Yeongdeungpo Station restaurant for a shopping date: risotto at Mela

Today I went looking for good eats near Yeongdeungpo Station and ended up having risotto at Mela Times Square!

Where Mela Times Square is and what the space feels like

Mela Times Square is located at 103-9, 1F, 15 Yeongjung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 217m from Exit 6 of Yeongdeungpo Station on Line 1.

The high ceilings made the space feel bigger and it was nice for a relaxed meal. There's outdoor seating too.

Since Mela Times Square is inside the Times Square mall, parking is available. I also liked that the spice level can be adjusted on every menu item.

Mela Times Square menu highlights and prices

• Mela's sirloin flap steak ₩39,900
• Minari vongole ₩23,000
• Scallop mushroom cream risotto ₩23,000
• Ragu tteokbokki ₩22,000
• Victoria French toast ₩21,000
• Signature brunch plate ₩22,000
• Seasonal real watermelon juice ₩8,800
• Nectarine ade ₩8,000

It's a brunch café and restaurant run on recipes developed by a culinary researcher trained at the Italian culinary school ICIF. I dropped by while out shopping and on a date, haha.

Hours, parking and booking at Mela Times Square

Open 10:30–22:00, closed on 9/24 for Chuseok but open normal hours on 9/25 Chuseok Day. It may close earlier depending on the store situation or if ingredients run out. Recommended dishes and new menu items were also posted separately with photos.

• Reservations available, takeout available
• High chairs, wifi
• Group seating available
• Gender-separated restrooms
• Wheelchair accessible
• Free corkage available

Scallop mushroom cream risotto with a sourdough bread add-on

My order?! Scallop mushroom cream risotto, a sourdough bread add-on, and pumpkin gorgonzola pastry pizza.

First up is the scallop mushroom cream risotto. It's made with whole scallops seared in butter and mascarpone cream.

The scallop mushroom cream risotto came with four big whole scallops, browned nicely in butter, sprinkled with pistachio powder on top. I added sourdough bread to go with the creamy base. I tried the risotto first — scooping some up with a piece of the butter-seared scallop on top, and wow, the scallop was so tender!! And the pistachio was a subtle kick that added a nutty flavor.

I piled the cream risotto onto the sourdough bread like jam and tried it that way. The plain bread paired really well with the rich cream sauce. But I think it might've gone even better with pasta!

How was the pumpkin gorgonzola pastry pizza?

Next up is the pumpkin gorgonzola pastry pizza! It's a pizza with pumpkin and gorgonzola cheese on a crispy pastry dough.

The pumpkin gorgonzola pastry pizza had pumpkin slices layered across the whole dough, plenty of browned melted cheese, and a crispy pastry crust around the edge that really stood out. The edges were especially crisp, and you could really feel the pastry texture. The pumpkin was cooked down soft and melt-in-your-mouth sweet, and the gorgonzola flavor came through well too. Dipping it in the honey sauce that came alongside gave a sweet-and-salty combo that kept me reaching for more.

Is Mela Times Square a good shopping-date meal in Yeongdeungpo?

I highly recommend the scallop mushroom cream risotto — the big scallops were so tender! This is a risotto spot for sure! The pumpkin gorgonzola pastry pizza was also great, with sweet pumpkin and gorgonzola cheese on that crispy dough.

If you're shopping at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo and get tired and need a place for brunch or a meal, come check out Mela Times Square. I've already got Mela's sirloin flap steak or the mushroom poached egg avocado salad in mind for next time, haha. The Jeju matcha cream latte and Jeju matcha latte are my favorite drinks, and I'm curious about the Hokkaido royal milk tea too.