Gangnam pasta spot, pre-open queue and butter highball: Eulji Darak

Eulji Darak Gangnam Station wait: how early should you arrive?

Eulji Darak Gangnam Station (을지다락 강남역) opens at 11:30 a.m., but when we arrived at 11:00 there was already a line. Hours are 11:30 ~ 21:15, and the address is 2F, 22 Gangnam-daero 96-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

I figure lots of people are hunting for a Gangnam Station blind date spot, so today I'm writing a proper review. I found Eulji Darak while looking for a Gangnam Station date course, and the short version is: be ready to wait. Seeing a line before opening, I could already tell why it's called a go-to Gangnam Station blind date restaurant.

It's tucked inside an alley, yet people keep streaming in just for this sign. This is the entrance at exactly 11:00, still before opening. And people kept joining the line behind us! No wonder everyone says to do the opening run.

A shot from while we were in line. I remember chatting with my friend, saying "I guess you can't reserve here." The weather was cool that day, so waiting wasn't too hard.

And this is the moment we finally went in after opening. The second the door opened, a smell wafted out, exactly the smell of pasta sauce being sautéed. It made me even hungrier.

Eulji Darak Gangnam Station interior and how ordering works

The interior is wood-toned with soft lighting, so it wouldn't be a bad setting for a Gangnam Station blind date. Photos come out pretty too.

You get your apron and water yourself at the self zone.

Here's the menu. There are quite a lot of options, so choosing took a while. We wanted to try a bit of everything, so we ordered generously.

To order, you ring the bell.

Eulji Darak Gangnam Station signature menu: what we ordered

We ordered only signature dishes.

• Darak Omurice
• Rose pasta
• Eulji Ade
• Butter highball

Eulji Ade (lemon): a pick for when you'd rather skip alcohol

The Eulji Ade (lemon) came out first. Even the droplets on the cup looked refreshing, and one sip sent up a tart lemon aroma that woke me right up. Big pieces of lemon are in it, so the scent was strong. If you're not into drinking on a Gangnam Station blind date, Eulji Ade seems like the perfect pick.

Butter highball: a smooth, easy daytime drink

The butter highball was served alongside. It was a faint brownish color, and the aroma was much gentler than I'd feared. It went down smooth enough to make you forget the alcohol. For a daytime drink it's no burden, so I thought it would suit a relaxed daytime meet-up like a Gangnam Station blind date.

How does the Eulji Darak rosé pasta taste?

The Eulji Darak rose pasta hits you with cream first, then a mild spiciness follows at the end, so it never got boring. When it finally arrived, the rich, nutty aroma of cream sauce spread the moment the plate touched the table. Honestly, that's cheating. The white cream piled up on top was eye-catching right from the look. My friend even said, "I get hungry just from the smell." The classic pattern on the plate rim was pretty too, so I was already satisfied before taking photos.

The cream mixed slightly into the sauce and spread out in a natural gradient, which looked lovely. The sprinkled parsley added a fragrant touch.

The thick sauce clung well, and every strand of pasta had a shine, a look where you can predict the taste with your eyes. I took so many photos that eating got a little delayed, haha.

One bite was creamy with a slightly spicy finish, the kind that keeps you reaching for more. Soft cream comes first, then a gentle spiciness follows, so it doesn't get tiring. The noodles were boiled nicely chewy, with a definite bite. The thought "I could keep eating this without getting sick of it" came naturally.

There was plenty of meat sauce, so it never felt skimpy. Bits of cheese were left here and there, adding a nutty note with every bite. You could feel each ingredient blending with the sauce rather than going its own way, so it was obvious at a glance this wasn't a careless pasta.

Eulji Darak's Darak Omurice: is the egg soft-set?

The Eulji Darak Darak Omurice came last: moist, nearly soft-set egg wrapped around the rice, with a dark brown sauce around it. As soon as it arrived, steam was curling up off the egg, which felt like proof it had just been made. The sauce on the plate was such a deep brown that it looked like it would taste rich at a glance. It felt different from the pasta before, so I got hungry all over again, which was a funny experience.

The sauce was ringed neatly around the plate rim, so I couldn't just walk past it. The egg's surface was fried smooth, a look that shows skill. I kept taking photos until my friend urged, "Let's eat already," and I remember laughing, haha.

This is the shot of the inside once the omurice is cut. The egg wraps the rice moistly, and you feel the softness from the moment the spoon goes in.

The nearly soft-set egg seeps between the grains of rice with a shine, a scene that makes your mouth water just looking. The timing when the sauce flows out a little as you cut is truly art.

Is Eulji Darak Gangnam Station good for a blind date or wedding-invitation get-together?

The portions at Eulji Darak Gangnam Station are big and the prices are fair. We didn't leave a single grain of rice, haha.

There's even mouthwash in the restroom. Truly a Gangnam Station blind date spot, haha. Personally, the seating is roomy, so I think it works for a get-together with the girls too.

Starting light with Eulji Ade and a butter highball, then moving on to rose pasta and Darak Omurice, seems like a course that suits a Gangnam Station blind date or a relaxed Gangnam Station date. Given the wait, I recommend arriving a bit earlier than opening time. It's near Gangnam Station, so it was also easy to reach by public transport.