Hapjeong Thai group meal: two noodle soups, sea bass, Saeng Augustine

Where is Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch, and what is the atmosphere like?

Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch (생어거스틴 합정점) is a Thai restaurant at the entrance of the Mecenatpolis food street, right by Exit 10 of Hapjeong Station. It connects directly to the subway station, so access is really great.

Inside, it's spacious, with plenty of room between tables, and the tables placed side by side have partitions, so it never felt crowded. I also heard there are rooms you can sit in if you reserve. So it seems like a good spot for a group gathering or a company dinner.

The overall mood is casual, but it's not chaotic or noisy. Thanks to that, we could chat happily with friends and eat comfortably.

Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch menu

The number of items on the menu surprised me at first. There are rice dishes like fried rice and rice bowls, plus rice noodles, stir-fried noodles, meat dishes and even sea bass. With such a wide range, even a big group could each pick something to their taste, which was convenient.

What we ordered as a group

• Tom yum noodles (똠얌쌀국수)
• Vietnamese beef noodles (베트남쌀국수)
• Crab curry rice (게살커리덮밥)
• King shrimp pad thai (왕새우팟타이)
• Chili sea bass (칠리농어)

We came as a group this time, so we ordered a nice variety: tom yum noodles, Vietnamese beef noodles, crab curry rice, king shrimp pad thai, and chili sea bass as the main. We ordered like pros!

Dish-by-dish tasting notes

Tom yum noodles: thin noodles in a sweet, sour and spicy broth

The tom yum noodles come in a sweet, sour and spicy tom yum base with rice noodles already in it, which made it perfect as a meal. I usually love tom yum goong, but having only the soup always left me a little unsatisfied.

The price is also reasonable compared with tom yum goong, so it would work as a solo meal on days you crave tom yum.

Chili flakes are sprinkled on top, so it's quietly spicy. The toppings are generous too: beef, bean sprouts, a boiled egg and fish balls.

Unusually, the noodles are very thin, and maybe because of that, the sweet and sour broth soaked right into them instead of sitting apart. It was delicious.

Vietnamese beef noodles: rich broth and wide noodles

The Vietnamese beef noodles are the basic style, with a rich meat broth and plenty of beef, bean sprouts and onion.

I liked that the beef wasn't dry at all, it was super tender, and there was no gamey smell whatsoever.

The broth is rich yet finishes clean with no greasiness, so it's a flavor nobody would dislike. The crunchy onion and bean sprouts are appealing too.

Unlike the tom yum noodles, the Vietnamese noodles are wide and flat. They were chewy yet soft, and I thought it was clever that they use a different noodle to suit each type of broth.

Crab curry rice: the budget version of poo pad pong curry

Poo pad pong curry (crab curry) is Saeng Augustine's signature, right? But sometimes the portion and price feel a bit much for a main.

That's when you order the crab curry rice. It's totally the budget version of poo pad pong curry.

It uses crab meat instead of fried soft-shell crab, but the sauce tastes almost the same. Egg is softly swirled into the sweet and salty curry sauce, and mixed into rice it's a total rice thief.

King shrimp pad thai: the one we order every visit

Every time I come to Saeng Augustine, I almost always order the king shrimp pad thai. It's that addictive.

A big whole shrimp sits on top, and there's shrimp meat inside too. Mixing in the peanut powder served on the side brings out a nutty, rich flavor, and the raw bean sprouts add crunch.

You can mix in chili flakes if you like, but without them it isn't spicy, so kids can eat it well too.

Chili sea bass: a different main, chosen over poo pad pong curry

The chili sea bass is a main dish where a whole sea bass is fried and served. I wanted a different main from the poo pad pong curry I always eat, so I ordered it, and the look alone was overwhelming and classy.

The outside is super crispy, while the flesh is moist and tender. Sometimes a fish is big but has little meat, but this chili sea bass was great for sharing among a group.

The chili sauce on top is much richer and deeper than the sweet chili we know. It's sweet and spicy, a crowd-pleasing flavor Koreans would like. The sauce goes well with the mild fish, so I'd recommend it as something different.

Is Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch good for group meetups?

Eating colorful, varied Thai food in an exotic atmosphere really made it feel like a proper night out.

The flavors are crowd-pleasing yet clean, and the space is large, so Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch suits both dates and get-togethers with friends. If you're looking for a no-fail Thai restaurant near Hapjeong Station, it's worth a visit.