Menbosha with lemon cream sauce at Soi Nana, a Seongsu Thai restaurant

If you're looking for a good lunch spot near Seongsu Station, I'd recommend Soi Nana, a Thai restaurant.

Seongsu has no shortage of great restaurants, but Soi Nana is a place where you can feel both the atmosphere and flavors of Thailand, which makes it one of my go-to spots whenever I'm around Seongsu Station. With so many workplaces nearby — including Musinsa — in the Seongsu Station and North Seongsu area, it's known as a popular weekday lunch spot for office workers.

Where is Soi Nana in Seongsu, and is there parking?

Soi Nana Seongsu is located at 37 Seongsuiro 22-gil, 1F, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, about a 5-minute walk from Exit 2 of Seongsu Station, so it's convenient by public transit too. If you're driving, there's in-building parking, and you get 1 hour free with a visit — we drove there and parking was easy, haha.

That said, there can be a wait during lunch peak hours — you'll need to sign your name on an outdoor waitlist — so if you're visiting for lunch, it's best to allow some extra time. Personally, I think visiting a little after the typical office lunch rush is also a good strategy.

Inside Soi Nana: a dining room that feels like Thailand

Walking into Soi Nana, you'll notice an atmosphere that's a bit different from your typical Thai restaurant. Thanks to the interior mixing palm-tree parasols and plant décor, you get the feeling of a Southeast Asian resort even though you're right in the middle of Seongsu.

The relaxed North Seongsu vibe blends nicely with the exotic interior, making this a great spot not just for a meal but also for a date or a gathering with friends in Seongsu. What I especially liked is that even for people who find the strong spices of Southeast Asian food a bit much, the kitchen adapts the recipes to Korean tastes, making it an easy Thai restaurant to enjoy from grandparents to kids.

Pu pad pong curry, 29,000 won: soft-shell crab in rich curry

The main reason we visited Soi Nana today was to try the pu pad pong curry, which at ₩29,000 is Soi Nana Seongsu's signature dish!!

It's a special curry made by stir-frying 99% pure coconut milk and eggs over high heat with a mix of vegetables, topped with soft-shell crab fried crisp on the outside and tender inside.

What stood out most was how crispy the soft-shell crab was when eaten fresh out of the fryer — there are four big chunks of crab, and the rice comes piled generously, so the curry alone makes for a pretty filling meal.

It felt like about 1.5 servings, so it would work well shared between two people alongside another dish. The smoothness of the coconut milk, the savoriness of the egg, the texture of the vegetables, and the crispy soft-shell crab all came together nicely with the rice. Personally, I think it would pair really well with a cold beer too, haha~

Braised beef shank rice noodle soup, 12,900 won

Since I visited for lunch with my wife, we also ordered Soi Nana's signature braised beef shank rice noodle soup. It's ₩12,900.

What defines Soi Nana's noodle soup is the beef shank slow-cooked at low temperature over a long time, paired with a savory broth — the generous chunks of beef shank, cooked for so long, had a really tender texture.

Picking up the meat with chopsticks, it fell apart smoothly, and eating it with the rich broth made for a very satisfying meal. Apparently the beef shank is carefully cooked for 24 hours, using spices sourced directly from Thailand and a special sauce developed over a long period of research, all coming together to make Soi Nana's own take on rice noodle soup. If you're looking for pho in Seongsu, this is a dish worth trying at least once.

Menbosha, 8,900 won: the lemon cream sauce side worth ordering

The last dish we ordered was menbosha (fried shrimp toast), priced at ₩8,900 — a side dish under ₩10,000, easy to add without hesitation.

The crispy fried menbosha comes with a sweet-tangy lemon cream sauce, and the combination worked surprisingly well, haha. Crispy on the outside with the shrimp's texture still alive on the inside, it personally reminded me of eating a mini crispy shrimp burger.

You can eat it alongside the vegetables, or dip it in the sauce for extra sweet-tanginess — it was a dish I kept reaching for. If it's your first time at Soi Nana, I'd recommend adding menbosha as a side alongside a main dish.

Why Soi Nana works for a Seongsu weekday lunch

Soi Nana has good accessibility from Seongsu Station and a fairly wide range of menu options, making it an easy pick as a Seongsu lunch spot for office workers. The braised beef shank rice noodle soup suits anyone wanting a hearty lunch, while the pu pad pong curry is great for sharing among a group.

Thai food can be hit or miss for some due to the spices, but Soi Nana's advantage is that the recipes are adapted to Korean tastes, making it fairly approachable. Keep in mind that a wait can build up during lunch hours, so if you'd like a more relaxed meal, I'd recommend visiting slightly off-peak.

With about a 5-minute walk from Exit 2 of Seongsu Station plus in-building parking and 1 hour free, it's convenient for those driving too — just keep that in mind.

Soi Nana Seongsu hours, address and how to get there

• Address: 37 Seongsuiro 22-gil, 1F, Seongdong-gu, Seoul — Soi Nana Seongsu
• Hours: Weekdays 11:30 AM–9:00 PM
• Break time: 3:00 PM–5:00 PM
• Last order: 8:00 PM
• Closed: Saturdays and Sundays

If you're planning a weekend visit, definitely keep the regular closing days in mind. If you're craving Thai food near Seongsu Station, or looking for a Seongsu lunch spot, an office-worker-friendly restaurant, or pho in Seongsu, give Soi Nana a try. In this exotic space, you can enjoy everything from pu pad pong curry to braised beef shank rice noodle soup and menbosha — a great place for a different kind of lunch in Seongsu.