Mapo Thai restaurant giant prawn pad thai set: Saeng Augustine

Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch at Mecenatpolis

There used to be a Saeng Augustine at AK Plaza in Bundang, and I remember enjoying it so much that Saeng Augustine still feels like happy food to me. This time, I visited Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch. It is in Mecenatpolis next to Homeplus Hapjeong. It shares a parking lot with Homeplus, so you can park free for up to 3 hours 30 minutes. That makes it even better: have a meal at Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch, then look around the Hapjeong Station area.

Saeng Augustine is a Thai restaurant. They say it is a popular Thai restaurant that has welcomed more than one million visitors since 2013. If you are planning a date around Hapjeong, Hongdae, or Mapo, come to Saeng Augustine instead of having the same everyday menu. There are 60 special dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia to suit every age group. It is even nicer if you do your grocery shopping at Homeplus first.

Saeng Augustine’s signature dishes include pho, tom yum goong, pu pad pong curry, som tam, nasi goreng, sea bass, and beef dishes. It is directly connected to Hapjeong Station: if you arrive by subway, it is about two minutes from the Mecenatpolis Mall (SeAH Tower) entrance between exits 9 and 10, past Starbucks and at the entrance to Tasty Street. Online reservations can be made until two hours before your booking time, so plan ahead if you would like to reserve.

Thai food with the A Set

Saeng Augustine has plenty of à la carte dishes too, but sets come with a discount, so enjoy Thai food with a good-value set. The A Set serves two for ₩59,000 and includes tod mun goong (Thai shrimp cakes), pu pad pong curry (Thai crab curry), rice, and giant prawn pad thai.

• À la carte dishes: pu pad pong curry, Vietnamese pho, nasi goreng, giant prawn pad thai, tom yum goong, pak boong fai daeng, chili sea bass, som tam, tom yum pho, pad krapow moo sap, chicken green curry, and leng saep
• Thai chili stir-fried seafood, nuea pad nam man hoi, pineapple fried rice, gaew crabmeat fried rice, tod mun goong, assorted plate, braised pork belly rice bowl, and Oriental fried giant prawns (6 pcs)
• Drinks: mango, grapefruit, and green grape ade, plus cola, cider, zero cola, sparkling water, and more

Tod mun goong is best while hot

Tod mun goong tastes best while it is hot, so have it right away as an appetizer when it arrives.

Pu pad pong curry with a rich coconut flavor

Pu pad pong curry contains coconut, so it is a very heavy dish. It is delicious with rice, but in the end, it is the kind of food that calls for a fizzy drink. ^^

How to eat giant prawn pad thai

Giant prawn pad thai is Saeng Augustine’s signature dish. I think it may be the most delicious Thai food.

The whole spread was set out. It has been a long time since I traveled to Thailand, but Saeng Augustine takes me on a trip to a Thai food destination.

Giant prawn pad thai is meant to be mixed evenly before eating. Adjust the amount of spicy chili powder to your taste.

Pu pad pong curry is a coconut curry. It also has a lovely crabmeat flavor. It is truly one of those exotic dishes. ^^

I normally try to avoid carbonated drinks as much as possible, but I could not help ordering sparkling water in the end. The food that had been sitting heavy went down refreshingly. Thai food is fun. ^^

A walk along Sowon-gil by Hapjeong Station after the meal

Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch has such a good location and generous parking time that it is a great place to visit if you live nearby.

There are many good restaurants and cafés around Hapjeong Station. Sowon-gil is a lane where lots of young people gather, and it is nice for a light walk after a meal. Enjoy a happy date along Hapjeong Station’s Sowon-gil with a cup of Americano coffee. ^^