Braces-friendly futomaki lunch at Padong, a Mangwon Japanese spot

I was trying to decide what to eat in Mangwon and found a place packed with everything I love — futomaki (thick seaweed rice roll), mazesoba (Japanese mixed noodles), and rice bowls all in one spot. That's Padong, located in Mangwon, pretty close to Mangwon Market too, so it's a great stop before or after browsing the market or a Mangwon-dong date. This time I ordered generously: futomaki, mazesoba, steak rice bowl, and even 5 pieces of karaage (Japanese fried chicken). If you're looking for a filling meal in Mangwon, I want to recommend this as a solid Mangwon-dong restaurant.

Where Padong is in Mangwon-dong and when it opens

Padong is on the basement floor (B1) of 47 World Cup-ro 17-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It's closed every Monday, open 11:30–21:00, and waiting works by signing up on a list in-store.

Inside Padong and the 15-minute wait at 1pm on a weekend

From outside, the entrance full of plants and the Padong logo caught my eye first — the vibe was pretty distinct. Since it was the weekend and this is a Japanese restaurant that pretty much everyone likes, there was even a wait at 1pm, so we waited about 15 minutes before getting in! Once inside, you see a wood-toned interior with an open kitchen — you can watch all the cooking happen, including the use of fire.

Padong's menu, from rice bowls to soba

Overall the atmosphere is cozy yet warm, so it's good for a meal with a friend and also works as a Mangwon date spot. The menu is diverse too, covering everything from rice bowls to soba, so it's a good place to go when you can't decide what to eat. Honestly, not many people dislike rice bowls or soba anyway!

Table setting at Padong and scissors for braces

Since this place centers around futomaki, soba, and rice bowls rather than just one single type of Japanese food, it's also good for visiting with a group and sharing menu items. And for people with braces like me who need help cutting things down, they lend out scissors so you can cut your food into smaller pieces. Jalapeños and ginger come as side dishes, so there's no worry about the food being too greasy.

The four dishes two of us ordered at Padong

The two of us ordered the following menu items:

• Steak rice bowl
• Futomaki
• Mazesoba
• Karaage (5pc)

The futomaki especially had so many different ingredients packed into each piece that it was fun getting a full mouthful, and the mazesoba was genuinely charming with its deep umami flavor once you mix the noodles and toppings together...♥

Mazesoba, 12,000 won

Next up, mazesoba — a Japanese-style mixed noodle dish tossed with meat, vegetables, and a special sauce! The noodles are freshly boiled, so they're warm and soft!! With an egg yolk sitting right on top and chives, green onion, seaweed, and bonito flakes filling the bowl to the brim, it looked appetizing the moment it arrived. Once you burst the yolk and mix everything down to the sauce at the bottom, the chewy noodles come loaded with meat and toppings, and that savory, salty umami really comes alive.

Steak rice bowl, 13,000 won

I wanted to try a meat dish too, so I ordered this. It's a rice bowl topped with flat iron steak and vegetables, finished with a special sauce. A generous dish, with big chunks of steak piled high on the rice! Eating the meat, rice, and green onion together brings out the richness of the meat plus the umami of the sauce, and adding a touch of wasabi here and there cuts through the richness for a clean finish.

Futomaki (thick sushi roll), 16,000 won

Tuna, fried shrimp, shiso leaf, fried tofu skin, burdock root, dried gourd strips, pickled radish, cucumber, and rolled dashimaki egg — all packed tightly into one roll. You really can't fit this in one bite... it's that huge and generous. Once it arrived, the colorful cross-section made it pretty photogenic too. Between the soft texture of the tuna, you get crunchy fried shrimp and crisp cucumber, along with the sweet rolled egg, fried tofu skin, and burdock root all coming together into a delicious combination you can really pack into your mouth.

Karaage, 5 pieces for 4,000 won

As a side, we got golden fried karaage served with shredded cabbage, which was perfect for picking at between bites of the main dishes. The chicken was crispy outside and juicy inside, pairing well with both the futomaki and the mazesoba. At ₩4,000 for 5 pieces, it's a low-commitment side to add when the main dishes alone feel like they're not quite enough.

Verdict: is Padong worth it near Mangwon Market?

This is a great restaurant to hit when you're craving Japanese food in Mangwon — a solid spot near Mangwon Market that does Japanese food well. The two of us stuffed ourselves with futomaki, mazesoba, steak rice bowl, and karaage. It was genuinely so good that we finished everything even though we were already full....! If you're looking for somewhere to eat near Mangwon Market or craving Japanese dishes like futomaki and mazesoba, try ordering multiple dishes to share at Padong, a great Mangwon Japanese restaurant :)