

With the two of us splitting a risotto and a steak, the portions worked out well and the combination felt pretty filling.

How does the spicy crab risotto (19,000 won) taste?

The first dish I want to talk about is Eulji Darak Gangnam's spicy crab risotto, 19,000 won. Regular cream risotto can start to feel a bit heavy after a while, right?

This dish has a smooth, rich cream flavor followed by a subtle kick of chili oil heat, so it never got tiring even by the last bite. It wasn't so spicy that it drowned out the creaminess either.

With that slightly sharp edge added in, even people who love cream pasta but can't handle heaviness could eat it comfortably. There was crab mixed in too, so you'd get soft bites here and there, and the deep cheese flavor made the sauce itself feel quite rich. If you like spicy cream sauce like I do, I'd recommend this as a risotto option near Gangnam Station.

What comes with the pork neck steak (24,000 won)

The pork neck steak is 24,000 won, and I picked it because ordering just the risotto felt like it wasn't quite enough — the pairing turned out great.

It's grilled pork neck cut into easy-to-eat pieces, served with grilled vegetables, mashed potato, and steak sauce. The pork neck was thick but not too chewy, easy to eat, with a subtle grilled aroma. Paired with the savory steak sauce, the meat's flavor came through even more.

The soft mashed potato balanced out the bold flavors of the meat and sauce really nicely. The grilled vegetables on the side also made the overall plate feel more balanced than if it were just meat and risotto. If you're visiting with a group, this seems like a good dish to put in the middle of the table and share.

Eulji Ade (6,900 won): a palate break between rich dishes

For a drink, we ordered the lemonade, Eulji Ade, 6,900 won. Sipping it between the rich cream risotto and the pork neck steak really cleared the palate.

The bright lemon flavor and the fizz paired well with both dishes, and it also made the table look more colorful in photos. Chatting away over a good meal with my friend, I remembered exactly why I'd wanted to come back last time. The menu isn't run-of-the-mill but it's not too particular either, so it was great for ordering a bunch of things and sharing with friends. And especially for a wedding invitation meetup, you end up thinking about the taste, sure, but also the location and the atmosphere.

Does Eulji Darak Gangnam Station work for a wedding invitation meetup?

Eulji Darak Gangnam is a comfortable place to meet friends, eat, and talk for a while, and since you can order risotto, pasta, and steak all together, it's worth adding to the list when you're looking for a wedding invitation meetup spot. If you want a place near Gangnam Station that covers both atmosphere and food quality among the pasta restaurants there, give Eulji Darak Gangnam Station a try.