Chicken cordon Caesar salad friend lunch in Gangseo: Romaok Magok

I don't usually have reason to come all the way out to Magok, but I had a hospital appointment that day, so I decided to grab lunch with a friend who works at LG — someone I hadn't seen in about a million years haha.

While looking for somewhere to eat, I found Romaok, on the 3rd floor of LG Arts Center Seoul. My friend had hyped it up on social media as an LG Arts Center favorite.

Why I ended up so satisfied despite low expectations

Honestly I went in without expecting much, but to cut to the chase — I was so satisfied I couldn't believe I hadn't discovered this place sooner.

The pasta especially was really good. This wasn't just an Italian restaurant with a nice atmosphere — every dish felt like a proper dining experience. Worth remembering if you're looking for good restaurants near Magok Naru Station.

Apparently Romaok's chef trained at a Michelin two-star restaurant in Italy. It's also listed in the 2026 Blue Ribbon Survey of Seoul's best restaurants, so it's worth a look if you're after a Blue Ribbon spot in Magok. Address: 3rd floor, LG Arts Center Seoul, 136 Magokjungang-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul.

Parking and atmosphere

Being inside LG Arts Center made it easy to find, and above all, the parking was really smooth. Parking is always a bit of a worry when you're meeting someone by car, but there was zero stress here.

Walking in, I was surprised again by how much bigger the space was than I expected. High ceilings, big windows letting in daylight — bright and relaxed during the day. Tables spaced generously apart, genuinely such a sophisticated space. I think it'd be great to bring foreign friends or parents here too. Who knew a place like this existed near Magok Botanical Park. Definitely worth noting if you're on the hunt for good food.

There's a casual vibe, but the space itself is pretty impressive. I came for lunch with a friend, but sitting there, I naturally started thinking I'd want to come back for dinner next time. It seems like the kind of place that would be perfect for a slow dinner with wine.

If you're looking for a good restaurant near Seoul Botanic Park or LG Arts Center and care about the space as much as the food, this one's a great fit.

What we ordered that day

• Chicken Cordon Caesar Salad ₩16,000
• Abalone Gewu Pasta ₩26,000
• Iced Americano

The pre-meal bread caught me off guard

First came the pre-meal bread, and this is where things started going differently than expected. I'm not usually someone who loves pre-meal bread — even if it's good, I'll have a piece or two and wait for the main dish — but that day I just kept eating it.

Dipped in olive oil, the bread itself was so good. I kept thinking I shouldn't fill up before the main dishes, but I couldn't stop reaching for it. I honestly wanted to buy this bread separately and take it home.

Chicken Cordon Caesar Salad

This dish comes with chicken cordon bleu, a mini course, Caesar dressing, maple bacon chips, and Grana Padano. The plating alone was pretty. Genuinely fresh vegetables piled high with generous cheese, paired with crispy fried chicken cordon bleu — a bit different from the standard Caesar salad you'd normally picture.

Above all, the salad itself was delicious. The dressing wasn't heavy or overpowering, so the flavors of the vegetables, cheese, and other ingredients all came through, and the chicken added great texture too.

Just from eating the salad, I already thought — ah, this place actually knows how to cook.

The highlight: abalone gewu pasta

And then the highlight of the day — the abalone gewu (abalone gonad) pasta. It comes with abalone steamed with kelp, garlic scapes, chorizo, gewu sauce, and linguine, and it was genuinely crazy 😍😍😍

I love abalone so I ordered it, and I'm so glad I did. The big chunk of abalone on top was incredibly tender. Abalone can sometimes come out chewy depending on how it's cooked, but here the moment I bit into it, all I could think was how soft it was.

But the real charm of this pasta was the sauce. This was actually the most memorable thing I ate at Romaok that day. The gewu sauce has a rich, nutty flavor with deep umami from the sea, soaked properly into the noodles — definitely different from your typical pasta.

It wasn't just creamy or nutty and done — after one bite, the lingering flavor in your mouth is surprisingly deep. I literally sat there nodding to myself like ten times haha.

The garlic scapes and chorizo added great bursts of flavor and texture throughout. When I eat pasta, the noodles matter, but what I end up thinking about afterward is always the sauce — and this pasta nailed exactly that. A pasta where the sauce is so good you keep going for one more bite. If you want a pasta that's not your usual near Magok Naru, I'd really recommend the abalone gewu pasta.

I even dipped the leftover bread into the sauce ♡ the sauce was just too good ㅜㅜ

What I wish was different

One small letdown: I really wanted an iced latte that day, but they didn't have one, so I ordered an iced Americano instead. It was a bit disappointing at first, but once I finished eating, the iced Americano actually paired better haha.

After a dish with such a rich sauce flavor like the abalone gewu pasta, a clean Americano cleared my palate better than a milky latte would have. In the end, I think it was the right choice.

Would I go back?

Catching up with a friend after so long, eating great food, and loving the space on top of it all — this lunch felt like a genuinely happy date. I don't come to Magok often, so I had no idea a place like this existed, and it's almost a shame I only just found out. There are plenty of Magok restaurants I wouldn't bother going out of my way for again, but Romaok is one I want to revisit. Next time, I want to come for dinner instead of lunch, try other menu items, and have a glass of wine.

The food was excellent, but the spacious, comfortable interior and easy parking made the whole experience even better. If you're looking for a good restaurant near Magok Naru Station, I'd recommend Romaok. It's especially great if you're near Seoul Botanic Park or LG Arts Center and want a proper Italian meal.

True to its spot on the Magok Blue Ribbon list, every dish at Romaok stuck with me. I think I'd order the abalone gewu pasta again next time without hesitation. 200% would revisit.