Mangwon-dong fine dining lunch with Mom: anchovy butter pasta, Noju

Noju location and opening hours in Mangwon

Noju (노주) is on the 2nd floor at 56 Donggyo-ro 9-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It is open daily 11:30-23:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00, and closed every Monday.

I was looking for a place with a nice atmosphere in Mangwon, Seoul, and found one I was really happy with, so I want to share it. It's "Noju"! Doesn't fine dining usually feel pricey, something you can't easily try unless it's a special day? Noju was a place where the satisfaction was really high for the price 🥰

How much is the Noju lunch course?

The Noju lunch course is ₩55,000 per person. Being able to enjoy a course meal at this price in Seoul these days was appealing in itself, and once I actually ate it, the lineup was good too, so I was even happier.

Noju atmosphere and booking tips

The inside of Noju isn't huge, but it was plenty good for a date. I booked ahead for opening time, and guests kept coming in steadily. So I recommend reserving before you go! The atmosphere is very, very nice, so it would also suit an anniversary or a birthday.

Noju lunch course menu, in order

Focaccia (yuja citron / ricotta cheese)

The course starts with focaccia. It was slightly crisp outside and moist inside, and the fresh scent of yuja (Korean citron) went really well with the mild ricotta. A gentle start for the appetite.. 👍🩷

Two bite-sized dishes (beet / endive)

Next came two bite-sized dishes made with beet and endive. They're sized to eat in one bite, but the flavor was absolutely top-notch!

The subtle sweetness of the beet and the flavors of the endive come together and your appetite really kicks in..!! Personally, these two little bites were really, really delicious 😵

Arancini (Popo Farm rice / sesame oil)

Next up was arancini (fried risotto balls)!!! It's one of my personal favorites, so I really enjoyed it at Noju in Mangwon.

Noju's arancini used Popo Farm rice and sesame oil. Crisp outside, piping hot inside, and really tasty. That white powder on top is actually made from sesame oil, and I wondered how they made it, so my mom, who came with me today, and I marveled at it as we ate! It felt familiar yet different, so it stuck in my memory 😙

The sesame oil flavor was so intriguing that this arancini left a strong memory!

Jambon (zucchini / Emmental cheese)

Noju's jambon (Korean-style ham) dish was satisfying too..! Honestly, every dish was just really delicious. Truly a Mangwon favorite 👍 It came with zucchini and Emmental cheese; the saltiness of the jambon and the soft texture of the zucchini blended well, and the Emmental wrapped the whole thing gently, so the balance was great. I wondered if there's any fine dining with better value than Noju.

My mom enjoyed it so much that it put me in a good mood too. The restaurant is quiet overall, so it was also good for talking!

Anchovy pasta (anchovy / butter)

Anchovy pasta with butter is honestly a hard combo to get wrong, but at Noju the saltiness was just right and blended well with the richness of the butter, so it was really clean and tasty. By this point I was slowly getting full, haha.

Signature gnocchi (truffle / potato)

And finally, the dish I was most looking forward to that day 😵 Noju's signature gnocchi in Mangwon! Honestly, this dish alone makes me want to come back..!

The potato gnocchi was very soft and chewy, and with the truffle aroma added it was so, so good. My coworker absolutely loves truffle, and this dish made me think of them a lot 🤭

The truffle scent spreads the moment you take a bite and goes so well with the chewiness of the potato! You immediately get why it's the signature 🩷 And they pile on the truffle too..!!!

Iberico pork (jalapeño / mashed potato)

This was the Iberico pork, the main of the Noju lunch course. It came with jalapeño, so it ate clean without feeling heavy, and the mashed potatoes were soft and rich, which was the best with the meat. After the main, I was really full!

Dessert: lemon sorbet

The final dessert was lemon sorbet. It finished the course perfectly 😙 Overall, it was a perfect lunch.

Noju lunch course: overall verdict

I think the biggest strength of Noju is that you can enjoy a fine dining course of this quality in Seoul for ₩55,000 per person! I'd really recommend it to anyone looking for a nice place to eat in Mangwon, or anyone who wants to try good-value fine dining 👍🐰