Mecenatpolis Thai restaurant, curry set for two: Saeng Augustine

I suddenly had to meet my boyfriend in Hapjeong, so I quickly searched for good restaurants near Hapjeong Station and found this place. I visited using a Superchart discount.

I asked my boyfriend, "Have you ever had pu pad pong curry?" He hadn't. And he told me he hates curry.

So I told him — this is technically curry, but not the curry we usually know. Because I'm a pu pad pong curry lover ^0^ So I half-convinced, half-dragged him along.

Right off the bat, parking at Mecenatpolis was so easy that I gave it 100 points before we even sat down. It's honestly hard to find a Hapjeong restaurant with convenient parking.

Parking and opening hours at Mecenatpolis

Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch is at 45 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, B1118, B1F Mecenatpolis, South Korea. Hours are 11:30–22:00 with last order at 21:20. Weekday break time is 15:00–17:00, and there's none on weekends.

You can use the Mecenatpolis parking lot, and registering at checkout gets you 3 hours 30 minutes. One thing to flag about parking: some sources say 4 hours, but that seems to be the building's basic 30 minutes free plus the store's 3 hours 30 minutes registration. We came out around 3 hours 38 minutes and got charged extra.

So it's safer to plan around 3 hours 30 minutes. That's plenty of time if you're just eating, but if you're going shopping too, check your watch.

The 59,000 won A Set for two, ordered on a weekend

The best menu items are posted right at the entrance.

We looked at the menu right after sitting down and decided on the 2-person recommended A Set without hesitation. Their set menu is available all day, weekday or weekend. I really liked that — sets are usually lunch-only at most places, so you don't have to worry about timing here.

The A Set comes with tod mun goong (shrimp cakes) x2 + pu pad pong curry + rice + giant shrimp pad thai, for ₩59,000.

I also checked the kiosk afterward and there were way more menu items than I expected. Next time it might be nice to order various à la carte dishes.

After ordering, we looked around the restaurant. It's spacious and clean. The staff were kind and quick to respond, so it never felt like waiting. Mecenatpolis restaurants tend to be tidy overall, and this one was no exception.

What is tod mun goong, the shrimp cake starter?

While we were talking, the tod mun goong came out first. Honestly, I had no idea what it was — the name alone gives no clue. But once I tried it, it felt like a whole-shrimp patty.

Dipped in the chili sauce, it's absolutely delicious. The shrimp texture is springy and alive, so I kept reaching for more.

Pu pad pong curry mild enough for a curry hater

Then came the pu pad pong curry with rice! Look at that glossy soft-shell crab and the smooth egg curry.

You get a taste of heaven when you spoon this pu pad pong curry right over the rice like this. The soft-shell crab is genuinely tender — you eat it shell and all, and nothing catches in your mouth, so it's fine even for kids.

And here's the key point about this curry — it's completely different from the yellow curry we usually know. It has a buttery flavor that pairs so well with the egg and soft-shell crab. Barely any spice, and very smooth.

And my boyfriend, who said he hated curry? He ate it happily. I was right, as always.

Giant shrimp pad thai: why you mix it right away

Next up was the giant shrimp pad thai. As soon as it arrives, mix it right away to keep the bean sprouts from wilting too much. Then squeeze on the lemon — this changes the aroma completely.

Each serving has one giant shrimp plus 5 smaller shrimp. But even the "small" shrimp here are the medium cocktail-shrimp size we know, so they're not small at all. I peeled the giant shrimp — genuinely delicious. Big, and plump and springy.

And look at the noodles — the seasoning is soaked in evenly, right? For pad thai to taste good, the sauce needs to cling well to the noodles like this, and this place nailed that part.

Review event spring rolls and the verdict on the set

If you participate in the review event, you also get vegetable spring rolls. That's one more dish you can enjoy, so don't miss it.

Ordering the set was great because we got to try a variety of dishes while also getting a discount. All three dishes had such different characters that we never got tired of eating.

If you're looking for restaurants around Mecenatpolis or Seogyo-dong and especially like Thai food, this place is solid. The restaurant is spacious enough to work well for company dinners, family gatherings, or group meetups.

Add it to your list when planning a Seogyo-dong food run or a Hongdae date course. Having one Thai restaurant in your Hapjeong Station food list widens your options. With parking available, you can eat and go straight to shopping — it's a convenient route.

Oh, and if you know someone who hates curry, try bringing them here. You might succeed just like I did.