Yeouido restaurant for octopus steak and yeolmu vongole: MOI

I was looking for a nice-atmosphere restaurant in Yeouido and ended up at MOI, a pasta spot people rave about in the area! From a vongole pasta made with chamnamul (wild chervil) to an octopus steak, the menu combinations were pretty unique — quite different from the pasta I usually eat, so it left a strong impression. Let me introduce it!

Where is MOI, and what are its hours?

• 📍 Location: 2nd floor, Gongjak Sangga, 113 Yeouinaru-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul / about 182m from Yeouinaru Station Exit 1
• ⏰ Hours: Tue–Sat 11:00–21:30, break time 15:00–17:00, last order 14:00, closed Mondays and Sundays
• 📝 Ordered: Chamnamul vongole pasta, octopus steak

What MOI looks like on the 2nd floor of Gongjak Sangga

MOI is within easy walking distance of Yeouinaru Station. It's on the 2nd floor of Gongjak Sangga, so you'll need to go inside the building to find it.

Right from the entrance, everything felt clean and tidy!

The interior was calm and comfortable too. It's decorated mainly in white tones with wood accents throughout, which gave it a warm feel as well.

The tables weren't packed too closely together, and there was a more private seating area in the back for dining. Overall it wasn't loud or chaotic, so it was a nice place to eat while chatting slowly.

What is on the menu at MOI?

I've attached the menu info, so check it out before you visit~! Looking through the menu, there were many dishes that used familiar ingredients in unusual ways, beyond the standard pastas. On this visit, I ordered the chamnamul vongole pasta and the octopus steak!

Chamnamul vongole pasta with yeolmu (young radish greens)

After a short wait, my order arrived! First up was the chamnamul vongole pasta — a spaghettini with clams, chamnamul pesto, and yeolmu (young radish greens).

Just from reading the menu, the idea of chamnamul and yeolmu going into a pasta felt unusual. Seeing it in person, there was a generous amount of clams and a hearty pile of chamnamul on top. The look of it was clearly different from a vongole pasta you'd normally picture.

I mixed the noodles well with the chamnamul pesto and tried it — the herb's fragrant, distinctive flavor came through subtly. It blended nicely with the savory taste from the clams, making the whole dish clean and easy to eat.

What surprised me most was the yeolmu mixed in. The crunchy bite it added here and there worked better with the pasta than I expected. Picking out the clams one by one and eating them with the noodles made the savory flavor even deeper!

Octopus steak with romesco and aioli sauces

And then the octopus steak I ordered alongside! A large piece of octopus came with romesco sauce, aioli sauce, dried pollock floss, and fried baby potatoes — a whole lot going on.

The octopus was plump and sizable, catching my eye visually the moment it arrived. Cut into bite-sized pieces, it had a nice chewy texture without being tough.

The octopus was tasty on its own, but dipping it generously into the romesco sauce spread on the plate made it even better. Eating it with the aioli sauce added a nuttier, softer flavor, so switching between the two sauces was part of the fun.

The fried baby potatoes served alongside were also a treat — golden and crisp outside, fluffy inside, good to have alongside each piece of octopus. With the dried pollock floss and dill oil on top, I liked that one plate offered so many different tastes and textures.

Final verdict: who should eat at MOI?

From the chamnamul-and-yeolmu vongole pasta to the chewy octopus steak, I really enjoyed my meal at MOI! The unusual ingredient combinations made it fun to eat, and the two dishes paired well together, which was satisfying. The restaurant's clean, calm atmosphere also made it a good pick for a date or a meal in Yeouido. If you're looking for a Yeouido pasta restaurant with something different on the menu, give it a visit!