Daeheung brunch spot with a weekday opening queue: solo booking, HEOD

Where is HEOD Mapo and what are its opening hours?

HEOD Mapo is a brunch spot at 24 Gwangseong-ro 6-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (1F), a 4-minute walk from Exit 4 of Daeheung Station. It is open daily 11:00-21:00 with a break from 15:30 to 17:00. There is no parking, so use the Sinsu off-street public lot (₩2,400 per 30 minutes) or the Modu-ui Jucha-jang app.

HEOD is said to be on its fourth branch, after Gangneung, Hapjeong and Yeonnam. It's a brand-new brunch café; the sign still says HEOD Gongdeok, but the name is about to change to HEOD Mapo.

Is there a queue at HEOD Mapo at weekday opening?

I arrived around 10:58, just before the 11am opening, and 4 parties were already waiting to get in. I'd been enjoying a solo coffee at a nearby café, so it caught me off guard. Wow, this popular on a weekday?!

The crowd was a mix of groups, dates and friends, and some people had come alone like me, so I felt a little (?) less lonely haha

Is HEOD Mapo's seating good for eating alone?

There are single seats, tables for two and larger tables, so it works for a date and for a solo meal like mine. I snapped the empty seats the moment I walked in.

Honestly I wanted a window seat, but the couple who came in first got it. *sob*

I had made a reservation, so my seat was already picked out. I could have asked to move if I didn't like it, but a crowd poured in right at opening, so I just sat where I was shown haha. The open kitchen was fun to watch haha.

On the table, a cute lemon and lime were holding down the napkins. Ugh... hmm... I'm so good at folding those napkins out prettily... I didn't notice when I took the photo, but now I want to fix them (my old job's habit flaring up).

How to order at HEOD Mapo and the time limit

You order by QR code at the table. When there's a wait, your time is limited to 1 hour 20 minutes, so keep that in mind! The restroom is tucked away at the back and is unisex.

HEOD Mapo review and birthday events

For a review event you get orange juice or an Americano, and for birthdays and anniversaries you can get a lettering service or a mini cake!! The mini cake is so cute.

HEOD Mapo menu and how to order the solo set

I ordered the solo set (₩1,500 off): scallion pork jowl oil pasta (₩19,800) and an Americano (₩4,500). HEOD Mapo has discounted sets such as a lunch set, dinner set, steak set and gnocchi set.

• Solo set (-₩1,500)
• Scallion pork jowl oil pasta ₩19,800
• Americano ₩4,500

So many dishes looked amazing that I agonized for ages and ended up with the scallion pork jowl oil pasta... This is the downside of coming alone...

The pickles that come by default weren't too sour or soft, just crunchy, and I polished them off haha

The Americano was nutty and strong. I think it would have been even better with a sweet dessert.

How does HEOD Mapo's scallion pork jowl oil pasta taste?

HEOD Mapo's scallion pork jowl oil pasta comes with a generous amount of chewy pork jowl and a slight kick, so it didn't feel heavy. And here it is, the star of the show, the scallion pork jowl oil pasta!

The pork jowl is chewy and so good, and the portion is generous enough not to disappoint. I liked that the slight kick kept it from feeling heavy.

There's also plenty of scallion, cherry tomato and garlic. The scallion isn't just raw scallion (?); it's tangy pickled scallion. Since it's an oil pasta, I think it's meant to keep it from getting cloying. So I scraped the plate clean without leaving a thing haha.

Since I came alone, one dish was enough to satisfy me at this Daeheung favorite, HEOD Mapo. Next time I'll go with a group and order a bit of everything. It's a Gongdeok/Daeheung brunch café that's great for dates, too.