Hongdae Western restaurant, cream pasta and steak: Hôtel de Couture

An honest review of Hôtel de Couture in Yeonnam-dong, a spot that nails both taste and portion size. I'll cover parking info, location, prices, menu, taste, and service in detail!

Where is Hôtel de Couture, and what is the 1.5th-floor room like?

Hôtel de Couture is a Western-style restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, located at 7 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, 1.5F, Mapo-gu, Seoul. The moment you step in, delicious smells greet you, and being on the 1.5th floor gave it a nice view and atmosphere.

Sure enough, the hall was packed with date and group tables. Got the last one left 😉

What we ordered at Hôtel de Couture: pasta, steak and burrata salad

At Hôtel de Couture we chose three items: pea basil shrimp cream pasta, house steak, and burrata seasonal fruit salad. The pea basil shrimp cream pasta I was most looking forward to before the visit, the steak that never disappoints, and the burrata seasonal fruit salad with sweet-tart fruit and a whole fresh burrata cheese on top 🤤 Besides cola, there was a good range of drinks, from wine to ades.

They thoughtfully brought two cups of ice, so I could pour the cola cold right away, glug glug glug 😵‍💫

Burrata seasonal fruit salad with figs and cherry tomatoes

Hôtel de Couture's burrata seasonal fruit salad came out first. It arrived as a seasonal fruit salad, and the visual alone was something else 🤤

A whole fresh burrata cheese sat between the figs and cherry tomatoes, an instant pass on looks alone!! When you cut into the burrata, the soft cheese inside spills out gently, and you know how great that pairs with salad, right 🤤

Eating them together, the burrata's nutty, mild milk flavor spread softly, and the figs had a subtle sweetness with a fun crunch of seeds. The cherry tomatoes were tangy and moist, cleanly cutting through the richness of the cheese that could otherwise feel heavy.

By the time I finished the salad, a pretty full spread had come together 😌

How does the pea basil shrimp cream pasta taste?

Hôtel de Couture's pea basil shrimp cream pasta was a dish with a thick cream and a good amount of basil aroma coming through. The pea basil shrimp cream pasta I was most excited for — the soft, nutty richness of the thick cream combined with the pea's subtle sweetness made for a harmonious first bite. The basil aroma really came through too, extreme win for a basil lover like me 😵‍💫

The cream sauce soaked well into the noodles, so every bite carried plenty of nutty flavor, and the peas added a nice pop of texture here and there. Best of all, the plump shrimp brought their own bouncy texture and umami into the mix.

Even the pickles were extra tasty with a bit of jalapeño heat added in.

House steak served with wholegrain mustard

Hôtel de Couture's house steak was seared nutty on the outside while staying juicy inside. Last up, the steak that never disappoints — meat is best eaten right when it arrives, so I took a bite immediately: the outside was properly seared with a nutty flavor, and the inside kept its juicy tenderness!!

Steak sauces can sometimes overpower the meat's flavor if too strong, but the wholegrain mustard here was just right. It also went really well with the pasta's soft cream, so I ended up pairing them together, and the combination was great.

Who should visit Hôtel de Couture in Yeonnam-dong?

If you're in Yeonnam-dong and want to enjoy a variety of flavors rather than just pasta alone, ordering steak or salad alongside it makes for a solid combination! The pea basil shrimp cream pasta especially comes highly recommended if you're a basil-cream lover. It was a satisfying meal on a day when I wanted to eat a bit of everything, from soft and nutty to refreshing. I recommend Hôtel de Couture as a go-to spot in Yeonnam-dong!!

Hôtel de Couture hours, reservations and address

• Address: 7 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Unit 101, 1.5F, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–20:00 (last order 19:00)
• Restroom: Inside, unisex
• Reservations available via Naver Reservations