Hongdae pasta restaurant at 5 p.m. to skip the wait: Rangteu Yeonnam

Rangteu Yeonnam (랑트 연남)

My friend and I decided to have a good dinner in Hongdae after work, so I went looking for a Yeonnam-dong favorite and ended up at Rangteu Yeonnam, which is said to have both a great atmosphere and great food. The pasta and the gnocchi were both delicious, and the staff were so kind that the whole meal felt even better. Let me tell you about Rangteu Yeonnam!

Where is Rangteu Yeonnam, and what about parking?

Rangteu Yeonnam is near Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station. It's close to the station, so it's easy to get to by public transport.

Doesn't the exterior have a mood already?~ Such a good vibe! Rangteu Yeonnam is on the 1.5th floor, so you go up the stairs next to the building. It sits in the Yeonnam food alley (먹거리골목), and there was no dedicated parking. Parking is hard around Hongdae and Yeonnam, so if you're driving, it's best to use a nearby public parking lot.

Inside Rangteu Yeonnam and the seating

The inside of Rangteu Yeonnam was very clean and the tables were nicely set. There were neat seats for everyone from two people to four, plus larger group tables.

Waiting at Rangteu Yeonnam: when should you go?

Rangteu Yeonnam is so popular that you may have to wait at the lunch and dinner peaks. My friend and I finish work early, so we went around 5 p.m., and it wasn't crowded! One group, then another came in while we were eating, and the seats filled up fast haha

Tablet ordering and the basic table setting

Every table at Rangteu Yeonnam has a tablet, so it was comfortable to sit down, look through the menu and order. The menu is mostly Western food, and reviewers who had tried all sorts of dishes were praising every item on it. My friend and I ordered the gochujang gnocchi and a pasta.

As you'd expect from a Western restaurant, the basic table setting was pickles! I love pickles, so I finished them quickly, but if you ask for more, they bring them right away~~

Zero cola is a must with the food at Rangteu Yeonnam~ I ordered a Pepsi Zero and they thoughtfully brought a cup of ice too.

The cutlery and plates were neatly set out as well.

How does the Monterey gochujang cream gnocchi taste?

The first dish out was the Monterey gochujang cream gnocchi! It's gnocchi in a spicy cream sauce made with Monterey cheese and gochujang (Korean chili paste), topped with sour cream~ The gochujang balances the flavor of the sour cream and the two go together so well that it was really delicious.

The signature dish: brisket melchobi pasta

The brisket melchobi pasta combines smoky grilled brisket (차돌, thin-sliced beef brisket), a funky, savory cream sauce made with meljeot (salted anchovy sauce), and crunchy bok choy. Doesn't it look delicious just from the look of it? As the signature dish, it's every bit as good as it looks.

Is two dishes enough for two people?

We ordered two dishes, the gnocchi and the pasta, and shared them between the two of us, and we got properly full!

The gochujang cream gnocchi is loaded with sauce, and eating it together is a party in your mouth.. If you like gnocchi, you have to try this.

The brisket melchobi pasta gets a synergy boost when you eat it with the brisket! It's one of my favorite pastas in Hongdae. It isn't too intense, so you don't get sick of it and keep on eating. If I pushed myself, I could finish two bowls on my own!!! That's how good it is haha

Is Rangteu Yeonnam a good date spot too?

Rangteu Yeonnam has a nice atmosphere, every single dish has good reviews and is genuinely tasty, and the plating is pretty too, so it's a really good date restaurant.

If you like Western food, have a hearty, delicious meal at Rangteu Yeonnam when you come to Hongdae or Yeonnam-dong! The staff are kind and the atmosphere inside is lovely, so it's a place I want to come back to with my partner too ♥