# Hongdae Italian home-style café for ragu tteokbokki rice cakes: MELA - By Irin (https://superchart.com/en/@errand-coffee-stops/) - Written Sep 20, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written based on a sponsored store visit. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@errand-coffee-stops/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@errand-coffee-stops/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/index.md) ## In short MELA Hongdae is an Italian home-style brunch café on the 1st floor of Nudit Hongdae, a mixed-use culture space in Mapo, Seoul. The order was an avocado ricotta open sandwich (19,500 won), baby potato basil cream gnocchi (22,000 won) and ragu tteokbokki (22,000 won), kept as rice cakes instead of swapped to pasta, and the ragu sauce tasted authentic with no gamey aftertaste. For a calmer table just off the busy Hongdae streets, MELA Hongdae is a solid pick. ## Good to know - **Location**: 41 World Cup buk-ro 5-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, Unit 105 (Nudit Hongdae) - **Hours**: Daily 9:00am–6:30pm (last order 6:00pm) - **Parking**: Available - **Avocado ricotta open sandwich**: 19,500 won - **Baby potato basil cream gnocchi**: 22,000 won - **Ragu tteokbokki**: 22,000 won (can be swapped to pasta) - **Morning Special**: 9:00–11:00am, French toast, brunch platter and other single à la carte plates - **Event**: Free truffle fries for writing a Naver photo review *as written by the visitor on Sep 20, 2026* Summer had passed and the air had turned crisp and cool with autumn — that was the weather when I visited MELA Hongdae. ## Where is MELA Hongdae and what are its hours? ✨️MELA Hongdae✨️ 41 World Cup buk-ro 5-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, Unit 105 ⏰️Hours: Daily 09:00–18:30, last order 18:00 🚘Parking available ![Menu banner in front of MELA Hongdae](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-01-4c5ye-900.webp) ![Menu signage set up at the entrance of MELA Hongdae](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-02-1mv0q-900.webp) ![Banner listing brunch and pasta menu items](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-03-1ahih-900.webp) Menu banners lined up in front of the store. With brunch, pasta, and bingsu (shaved ice dessert) among the options, you can enjoy both a full meal and dessert here. ![Exterior of Nudit Hongdae, a mixed-culture space](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-04-1lnmv-900.webp) ![Yellow character sculpture in front of the Nudit Hongdae building](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-05-1mc4e-900.webp) ## Nudit Hongdae: a ground-floor space with a Seongsu feel MELA sits inside Nudit Hongdae, a mixed-culture space, and I thought the exterior reminded me of Seongsu — turns out it's very similar to Naknak in Seongsu. There's a cute little yellow character crouched in front of the building haha. MELA, the Italian home-style brunch café, is full of European-style tables and props inside too — antique yet warm at the same time. ![Interior of MELA Hongdae decorated with European-style tables and props](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-06-1avh9-900.webp) ![The antique-style main hall of MELA Hongdae](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-07-peon0-900.webp) ![Italian sauce bottles displayed on a shelf](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-08-c8aua-900.webp) Even the sauce bottles on the shelf have a certain vibe haha. MELA is said to serve brunch, meals, and pasta based on recipes developed by a chef who studied at ICIF, an Italian culinary school, capturing the spirit of authentic Italian home cooking. ![Window seats at MELA Hongdae](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-09-1w54h-900.webp) ![A section of the store with a wine fridge and coat hanger](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-10-1ehlx-900.webp) ### Window seats at MELA Hongdae, good for solo diners Window seats that look great for solo visits. Being slightly off Hongdae's main street, the place feels calm and comfortable instead of chaotic and crowded. There's even a hanger for coats next to the wine fridge. The tile pattern on the floor, the wooden tables, and the dark mint-colored shelves and window frames all blend together nicely. It even gives off a slight Shilla Hotel Jeju vibe haha. ![Interior with tile flooring and mint-colored window frames](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-11-1hnbs-900.webp) ## MELA Hongdae Morning Special and bakery menu From 9 to 11am, you can order French toast and brunch platters from the Morning Special menu, single or à la carte. ![Morning Special menu board, served 9 to 11am](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-12-iuf0t-900.webp) They're currently running an event where you get truffle fries for writing a Naver photo review. Croissants, pain au chocolat, cookies, and croffles are all displayed too, so it's a great spot even if you're just coming for bread and coffee rather than a full meal. The croissants look crispy just from looking at them! ![Croissants on the bakery display at MELA Hongdae](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-13-petpc-900.webp) ![Bakery case with pain au chocolat and cookies](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-14-1pfd3-900.webp) ![Bakery display including croffles and other desserts](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-15-6g0g1-900.webp) ![Coffee and bread corner at MELA Hongdae](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-16-1doxz-900.webp) ![Close-up of a crispy-looking croissant](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-17-8doh1-900.webp) ## What we ordered at MELA Hongdae and what it cost > 🍽 What we ordered - Avocado Ricotta Open Sandwich ₩19,500 - Baby Potato Basil Cream Gnocchi ₩22,000 - Ragu Tteokbokki ₩22,000 ![Table spread with the ordered dishes at MELA Hongdae](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-18-2omy5-900.webp) ![Open sandwich, gnocchi, and ragu tteokbokki set on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-19-15rg7-1200.webp) And here it is! Our order finally arrived. Ragu tteokbokki can be swapped for pasta, but we wanted to eat it as regular tteokbokki so we kept it as is haha. ![Plate of ragu tteokbokki topped with cheese](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-20-1sxzb-900.webp) ### Avocado ricotta open sandwich, 19,500 won MELA's best-selling dish, the avocado ricotta open sandwich. Perfectly ripe avocado, ricotta cheese, and salty jamón on top. The creamy avocado and rich ricotta cheese blend beautifully with the crispy baguette texture. The sweet-and-tangy sauce on the bread is the kicker. Sometimes avocado isn't ripened enough and turns out crunchy, but MELA's avocado was perfectly ripened! Totally nailed it. A sandwich like this can get greasy, but pairing it with carrot rapé and a fresh salad refreshes your palate all over again. ![Avocado ricotta open sandwich topped with jamón](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-21-1ugj5-900.webp) ![Open sandwich served with carrot rapé and salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-22-1o0u8-900.webp) ### Baby potato basil cream gnocchi, 22,000 won Another one of MELA's best menu items, the baby potato basil cream gnocchi. The plump, chewy gnocchi soaks up the rich basil-scented cream sauce just enough, giving it a full, rich flavor. ![Baby potato gnocchi in basil cream sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-23-fo3u8-m-900.webp) ![Close-up of chewy gnocchi](https://img.superchart.com/images/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit-24-83eco-900.webp) ### Ragu tteokbokki kept as rice cakes: authentic ragu sauce, no gamey taste MELA's signature dish, ragu tteokbokki, combines Italian ragu sauce with tteokbokki (spicy stir-fried rice cakes), a soul food for Koreans. The cheese on top melts and softens the salty ragu sauce even more. Ragu sauce sometimes has a gamey meat smell, but MELA's ragu tteokbokki had none of that — just the authentic taste of real ragu sauce. Recommended if you want something familiar yet new! ## Is MELA Hongdae worth a visit? Final verdict I've been to Hongdae so many times, and I never knew a place like this existed! Nudit, the mixed-culture space that reminds me of Seongsu, with MELA Hongdae tucked inside. Seeing it in person, the interior was even prettier than in photos and exceeded my expectations. Everyone seems to think alike — a steady stream of customers kept coming in, whether solo diners or group gatherings. If you're looking for a relaxed, comfortable place to eat amid the busy Hongdae streets, MELA Hongdae comes highly recommended! Next time I plan to go back for the brunch or bakery menu. It was a day that reminded me once again just how big the world is, and how many great places I still haven't discovered. ## Where it is - MELA Hongdae (멜라 홍대점) - 41 World Cup buk-ro 5-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, Unit 105, South Korea - 서울특별시 마포구 월드컵북로5길 41 1층 105호 - 37.5561238, 126.9167212 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%A9%9C%EB%9D%BC%20%ED%99%8D%EB%8C%80%EC%A0%90/@37.5561238,126.9167212,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@errand-coffee-stops/mela-hongdae-ragu-tteokbokki-nudit/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt