Tandoori chicken couple set at Mandala, a Hapjeong Indian lounge

I was craving something exotic this time, so I went to Mandala Indian Lounge~! I usually love the curry-and-naan combo, and while looking for curry near Hapjeong I ended up here haha. The restaurant is upstairs in the building, so even the entrance already had a distinct vibe~~

Where is Mandala Indian Lounge, and what is it like inside?

Mandala Indian Lounge is located at 26 Dokmak-ro 3-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul~ It's a pretty comfortable walk from Hapjeong Station, so it's easy for meeting up haha. It's in a building tucked into an alley, but it's not hard to find if you follow the map~~!

From the sign alone, you can tell it's a proper Indian food specialist! It's set up as a lounge-style spot where you can enjoy wine along with curry~ It's great for just a meal, but it also looked like a nice place to linger and soak up the atmosphere haha.

Right from the entrance, the mandala patterns and exotic feel completely change the mood! It felt totally different from the restaurants I usually go to, so I was excited the moment I walked in haha.

Once inside, it really did feel more like a lounge than a restaurant, just like its name suggests~~ The soft lighting plus a bar feel made the atmosphere pretty appealing haha. It was comfortable for sitting at a table and slowly chatting over a meal!

What comes in the couple set at Mandala Indian Lounge?

When it's your first visit, isn't it hard to decide what to get!? We ordered the couple set so we could try several menu items haha. For anyone coming to try curry near Hapjeong for the first time, the set seems like a great way to enjoy everything from tandoori chicken to curry and naan all at once~~!

Even the wet wipe packaging on the table was a little funny haha. It said something like 'back in my day, you couldn't even buy wet wipes if you wanted to,' which made me look twice~ Even these small details weren't ordinary, and they matched the vibe of the place well!

The two set drinks: lassi and cola

For the couple set drinks, we each picked one — lassi and cola~~! With spiced food, having a cool drink alongside worked out well haha. Lassi especially feels like something you can't skip when eating Indian food~ >.<

Lassi is a traditional Indian drink made with a yogurt base! It's smooth and tangy-sweet, so it felt like it cleaned up my palate nicely haha. It was great to drink alongside strongly flavored dishes like curry or tandoori chicken~~

How does the half tandoori chicken taste?

The tandoori chicken half included in the couple set arrived next~! It's said to be India's representative dish — chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, then grilled in a tandoor oven. Sauce and pickles came alongside, which were nice to dip into here and there haha.

The spice seasoning was really soaked into the surface, so the aroma hit before I even took a bite~~! There was a slight smoky char, but the chicken itself was surprisingly light, so it was easy to eat without feeling heavy. Adding the sauce gave it a different flavor each time, so it never got boring haha.

Picking up a piece, the meat was nice and thick! The outside had that grilled aroma while the inside stayed moist, so the texture was good too haha. Since we were eating it piece by piece before the curry arrived, it disappeared fast~~!

Chicken tikka masala and samosas at Mandala

The curry we chose was chicken tikka masala~ It's a spicy-style curry made with tandoor-grilled chicken in an onion and tomato based sauce. Among the curries near Hapjeong, if you want something rich and spicy rather than too unfamiliar in flavor, this one should suit you well haha.

Two samosas also came with the set! Samosas are an Indian appetizer made with potato and vegetables shaped into a triangle and fried until crisp~ The outside was crispy while the inside had a soft, powdery potato texture, so they were great to eat one at a time between bites of curry haha.

Naan or rice? Eating the curry both ways

You really can't skip naan with curry~~! There's a fun ritual in tearing off warm pieces by hand and loading them up with sauce haha. If you want to properly enjoy curry near Hapjeong, I'd personally recommend picking both rice and naan so you can try it both ways!

For the other option in the set, we chose rice~ Compared to eating it with naan, mixing the curry into rice felt familiar yet filling in a different way haha. Being able to try it two ways made the set composition really satisfying~~!

Dipping the naan deep into the chicken tikka masala picked up plenty of sauce and it was delicious! The chewy naan really held up against the rich curry flavor, so we kept going back for more haha. If you came here for curry near Hapjeong, curry and naan is still the first combo that comes to mind for me~~

This time I piled a generous spoonful of curry onto the rice~~ Chewing through the chicken pieces mixed in with the smooth sauce made for a pretty filling bite! Alternating between naan and rice let us enjoy the same curry in slightly different ways each time haha.

There was also signage in the restaurant about a receipt review event~ If something's available when you visit, it might be worth checking out after your meal haha. These kinds of events can change depending on the season, so check the signage when you go!

A Hapjeong lounge where dinner turns into drinks

One wall was lined with bottles, which really brought out the lounge atmosphere~~! Along with beer and wine, they also have whiskey, cocktails, and even Old Monk, an Indian rum~!! It was pretty unique that you don't even have to move to another spot after eating curry near Hapjeong — you can go straight from dinner into drinks haha.

Is the Mandala Indian Lounge couple set worth it?

With just one couple set, we got to try a good variety — tandoori chicken, samosas, and curry — so the composition felt solid~! The chicken tikka masala paired well with naan and was also filling with rice, so it was fun enjoying it two different ways haha.

With the exotic lounge atmosphere and a wide variety of drinks, this seems like a great spot to visit on a day you want something different from an ordinary meal~~ If you're looking for curry near Hapjeong and want to try several Indian dishes at once, Mandala Indian Lounge is worth a stop!