Quiet Teatime Seat · 4 stories

Quiet Cup, Seoul Cafes and Restaurants

Writes about small cafes and neighborhood restaurants around Seoul. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants

Mild Thai restaurant for first-timers in Gongdeok: Drunken Thai

Drunken Thai Gongdeok is a Thai restaurant styled like a Thai back-alley eatery in Dohwa-dong, Mapo, Seoul, near Exit 10 of Gongdeok Station. The blogger tried pad thai (12,000 won), pad kra pao moo krob (crispy pork with holy basil, 11,000 won), beef noodle soup (11,500 won), som tam (12,000 won), tod mun goong (shrimp cakes) and Thai milk tea, and found the spices never overpowering, so even first-timers to Thai food would be comfortable. Drunken Thai Gongdeok is a solid all-round pick for lunch, a solo meal or a date near Gongdeok Station.

Written May 30, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangdong, SeoulRestaurants

Family restaurant near Olympic Park: brothy gambas paella at Feast

Feast Olympic Park is a pizza, pasta and paella restaurant near Olympic Park in Gangdong, Seoul, around Seongnae-dong and Dunchondong. The writer, a younger sibling and their spouse, and an 8-year-old nephew shared a burrata arugula pizza, lasagna blanc, bacon cream pasta, Tongtongdak whole fried chicken and brothy gambas paella. Verdict: Feast Olympic Park's varied menu makes it a satisfying family dinner spot for kids and adults alike.

Written Jun 1, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Sangsu Vietnamese restaurant with Thai mukata and brisket pho: Rua Zin

Rua Zin (루아진) is a Vietnamese restaurant between Hapjeong Station and Sangsu Station in Mapo, Seoul, that also serves mukata, a Thai-style pork grill. The writer missed mukata in Bangkok because of the heat, then finally had it in Rua Zin's cool dining room for 19,000 won per person, along with bánh xèo (Vietnamese crispy pancake), beef brisket pho, pineapple fried rice and chả giò (fried spring rolls). The verdict: Rua Zin has a varied menu worth coming back for, whether for a group dinner or a date.

Written Jun 2, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hapjeong Indian restaurant: masala curry over rice with Mom at Mandala

Mandala Indian Lounge is an authentic Indian restaurant on the 3rd floor of a building near Exit 3 of Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. The writer took her mom, who had never had Indian curry, to Mandala for lunch and ordered masala curry for 13,000 won, lamb palak (spinach lamb curry) for 15,000 won, plain naan for 3,000 won, a bowl of rice for 2,000 won, and mango and plain lassi, then mixed the masala curry into the rice. The spices at Mandala Indian Lounge are gentle, making it a good Hapjeong curry spot for anyone trying Indian food for the first time.

Written Aug 8, 2026Sponsored

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