Seongsu risotto restaurant, 10-min Friday dinner wait: Seongsu Darak

Today I'm introducing Seongsu Darak, a pasta spot in Seongsu!

Seongsu Darak location, hours and reservations

Seongsu Darak is at 20 Ttukseom-ro 9-gil, 2nd floor, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. It's open 11:30–21:15 on weekdays and 11:00–21:15 on weekends. You can reserve easily through Naver, but only for morning groups.

Where do you park at Seongsu Darak?

Seongsu Darak has no parking lot of its own (sad face). But there are quite a few paid lots close by!

• Musinsa Megastore Seongsu paid lot (30 minutes free, then ₩1,500 per 15 minutes)
• Seongsu Station Exit 3 public parking lot (₩250 per 5 minutes, ₩3,000 per hour)
• S Factory paid lot (₩1,000 per 10 minutes)

Finding the entrance and what the place looks like

True to its name (darak means attic), Seongsu Darak really does feel like an attic, using the 2nd and 3rd floors of a red brick building. It's close to Musinsa Megastore Seongsu.

I searched for the door for ages, and it turns out you have to open this thing that looks like a signboard to get to the entrance 😎

How long is the Friday dinner wait at Seongsu Darak?

I visited around 6pm on a Friday and it was full. I was first in the waiting line and got in after about 10 minutes. The stairs going up are quite steep, and this is where you stand in line if you have to wait. There were steadily 2–3 groups waiting, and after 7pm it felt like the crowd thinned out a bit!

Seating and the vibe on the 3rd floor

Seongsu Darak has big, big windows, so it feels bright overall. Most seats are tables for two, so I think the wait would be even longer if you come with 3 or more people (sad face).

You can go up to the 3rd floor by the stairs. It really feels like climbing up to an attic room, haha (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ

The 3rd floor isn't very different in layout from the 2nd.

Seongsu Darak menu and self-service bar

Seongsu Darak is a famous Western restaurant! You can't skip it when you search for Seongsu pasta or risotto 💗

They also run various review events, so check those out!

One side has a self-service bar with water, napkins and so on.

Ordering the 3 signature dishes at Seongsu Darak

At Seongsu Darak we ordered the Darak Omurice (₩17,000), the spicy crab risotto (₩19,000) and the corn gnocchi (₩19,000). I handpicked just the signature dishes!

The food looks so good that I really recommend it for a date or a blind date!

Darak Omurice: soft-set egg like pudding

Seongsu Darak's Darak Omurice (omelet rice) is covered with a fluffy egg blanket. The soft, tender egg rests gently on top of the rice.

A staff member comes to the table to serve it and cut it open for you. The egg just melts apart! The fried rice under the egg is European-style, and the omelet is the soft Japanese style, they said.

Can you see how wobbly the egg is? It's only lightly cooked on the outside and soft-set inside. It's not a stiff texture like a thin egg sheet, but silky like pudding 💜

The fried rice has a gentle ketchup aroma. It's classic omurice fried rice.

How spicy is the spicy crab risotto?

Seongsu Darak's spicy crab risotto is a smooth cream dish with a spoonful of spice added, and it was quite a bit spicier than I expected!! You pop the egg yolk and mix it well into the risotto (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)

I figured that even though it's called spicy risotto, it wouldn't be very hot. It's not the kind of heat that makes you suck in air, but it's a decent "oh~ that's spicy?" level.

The risotto itself is rich, with a strong creamy flavor. I like heavy cream risottos like this, so it was totally my taste 💗

A whole crab leg sits on top, and if you press the back end, the meat slides right out. The crab wasn't fishy at all and was delicious! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ

Corn gnocchi: chewy potato gnocchi and house-made corn cream

Seongsu Darak's corn gnocchi comes with chewy gnocchi, smooth cream and nutty corn. The corn cream is made in-house, so it's even nuttier and more flavorful.

The highlight of the dish is really the potato gnocchi! 🧡💛So chewy🧡💛 Dipped in plenty of cream, it's so good. I liked that there was a generous amount of cream.

The corn aroma isn't very strong; it feels like only the nutty flavor is left. The corn on top is torched once, so it has a grilled-corn taste too, with a pop-in-your-mouth texture 😋

Overall verdict: the spicy crab risotto was the best

Seongsu Darak, a Seongsu pasta restaurant, has a great atmosphere and tasty food, so it's perfect for a date or blind date. Everything was good, but the spicy crab risotto was today's best. I recommend Seongsu Darak to anyone looking for a pasta restaurant in Seongsu!