Hongdae brunch café for truffle fries on a lunch break: MELA

The weather's been so good lately, and my team lead is on vacation,,, so to enjoy this bit of freedom I went to MELA Hongdae, a hidden brunch gem in Hongdae. If this isn't abroad, what is it.

The vibe here is insane. It's a brunch café but it's so good I ran straight to writing this review right after eating.

What kind of place is MELA Hongdae?

[ MELA Hongdae ] An Italian brunch café in Hongdae

MELA is a place where a culinary researcher trained at ICIF, an Italian cooking school, puts a sense of style into Italian home cooking — brunch, meals, and pasta. They say they use fresh, good-quality ingredients to make food that's not too heavy and that anyone can enjoy comfortably.

How to get there: 10 minutes on foot from Hongik University Station

MELA Hongdae is in Seoghyo-dong (서교동), between Hongdae and Hapjeong. Walk about 10 minutes from Hongik University Station and you arrive in a really quiet neighborhood. I had no idea a place like this existed in Hongdae. There are lots of good restaurants and cafés around here too — this is one of the Seoghyo-dong spots.

MELA also has locations at Yeongdeungpo Times Square and Daechi-dong, and it's known as a solid brunch spot. Since it's a brunch place, it opens early in the morning, and apparently a lot of foreign customers come in during the morning hours.

Do you need a reservation at MELA Hongdae?

I booked ahead through Naver. Since it was a weekday lunch, it was fairly busy. I'd recommend reserving if you can!! (Walk-ins are also fine)

Interior and seating at MELA Hongdae

This is exactly the mood. The moment I walked in I thought, wait, is this really Hongdae? The overall feel is warm and cozy, so even though I only had a short work lunch break, it felt like I'd gone somewhere for a proper outing. Like a brunch café you'd expect to find in Hannam-dong or Seongsu-dong with that foreign, imported-café feel...

There's plenty of seating, and the mint and tile combo is so soothing. Napkins and water are self-serve, and overall the place is spotless — I didn't spot a single speck of dust. That photo on the right is totally my style,,, exactly the mood I love. The chairs and tables are all set up for comfortable dining, so older guests come in for meals too. I think my mom would love it.

There are also window seats with a nice green view. These are round tables and great for photos. There are only 2 of these round tables, so it's first-come, first-served!! (Each seats 4 people.) And in the middle there's a long table — great for group gatherings like wedding invitation parties or team lunches.

What's on the MELA Hongdae brunch menu?

If you come between 9:00 and 11:00 AM, there's a morning special menu. And since it's a brunch café, there's also a range of desserts!! They have bingsu (shaved ice dessert), croissants, pain au chocolat, cookies, and other sweets.

The menu has meal dishes, brunch options, desserts, and coffee too! There were a lot of drink options too. Lots of Western dishes. The gnocchi looked good too. We ordered the salmon eggs Benedict, the signature brunch plate, and cookies for dessert to set the mood, plus truffle fries from the review event.

Signature brunch plate, 22,000 won

The signature brunch plate is ₩22,000, a textbook brunch spread with everything you'd picture when you think 'brunch.' It comes with a whole half avocado, sausage, fresh vegetables, roasted potatoes, egg salad, and more, all piled on.

They say this signature brunch plate is MELA Hongdae's best menu item — it's more filling than it looks, so by the time you finish you're stuffed..! Nothing too heavy in flavor, overall clean and pairs well with an Americano. (I regret not ordering coffee..the brunch is served with iced Americano-worthy vibes, if that makes sense.)

Salmon eggs Benedict, 22,000 won

The salmon eggs Benedict is also ₩22,000. Looking at MELA Hongdae reviews, everyone orders this one. So I followed suit — huge success.

There are two whole pieces of ciabatta, two poached eggs, and a generous amount of salad.

Wait, hold on,,,, what's going on with this salmon. There's a ton of smoked salmon. There's more here than you'd expect.

There's a well-seasoned vegetable that I think was spinach, and the poached egg yolk is amazing, and the sauce — I don't even know what's in it, but it's so good. The carrot slaw and salad on the side are great too, nothing here falls short.

Can you see how fresh the salad looks? With the yuzu dressing it's sweet and tangy, and the vegetables are so fresh and crunchy — it's been a while since I had such a healthy lunch. (Coming from someone who usually only eats mala, stew, or gukbap.)

Cookies and the review-event truffle fries

The cookies come warmed up from the oven too, and the fries are tasty. They're called truffle fries — honestly I didn't really pick up truffle aroma, but the fries themselves are delicious.

What to order next time, and the verdict on MELA Hongdae

Besides the brunch menu, MELA Hongdae has a lot of pasta options too, and the pasta at the next table looked delicious.. They also apparently have chuck flap steak as another signature dish. Next time I'll have to try the steak and pasta.

The music playing, the relaxed atmosphere — everything about this place was great, no complaints. My lunch break was so short it was almost a shame, but I feel like I finally found a quiet, delicious brunch café in Hongdae after a long time. If you're looking for a quiet brunch café or Western food spot around Hongdae or Hapjeong, definitely check out MELA Hongdae. It's a perfect spot for a Hongdae wedding invitation gathering too.