Japanese restaurant by Mangwon Hangang Park: tuna rice bowl, Padong

I visited Mangwon-dong, a neighborhood full of memories for me, on a rare beautiful day ㅇㅅㅇ It was the weekend so the weather was gorgeous — a bit too warm, honestly ㅡㅡ but I wandered toward Mangwon Hangang Park for a walk anyway!

On the way I got a little hungry and went looking for raw-fish-style food, which I love^^^, and that's how I found this place — Padong.

Honestly the portions were huge and every single topping was piled on generously — I was a bit shocked the moment the food arrived hahaha. I've eaten plenty of rice bowls, futomaki, and mazesoba in my time (not bragging ㅡㅡㅋ), but here the fillings were so packed it was genuinely fun to eat.

Each dish especially had a generous portion, so I left completely full. If you're looking for a place to eat in Mangwon-dong, this is one worth knowing about.

Here's the detailed review!

Where Padong is near Mangwon Station, and its opening hours

Padong is on the basement floor of 47 Wolgyeong-ro 17-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, about 248m from Mangwon Station exit 2. It's open daily 11:30–21:00, closes early when ingredients sell out, and is closed every Monday.

• Indoor restroom available
• Wi-Fi / takeout available
• Reservations / group visits available
• Waiting area available / Japanese-style menu focus
• Great location for stopping by Mangwon Hangang Park or Mangwon Market!

💰 Futomaki ₩16,000 / Basil soba ₩13,000 / Mazesoba ₩12,000 / Kimchi cheese nabe ₩15,000 / Tuna rice bowl ₩15,000 / Salmon rice bowl ₩15,000 / Cold soba ₩13,000

Inside and outside Padong: the basement space

Walk a short way from Mangwon Station and Padong appears — it's really close to the station. Come out exit 2 and keep walking toward Mangwon Market, and there it is, also close to the road leading to the Han River park, so it's easy to follow a meal with a walk ㅋ. Especially on a nice day like this, it's a perfect stop while out and about in Mangwon >_<

The exterior felt fresh and green — the area around the shop had a lush, leafy vibe, and there were even cute Pokémon figures out front that made it feel oddly friendly ㅋㅋㅋ

Shall we go in?

Cozy and warm inside — the interior is mostly made up of 2-person and 4-person tables.

Overall it had a cozy, warm feel, and since the weather was so nice that day, sunlight streamed in and made the inside feel even fresher~_~

The indoor restroom was clean too, which I liked!!

Padong's menu and what was sold out

Padong's menu centers on Japanese-style food. There's futomaki, mazesoba, basil soba, tuna rice bowl, salmon rice bowl, steak rice bowl, and more — plenty of rice bowl variety — plus dishes like kimchi cheese nabe. Depending on the season there's also cold soba or shrimp tempura udon, so there's something to fit whatever you're craving that day!!!

That said, on weekends some ingredients can sell out, so keep that in mind if you have your heart set on a specific dish. I actually love the salmon rice bowl, but the salmon was sold out that day, so I went with the tuna rice bowl instead.

Tuna rice bowl, ₩15,000: house-made soy sauce flavour

Padong's tuna rice bowl is ₩15,000, topped with tuna and vegetables marinated in handmade soy sauce, served with a side of seaweed (gim). On top come rolled egg and flying fish roe as well.

Cute tableware @_@

Big and colorful visuals — ta-da! The tuna rice bowl and futomaki showed up looking absolutely massive ㅇ0ㅇ

The colors were so pretty it was fun just looking at it, and with so many toppings piled onto one bowl, you could instantly tell the portion was generous.

The tuna rice bowl's highlight is its handmade soy sauce flavor — the tuna and vegetables are marinated in handmade soy sauce, with a side of seaweed served alongside.

On top, there's a fluffy rolled egg?! and a generous heap of flying fish roe. Add in the pickled radish and pickles for a nice crunchy texture too!!>ㅁ<

Break the egg yolk and mix it all together with the tuna and vegetables —

Wow, look at this tuna ㅋㅋㅋㅠ It was well soaked in the handmade soy sauce, savory and rich with umami.

Add a touch of wasabi and eat it with the flying fish roe and pickled radish — so good.

Wrapping it in the seaweed brought the umami up another level. It went down smoothly, but with the pop of the fish roe scattered throughout, I genuinely enjoyed it ㅠ

Futomaki, ₩16,000: two fried shrimp inside

Padong's futomaki is ₩16,000, packed with tuna, fried shrimp, fried tofu, burdock root, pickled radish, cucumber, dried gourd strips, shiso leaf, and rice. It was stuffed so full it nearly fell apart just picking it up, which made it hard to fit in one bite.

A massive futomaki packed with fillings! Next up is the futomaki — futomaki is usually large to begin with, but this one was truly stuffed so full it nearly crumbled just picking it up ㅋㅋㅋ

Beyond tuna, it's loaded with fried shrimp, fried tofu, burdock root, pickled radish, cucumber, dried gourd strips, shiso leaf, and rice too.

Especially with two whole pieces of fried shrimp inside, the combination with the tuna was impressive — the crispy shrimp and soft tuna together gave a burst of juicy flavor in every bite~~

Pick it up and pickled radish comes tumbling out,,,, seriously hard to fit in one bite ㅋㅋ In the end I got greedy and just shoved the whole thing in,, and ummm, it was so good.

I ate down to the last bite happily. This is also great for sharing, so it's a good order if you're visiting with a group.

Mazesoba, ₩12,000: noodles as wide as kalguksu

Padong's mazesoba is ₩12,000 — meat and vegetables mixed with a special sauce, stirred together and eaten. Instead of the plump udon noodles you'd normally expect, the noodles here are flat like kalguksu (Korean knife-cut noodles), giving it a distinctly different texture.

The mazesoba is also loaded with toppings. I love basil, so I hesitated between basil soba and mazesoba for a moment, but the classic wins — mazesoba haha. I've had mazesoba plenty of times before so I wanted to compare a bit ㅇㅅㅇ The bowl itself was quite filling.

The mazesoba, too, came loaded with toppings — meat and vegetables mixed with a special sauce, stirred and eaten together. Break the egg yolk and mix it in sneakily, like in the photo,,, and it turns creamier as the yolk blends with the sauce!!

What was especially unusual was the noodles. You'd normally picture thick, plump udon-style noodles, but here they're flat like kalguksu, which gave it a bit of a different feel!????

The chewy noodles held onto the sauce really well, and the umami was insane. With bonito flakes added on top ㅠㅠㅠ the flavor felt even richer.

There was plenty of meat too — see it there? ㅋ so it wasn't just about the noodles, it felt quite filling!!

What stood out at Padong, and who it suits

A Mangwon-dong favorite for hearty Japanese food loaded with toppings — Padong overall had chewy, generous dishes where you could taste several different flavors at once!!! Stop by when you're out for a walk near the Han River or Mangwon Market >ㅡ<

What was good at Padong

• Overall generous portions
• Tuna rice bowl piled high with toppings
• Futomaki packed with genuinely solid fillings — fried shrimp and tuna combo
• Mazesoba also loaded with meat and toppings — flat noodles for a different texture
• Warm, cozy interior atmosphere
• Great accessibility, close to Mangwon Station
• Good for a meal before or after a walk along the Mangwon Han River

Who should eat at Padong

• Anyone looking for a can't-go-wrong Mangwon-dong restaurant
• Anyone craving a hearty rice bowl for lunch or dinner
• Fans of futomaki packed with fillings
• Anyone eating lunch near Mangwon Station before heading to Mangwon Market or the Han River
• Anyone looking for somewhere to eat while out and about in Mangwon
• Anyone looking for a date spot in Mangwon-dong
• Anyone looking for a meal before or after a walk along the Mangwon Han River

After the meal: Starbucks at Mangwon Pier

A great Mangwon spot for a weekend date outing

This is the Starbucks at Mangwon Pier! It has a Han River view~~~ perfect for a weekend bread-lover's stash ~_~ Food first, then coffee! Just a tip for you :)