Gangnam restaurant for chewy corn gnocchi: Eulji Darak

Eulji Darak Gangnam Station near Gangnam Station

It was open every day from 11:30 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. without any days off, with last orders at 8:30 p.m. There’s no break time on either weekdays or weekends. I liked how convenient it was to visit at any time.

It’s 269 m from Exit 11 of Gangnam Station, making it easy to reach from both Yeoksam and Gangnam. It was nice that I didn’t have to walk far from the station.

I think I’ve genuinely been to Eulji Darak more than 10 times. It’s good value, the food tastes great, and above all, the atmosphere is interesting! Especially around the entrance. So I came back again this time, full of excitement.

An entrance like a freight elevator

The entrance is on the right. Head up to the second floor.

That entrance I briefly mentioned, haha. Why do all Eulji Darak locations have such unusual entrances? You mustn’t casually walk through that door. The real door is somewhere else. It kind of feels like an escape room, hahahaha.

Can you see the freight-elevator vibe on the left? Hahahahaha. That is the entrance. If it’s your first visit, you might wonder how on earth you’re meant to get in.

Just press the elevator button and it opens. At other branches, you slip through something like a bookshelf, so Eulji Darak entrances really do seem unusual every single time.

A chandelier and a spacious interior

Let’s look at the menu first, then I’ll brief you on the interior, shall we? The menu is just two pages. The front has the review event and a little introduction. I ordered one signature item and two best-selling items from it.

A huge chandelier in the center~ A chandelier~~ It made me feel as though I’d arrived at a ballroom. Hahahahahahaha. It somehow made the place feel even more upscale, haha.

There was a large table too. It had that kind of feel where a group could sit together, have brunch, and chat.

Even the nice-looking framed art added to the mood.

Not a wardrobe, haha—it’s the restroom, haha. Isn’t that so fascinating? It’s such a slightly puzzling space, which makes it extra fun ㅠㅠㅠ.

Once you go farther inside, the place is really spacious. The interior is clean and pretty too. It feels perfect for a date~ I thought it could even work for a formal meeting between families.

There was cold water ready too, so whenever you’re thirsty, you can run over, pour yourself some, and gulp it down.

You can see how the space extends deep inside, right? It’s an all-purpose spot that would suit a blind date and things like that too~

The tables were set with antique-looking, weighty dishes. Disposable aprons are available too, so you don’t get anything on your clothes~

First up, the Sprite we got through the review event! You can have one per person, and they even gave us cups of ice, so we could enjoy it cold.

We each got one drink, so we could enjoy them without fighting. (Pretending to fight, haha~)

Corn gnocchi with a chewy rice-cake texture

This is the gnocchi. It’s my absolute favorite Eulji Darak menu item. The gnocchi has this chewy, fried texture that feels like tteok (Korean rice cake), maybe? As I always say, I love gnocchi. I think there are bread-like versions and rice-cake-like versions of gnocchi, and I only especially love the rice-cake-like kind.

This is exactly that rice-cake-like gnocchi, so it was seriously delicious. The lightly scattered cheese on top adds nuttiness, and the bacon and thick sauce are amazing too. And the whole corn kernels mixed in are incredible! ㅠㅠ

The sauce was so nutty and rich that I wanted to just drink it straight! This place does pasta well, but I think it really does gnocchi well too ㅠㅠ It’s not a best seller for nothing...

Scoop it up with a spoon. There isn’t a single part to leave behind.

Tender chopped pork neck steak and sauce

Next came the chopped pork neck steak. I think this might have been my first time ordering it, despite coming here countless times. (Or am I just forgetting?) It came with a colorful assortment of vegetables, so it felt like a substantial spread.

It was pork neck steak, but it didn’t feel dry at all. It was tender and generously portioned, which I loved.

The flavor itself was super nutty, and there was a potato-like sauce at the front. It was seriously good when I dipped a big bite into it. It felt a bit like dipping food into soup? A thick, delicious sauce.

Yum yum, even the grilled vegetables~

Chopped steak tastes best when you dip, dip, dip~ haha.

A filling katsu sando

This one really fills you up, and it’s such good value that I think I end up ordering it regularly. There’s an incredibly thick donkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) in the middle, and it was big and so tender that I thought, wow, they do katsu well here too?

And the bread on the outside is incredibly moist. So the combination is amazing.

You can really see the grain of the meat, right? It was so tender, and the quality of the meat felt great.

There was also a salad-dressing-like sauce at the front, and when you put that on, it is literally a sandwich itself. You know, the filling you put into a sandwich? That’s it. It’s tangy, and the savory depth is no joke.

It even nailed the perfect finishing touch, that’s what I’m saying~

And that’s a filling, delicious meal complete like this~

When you’re craving Western food in Gangnam

Overall, the menu combination was great and the atmosphere was lovely too, making it an easy place for a comfortable meal. The corn gnocchi especially matched my tastes perfectly, so I think I’ll remember it again whenever I crave Western food in Gangnam. I highly recommend Eulji Darak Gangnam Station to anyone looking for Western food near Gangnam Station, good pasta, or a place for a wedding-invitation gathering...♥