Ichon-dong brunch café in Seoul: green onion cream pasta at Mellang

Mellang, a brunch stop after the National Museum of Korea

Mellang is a brunch café at 248 Ichon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, a 10-minute walk from the National Museum of Korea. I'd been to the museum once as a kid, and it had been re-a-lly long since then, so I was curious how much it had changed. This time my husband and I decided to make a proper date of it and take our time looking around.

Once we actually got there, there was so much to see and the place was bigger than we expected, so before we knew it a good chunk of time had passed just admiring one exhibit after another. All that walking around soaking up culture (haha) worked up our appetite, so we started looking for somewhere nearby to eat — and that's how we found Mellang!

We found Mellang while searching for brunch spots near the National Museum of Korea. A great Ichon-dong café to stop at after a museum date, and the vibe too! We loved it from the exterior alone.

How long is the walk from Ichon Station to Mellang?

It's closest to Ichon Station Exit 3-1! We walked from the museum and it took about 10 minutes. The weather was nice, so it made for a perfect little stroll 🙂

Inside Mellang: atmosphere and window seats

Mellang seemed to already be pretty well known around the neighborhood, with lots of guests in for brunch. But rather than feeling crowded, it had a relaxed atmosphere where people enjoyed their meals unhurried — which I liked even more.

The space itself is on the smaller side, but the cozy, emotive interior made it a great fit for my taste. If you're looking for a brunch spot near the National Museum of Korea and care about atmosphere as much as food, Mellang in Ichon-dong seems like a solid choice.

There were kids' chairs set up in one corner, so it looked like a comfortable spot for guests visiting with children too.

Ordering is done via a QR code at the table, so we could take our time browsing the menu and order comfortably without having to call a staff member over.

What's on the menu at Mellang

The menu was more varied than I expected. Alongside several kinds of brunch dishes, there were filling options like pasta, fried rice, and risotto, plus a wide range of coffee and drinks.

There was even a wine list, so it seemed like a great spot to enjoy brunch at an Ichon-dong café during the day and come back for a casual glass of wine in the evening. And the menu we picked 〰🍀 me: French toast, my husband's pick: green onion cream pasta!

• Green onion cream pasta ₩19,000
• French toast ₩19,000

The first things brought to our table were water and glasses, cutlery and dishware. Sitting at a window seat in the sunlight, looking around while we waited, was somehow already relaxing — this Ichon-dong café 🌿

We ordered green onion cream pasta and French toast, each priced at 19,000 won.

Green onion cream pasta, 19,000 won: how does it taste?

🍝 The green onion cream pasta (₩19,000) is a cream pasta with sautéed bacon and mushrooms, flavored with green onion pesto.

The green onion cream pasta looked appetizing right from the start. With an egg yolk sitting right in the middle, mixing it in before eating made the cream sauce even smoother and richer. In particular, the mild, sweet flavor of the green onion paired really well with the rich cream sauce. Compared to a typical cream pasta, it was less heavy, with the fragrant, savory character of the green onion keeping it enjoyable all the way to the last bite.

The noodles were generously coated in a thick, rich cream sauce, so every bite was full of savory depth. With plenty of chewy mushrooms mixed in too, the texture was excellent. If you're after a hearty option among brunch spots near the National Museum of Korea, this is the one I'd recommend.

French toast, 19,000 won, with seasonal fruit and vanilla ice cream

🍞 The French toast (₩19,000) comes with house-made granola, salted caramel sauce, vanilla syrup, and seasonal fruit.

The French toast had a charm all its own, different from the green onion cream pasta. On the day we visited, it came with seasonal green grapes and banana, along with vanilla ice cream and maple syrup.

Drizzling a little sweet maple syrup over the moist, fluffy French toast and topping it with cold, smooth vanilla ice cream gave a really nice combination of warm and cold at the same time.

Add in the pop of tart green grapes and the soft sweetness of banana, and even one plate had a great variety of flavors and textures. It's a sweet dish, but the freshness of the fruit kept cleansing the palate in between bites, so it wasn't as heavy as expected. It's a great menu item to enjoy leisurely with coffee, and would suit anyone looking for a sweet brunch at an Ichon-dong café.

Why Mellang works for a couple's brunch after the museum

A day of properly enjoying a date — slowly taking in the exhibits at the National Museum of Korea after so long, then finishing with a delicious brunch 〰✨ If you're looking for a brunch spot to stop at before or after visiting the National Museum of Korea, or a good-atmosphere café in Ichon-dong, I'd recommend Mellang 🌿