Seongsu fusion restaurant with egg-yolk perilla pasta: Seongsu Darak

Seongsu-dong always feels exciting to visit thanks to its stylish pop-up stores and charming alleyways, and I wanted a hearty, special meal there. I usually love Western food, but that day I was especially drawn to something a bit different — a fusion dish — so I headed to Seongsu Darak, a well-known pasta spot in Seongsu.

Where's the entrance to Seongsu Darak?

The entrance to Seongsu Darak is a small white door right next to a Compose Coffee on the 1st floor of a red brick building, about a 500-meter walk from Seongsu Station Exit 3 toward Ttukseom-ro. This little white door is Seongsu Darak's signature entrance — it looks like a door leading to a secret attic room out of a fairy tale, so everyone was taking photos right at the entrance.

The 2nd-floor atmosphere at Seongsu Darak

Push open the small door, climb the wooden stairs to the 2nd floor, and a cozy interior full of sunlight opens up. Light filtering through white chiffon curtains, stylish tile flooring, and warm wood tables all come together to create that particular comfortable, warm mood. The interior is so pretty and full of feeling that plenty of couples were there enjoying an intimate meal together too.

We took a window seat and ordered the pork shoulder steak, the brisket perilla pasta, and a refreshing pineapple Darak-ade.

How does the pineapple Darak-ade taste?

The pineapple Darak-ade came out first, served in a pineapple-shaped tumbler. As we chatted and waited, this eye-catching pineapple-shaped drink tumbler arrived at the table. Taking a cool sip through the straw stuck in the lid, I could taste the sweet, tangy pineapple juice richly coming through, with a fizzy carbonation that refreshed the palate right before the meal.

What does Seongsu Darak's brisket perilla pasta taste like?

Seongsu Darak's brisket perilla pasta (차돌박이들깨파스타) is an oil-based fusion pasta topped with perilla leaves, ground perilla seeds and cheese, with an egg yolk placed right in the center. Thinly sliced perilla leaves were piled generously on top of neatly twirled noodles, nutty ground perilla seeds and cheese were sprinkled on thick, and a bright yellow egg yolk sat right in the middle — the visual alone drew a gasp.

I gently broke the yolk in the center and mixed it evenly with the perilla leaves, brisket, and the moist oil sauce, then twirled it up for a bite. Pasta like this can easily feel heavy, but the fragrant perilla leaves and ground perilla seeds swept through with a clean, refreshing aroma that paired perfectly with the mild brisket. The way Korean and Western flavors blended together in harmony made it instantly clear why so many people call this their favorite pasta spot in Seongsu.

The makeup and texture of the pork shoulder steak

Seongsu Darak's pork shoulder steak (찹목살스테이크) comes with thickly sliced pork shoulder steak alongside grilled cherry tomatoes, eggplant, broccoli and other garnish vegetables, plus a white puree sauce. While I was completely absorbed in the pasta, the golden-brown pork shoulder steak showed up with fantastic presence of its own. The colorful garnish vegetables were piled on generously, making it look filling just to look at.

The pork shoulder was browned appealingly on the outside while holding plenty of juice inside, so each bite was tender with no dryness at all. Dipping it generously into the smooth white puree sauce spooned onto one side of the plate along with the grilled vegetables, the nutty savoriness lingered all through my mouth.

Is Seongsu Darak a good date spot?

If you're looking for a Seongsu pasta restaurant with a great atmosphere and a distinctive fusion menu, I really recommend stopping by Seongsu Darak. The warm, relaxed space and the neat plating make it more than fitting for a date or a meal with someone special.

Seongsu Darak location and hours

• Address: 20 Ttukseom-ro 9-gil, 2nd floor, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea (575m from Seongsu Station Exit 3)
• Hours: Daily 11:30 - 21:15 (last order 20:30)

Passing through a fairy-tale-like secret door into a cozy attic room, I got to enjoy a perfect meal — perilla pasta at the height of nuttiness and a juicy pork shoulder steak.