Gangnam Station fusion Korean date: Hanwoo tartare kimchi wraps, Moa

I was looking for a date spot around Gangnam Station and found a place where every dish on the menu looked delicious, so I booked and went. Here's my weekday dinner review of Moa Gangnam, a fusion Korean restaurant near Gangnam Station!

How to get to Moa Gangnam and where to park

Moa Gangnam is a fusion Korean restaurant you reach by leaving Gangnam Station (Line 2) by Exit 12, going straight, and heading down the first alley on the left. It was easy to find.

If you're driving, note that there's no parking in the Moa Gangnam building. You can use paid lots such as the Yeoksam Cultural Park public lot, the Cornerstone private lot and the Janghyeon Building lot.

Do you need a reservation at Moa Gangnam?

You can book Moa Gangnam through Naver, and it's popular enough that there was already a waiting line right after work on a weekday. It's well known as a Gangnam Station spot for blind dates and wedding-invitation get-togethers, and since reservations fill up fast, we booked a few days ahead too!

Moa Gangnam interior, atmosphere and seating

The inside of Moa Gangnam had a cozy ivory-and-wood feel, with seating from tables for two to group tables. It looked good for a blind date, a date night or a wedding-invitation gathering.

There were so many tables with reserved signs, and we actually saw lots of blind dates going on, haha.

Moa Gangnam menu and prices

Most dishes at Moa Gangnam are in the upper ₩10,000s, and the variety was huge. There are fusion Korean dishes you don't often get to try, like gondeure cream sujebi (hand-pulled dough flakes), clam kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and perilla oil jeotgal (salted seafood) pasta, plus pot rice, arancini, risotto, potato pancakes, chicken gangjeong (crispy sweet-glazed chicken), salads and meatballs.

On top of the wide choice, another thing I liked was that the prices are easy on the wallet, so it's a good place to order several dishes and try them all.

For drinks, you can pair whatever you like, from soft drinks and ade to highballs, soju, beer and traditional liquor. Corkage was also possible for a fee (₩20,000).

Three dishes we shared as a couple

At Moa Gangnam we ordered a nice mix of three dishes: beef tartare aged-kimchi wraps, coconut shrimp salad and chicken gangjeong with shishito peppers. The food came out quickly, so I even got to take this overhead shot!

Hanwoo beef tartare aged-kimchi wraps: tangy kimchi, rich tartare

The hanwoo (Korean beef) tartare aged-kimchi wraps come with yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) and kimchi-wrapped rice bundles together. It looked neat and clean right from the start.

First, there was really plenty of rice inside, so it was quite a filling dish. The aged kimchi wrapped around the rice was properly tangy and crunchy. The sauce was creamy, like ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) mixed with something else, and it wasn't greasy at all and went well with the wraps. Add the nutty tartare and the combination was the best. 👍🏻

Coconut shrimp salad with about eight fried shrimp

I love fried shrimp, so I ordered the coconut shrimp salad too. The salad was really generous, and generously topped with about eight crispy fried shrimp.

Because of the coconut coating, there was a faint sweet coconut aroma, and it paired nicely with the salad. The sauce on the salad was tasty, and the popping flying fish roe was addictive, so I kept reaching for more. There was quite a lot of avocado in it too!

Chicken gangjeong with shishito peppers: soy-glazed boneless chicken

The chicken gangjeong with shishito peppers was soy-glazed chicken gangjeong served with shishito peppers. It's a flavor anyone would like, so I'd suggest adding this one to your order!

It's boneless, so it was easy to eat, and it came out freshly fried, crispy and hot. The sauce was lightly salty but never cloying, so I enjoyed it to the very last bite. Eating a shishito pepper in between makes it a perfect combination :)

Side dish refills and drinks at Moa Gangnam

The side dishes at Moa Gangnam were radish pickles and jalapeños, and you can refill them easily on the tablet.

I also ordered a soft drink to go with the meal, and they brought a glass of ice with it, so I finished with a nice cool rinse :)

Is Moa Gangnam good for a blind date or gathering?

Moa Gangnam has lots of distinctive, good-value dishes, it's close to Gangnam Station so it's easy to reach, and the staff were friendly. It's a restaurant I'd recommend when you're looking for a blind date or gathering spot in Gangnam.