Japanese lunch in Mapo, Seoul with three winning dishes: Padong

I usually love Japanese dishes like mazesoba and rice bowls, so I found Padong while looking up good Japanese restaurants in Mangwon! It is known for waits and had such great reviews that I had to go—and every dish we ordered, from the mazesoba to the kimchi cheese nabe and tuna rice bowl, was so delicious. Great value, carefully prepared food, and just perfect for lunch in Mangwon! The cute atmosphere made it such a lovely date spot too.

Padong location and parking near Mangwon Station

Padong is a four-minute walk from Mangwon Station Exit 2, so it is easy to visit on foot or by public transport! It is also close to Mangwon Market, making it nice to look around Mangwon-dong or head to a café after your meal—a solid date course too.

Is parking available?

There is no dedicated parking, though, so if you are driving, I recommend checking out nearby paid parking beforehand. Public transport access is so good that I would probably take the subway for lunch in Mangwon :)

Padong waits and reservations

Padong is already a pretty well-known Japanese restaurant in Mangwon, to the point that reservations are needed on weekends! You can reserve through Catch Table, so especially if you are visiting on a weekend or for a date, I absolutely recommend booking ahead rather than waiting. It is such a shame when you go out for delicious Japanese food and end up waiting forever, so I love places where you can reserve in advance.

A cute interior with a Japanese feel

The interior had a Japanese feel while still being clean and cute. The dishes themselves were plated beautifully too, and I immediately thought it was the kind of place women would really love.

It is great for lunch with a friend, but the atmosphere is also lovely for two people sitting across from each other, so I would recommend it to anyone looking for a date spot. Have something delicious, then take a lap around Mangwon-dong—sounds like the perfect date course :)

Padong menu and prices

• Mazesoba — ₩12,000
• Basil soba — ₩13,000
• Kimchi cheese nabe — ₩15,000
• Steak rice bowl — ₩13,000
• Tuna rice bowl — ₩15,000
• Salmon rice bowl — ₩15,000
• Futomaki — ₩16,000

Seriously, a great-value Mangwon spot!!! Especially considering the food quality and portions, it felt like truly great value. Rather than just having one kind of dish, you can order noodles, rice bowls, and nabe, so it is also great for a group lunch.

Mazesoba, kimchi cheese nabe, and tuna rice bowl

We ordered the mazesoba, kimchi cheese nabe, and tuna rice bowl!

The tuna rice bowl was my absolute favorite

My absolute favorite was, without question, the tuna rice bowl!!! It is a rice bowl where you mix tuna aged in house-made soy sauce with vegetables, and it was ₩15,000. There was a generous amount of tuna, plus Japanese rolled omelet, pickled radish, flying fish roe, and so much more—the look of it alone was totally my style!

Being able to have this whole spread for ₩15,000 was seriously amazing value. All three dishes were delicious, but the tuna rice bowl was sooo, sooo, sooo good to me!

My partner's top pick: kimchi cheese nabe

The kimchi cheese nabe was my partner's number-one pick :) !!!

It came topped with a seriously generous amount of cheese, but somehow, with the kimchi in it, it was not rich or heavy at all—just really, really delicious,,

The house-made shrimp tempura was substantial too, and rice came separately, so it was a completely filling meal! With hot nabe and rice, it was perfect as a lunch menu as well.

Mazesoba with a wonderfully rich sauce

This is a dish you mix with meat, vegetables, special sauce, and black vinegar. Overall, it was wonderfully thick and rich, with a savory peanut flavor too! I have had mazesoba at several other places before, but this place is a real mazesoba gem—now I see why it is a signature dish!

Number one among all the mazesoba I have had so far. There was a really generous amount of meat, and the seasoning? That was the real kick.

The sauce clung thickly to the noodles, so I just kept eating. If you like mazesoba, you really have to try this at least once!

Thanks to that, we went for lunch and ended up ordering Asahi beer too :) Every dish at Padong was thoughtfully prepared, and I was satisfied with the quality for the price. The atmosphere is pretty and the menu selection is great, so I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good date restaurant, as well as anyone after a delicious lunch in Mangwon or great-value Japanese food! It had been a while since all three dishes were a success—this was a self-paid visit, and my intention to return is 200%!! I think I will eat here again next time I am in Mangwon.