Namyangju pasta restaurant Mac9Table: stone-pot cream nurungji pasta

My favorite pasta place, the one Mom and I have gone to since I was in high school, is finally back! Last year I heard it had closed and was so sad about it, but the moment I heard it reopened, Mom and I happily went straight there 😭🤍

Let me start my honest review of Mac9Table, a Hopyeong-dong pasta specialty spot that's kept the same flavor for over 10 years!

What Mac9Table looks like inside and out, and where to park

Mac9Table is a pasta restaurant on Cheonma-ro in Hopyeong-dong, Namyangju, and there's a parking space at the bottom of the building, so it was easy to visit by car. As I arrived, the clean, sleek black-toned exterior caught my eye from far away.

Stepping inside, I felt a cozy yet upscale atmosphere. A beam projector was playing video on the wall, which made the mood even better.

There's also a room-style private space prepared separately, which looked great for gatherings or dates if you book ahead.

At the counter, they had a collection of Blue Ribbon stickers earned every year, proving once again that this is a certified true local favorite 👏 The atmosphere is neat and classy, so I'd strongly recommend it as a top Namyangju date-brunch spot for a day you want to dress up the mood!

What we ordered first: Mac9Table's beef salad

At Mac9Table we ordered the beef salad as a starter, the signature cream arrabiata, and vongole. Ordering was convenient via the tablet placed at each table.

First to arrive was the beef salad! I ordered it to eat lightly as a starter, but I was amazed at how substantial the portion was.

Not just beef but avocado, mushrooms, and fresh vegetables were mixed in generously, so I could eat it richly and deliciously.

Stone-pot cream nurungji pasta (cream arrabiata) and vongole

Mac9Table's cream arrabiata is a cream nurungji (scorched rice) pasta served piping hot in a stone pot, and it's Mom's absolute favorite dish.

There's plenty of the not-too-watery, spicy-savory cream sauce, so after finishing the spaghetti noodles, you can scrape up the nutty scorched rice underneath too — a two-birds-one-stone dish.

Mom always orders only this whenever we come, and she raves about it every time haha

The cream nurungji pasta here is number one in the whole country

You can ask for it spicier depending on your taste, and we always ask for it spicy — the heat and the creaminess balance perfectly so it never gets boring and you finish every bite! With seasoning soaked evenly into the noodles and sauce, it's a Hopyeong-dong pasta specialty and a Namyangju late-night dining spot I'd recommend without hesitation, good for a late evening out.

And the vongole pasta that came alongside! The clams inside were huge and generous, so it passed the visual test right away. Get in here already. Into my mouth.

The biggest reason my mom and I have loved Mac9Table for so long is that the seasoning soaks deliciously and savory into the noodles and ingredients,

and this vongole was the same — the deep flavor of the clams and the salty seasoning clung perfectly to the noodles, it was just perfect 😭

Verdict: does Mac9Table still taste the same after reopening?

Even after reopening, Mac9Table tasted exactly the same as it did 10 years ago. This pasta place is full of memories from my school days, so I went with half excitement and half anticipation after it reopened — and it was just as delicious and perfect as before, so Mom and I both had a really happy evening!

Owner, please don't ever close again and keep running this place for a long, long time 💖 I'll definitely be back next time!!!!