Gangnam Station lunch with pineapple ade and rose pasta: Eulji Darak

Three-line summary

• A nice-vibe Western restaurant I visited for lunch with a friend near Gangnam Station
• We ordered Darak omelet rice and Darak rose pasta, and both were delicious.
• A solid spot for a Gangnam Station date, blind date, or lunch with friends.

Who this review is for

• Anyone looking for a good pasta spot near Gangnam Station
• Anyone looking for a Gangnam Station date or blind date spot
• Anyone who wants to have lunch with a friend somewhere with a nice atmosphere
• Anyone looking for a place to have both omelet rice and pasta together

I was running errands near Gangnam Station today while prepping for a trip, and met a friend for lunch and a good chat. This was my first time visiting Eulji Darak Gangnam Station. The vibe was clean and the food was tasty, so it was a pleasant meal overall. It was great for eating with a friend near Gangnam Station, and with such a nice atmosphere, it also came to mind as a place for a Gangnam Station date or blind date. :)

How to find Eulji Darak Gangnam Station from Exit 11

Eulji Darak Gangnam is close to Exit 11 of Gangnam Station, so it was easy to reach by public transit. It's on the 2nd floor of a building, so you just walk up the stairs. Apparently Eulji Darak also has branches in Euljiro, Seongsu, and Dosan besides Gangnam, but this was my first time visiting the Gangnam branch.

Even on the way up the stairs, Eulji Darak's signature drawings and phrases were on the walls, so instead of feeling like I was just passing through, I already felt the fun atmosphere before even entering the restaurant.

When you reach the 2nd floor, there's something that looks like a door right in front of you, but if you look closely it says 'This is not a door.' At first I thought that was the entrance, but looking to the left, there was something that looked like an elevator door — that was the real entrance. You push a button and it opens, which felt a bit surprising on a first visit. It's not your typical restaurant entrance, so these small details made it fun from the moment I walked in. Anyone looking for a slightly unusual space for a Gangnam Station date would probably enjoy this too.

What the dining room and seating are like

Once inside Eulji Darak Gangnam, it's decorated bright and clean with a white marble feel. One side has a full glass window, so sunlight comes in and the whole space doesn't feel stuffy.

Further inside, there were quite a lot of tables, and when we visited, the place was nearly full. We sat at a two-seater table in the very back, and later took some photos once nearby tables opened up.

There was an elaborate chandelier in the middle, which kept the space from feeling too plain despite the clean overall look. There was actually a mom with a baby when I visited, and high chairs were available, so it looked fine for dining with kids too.

What we ordered at Eulji Darak and what it cost

After going through the menu, we ordered the signature Darak omelet rice and Darak rose pasta. To order, you ring a bell on the table and staff come over — which was kind of cute too. Water is self-serve, and pickles were brought over when we asked for them with the food.

• Darak omelet rice ₩17,000
• Darak rose pasta (+bread add-on) ₩21,000
• Darak pineapple ade ₩6,900
• Sprite ₩3,500
• Total ₩48,400

The Darak ade served in a pineapple-shaped glass

After a short wait, the signature ade and Sprite came out first, and the pineapple ade cup was really cute. The drink comes inside a pineapple-shaped cup, and when you open the lid, the drink is sitting inside.

It was fun to photograph and we ended up taking quite a lot of shots. The taste was like a familiar pineapple drink, easy and light to drink.

Darak omelet rice, cut open at the table by staff

Next came the signature Darak omelet rice (₩17,000). After bringing it over, the staff cut into the egg right at the table with a knife, and when the egg split open, a soft, fluffy omelet spread out inside — fun to watch.

The yellow egg sat prettily on top, so it photographed nicely too. Getting an omelet shape this neat is hard to do at home, and this one held its shape cleanly. The rice inside had finely chopped vegetables and meat, so it tasted good on its own, and combined with the soft egg and sauce, the pairing worked well.

Darak rose pasta: how it looked on arrival

Then came the Darak rose pasta I'd been looking forward to. It looked a little different from a typical rose pasta — tomato sauce underneath and fresh cream on top, meant to be mixed together yourself.

I'd never seen a pasta presented like this before, so it felt fresh. Mixing the sauce and cream together myself was fun too.

With the pickles laid out too, the table looked like a full spread, quite generous to look at. The dishware was pretty as well, making the food look even more appetizing, and it was great for taking photos with my friend.

The best dish of the meal: the rose pasta

Since I'm personally a pasta fan, the Darak rose pasta stood out to me the most among everything we had that day. It had a slight spiciness, so despite being a cream sauce, it wasn't too greasy, and the sauce wasn't overly thick, so it didn't feel heavy. The soft cream mixed with the tomato sauce in a way that kept me coming back for more.

Dipping the added baguette bread into the sauce worked especially well. By the end, we'd wiped up the leftover sauce completely with the bread — I love pasta that leaves sauce to mop up with bread like this, so I enjoyed it even more, haha. This would suit anyone who likes a spicy-leaning rose sauce.

Why Eulji Darak works for lunch with a friend

That day we talked about travel plans and chatted about all sorts of things over lunch, and the food suited our tastes, so it was an overall satisfying meal. The omelet rice had a fun visual and a soft taste, and the pasta had the slight spiciness I like, so ordering both to share worked out well.

For anyone looking for a good pasta spot near Gangnam Station, and also for a clean-atmosphere meal for a Gangnam Station date or a lunch with friends, this place felt like a good fit. The atmosphere really was clean and the table spacing was comfortable enough to chat while eating, and it seemed like it would also work fine for a first meeting like a blind date, both in terms of menu options and atmosphere.

What we liked

• Fun details right from the entrance made it memorable even on a first visit.
• The bright, clean interior was comfortable for eating with a friend.
• Both the Darak omelet rice and rose pasta were satisfying in visual and taste.
• The pasta was slightly spicy, so it wasn't greasy despite being a cream sauce.
• High chairs were available, so it looked fine for visiting with kids too.

What could be better

• There's no dedicated parking support, so if you're driving, it's best to check parking in advance.
• The place was nearly full when I visited, so it seems better to go with some time to spare during meal hours.

Order the Darak omelet rice and pasta together to share, and you can taste both signature menu items at once.

This first visit to Eulji Darak Gangnam was a pleasant time — good food, good photos, and plenty of catching up with a friend over lunch. It's a good place to stop by when you're craving pasta or omelet rice near Gangnam Station, or looking for a restaurant with a nice atmosphere. If you're a pasta lover like me, I'd especially recommend trying the rose pasta :)