English-friendly Seongsu restaurant: katsu sando at Seongsu Darak

Today I'm sharing a review of Seongsu Darak (성수다락), a restaurant with a varied, tasty menu that's popular with Koreans and foreign tourists alike. I recently had plans in Seongsu with a Taiwanese friend and was trying to decide where to eat lunch. My friend sent me a few restaurants, and one of them turned out to be a place I'd already saved because I wanted to visit before. So I settled on Seongsu Darak right away and went for a weekday lunch.

Where is Seongsu Darak, and what are its hours and parking?

Seongsu Darak is a 9-minute walk from Exit 3 of Seongsu Station. It's open 11:30–21:15, with last order at 20:30. Paid lots are available nearby, but there's no parking fee support.

What we ordered at Seongsu Darak and what it cost

• Dalak rosé pasta ₩19,000
• Corn gnocchi ₩19,000
• Katsu sando ₩12,000
• Dalak Ade Pineapple ₩6,900
• Seongsu Ade Lemon ₩6,900

Where is the entrance to Seongsu Darak? Exterior and interior

Seongsu Darak sits down inside an alley.

The sign lettering isn't very big, so it didn't catch my eye right away.

Against a white wall there's a brown door, and I tried to open it — turns out that door doesn't actually open.

The real entrance was a small door off to the side, like a little attic door. Opening it and heading up the stairs, Seongsu Darak appeared.

Inside, big windows on the wall let sunlight in naturally, and with the curtains drawn, the space felt cozy.

We were shown up to the 3rd floor, and even the stairs up had a nice atmospheric feel I liked. We sat at a table toward the back of the 3rd floor, which was also cozy. Notably, there were so many foreign customers. During our meal, the tables on both sides of us turned over, and every single group was different foreign tourists. It struck me as a solid restaurant to visit with a foreign friend in Seongsu.

The lighting over the table was pretty too, and small plates, spoons, forks, and wet wipes were all neatly set out.

How ordering works at Seongsu Darak: ring the bell

At Seongsu Darak, you order by ringing a bell on the table to call staff over. Once we sat down, a staff member brought a menu and the bell. With so many things we wanted to try, we settled on three dishes in total. Ordering this way was a first for me, so it felt a little novel.

After ordering, we went over next to the counter and got our own water.

An apron hung on a mannequin torso next to the water station.

Drinks at Seongsu Darak: Darak Ade pineapple and Seongsu Ade lemon

Our drinks came out first.

I ordered Dalak Ade Pineapple. It arrived in a rose-gold pineapple-shaped cup and looked really striking. The idea was to stir it first with the straw stuck in the side, then open the lid and drink with a disposable straw.

Once opened, the cup looked a bit smaller, but it was packed full of drink so it didn't feel skimpy. It tasted like a sweet pineapple ade, with small chunks of pineapple flesh mixed in for a nice bit of chew.

My friend picked Seongsu Ade Lemon. It's a pretty drink with yellow and purple mixed together, great for photos too. Stirred well, it tasted like a refreshing lemon ade, a good match with the meal.

Seongsu Darak review: katsu sando, Darak rosé pasta and corn gnocchi

The food came out fast, in under 10 minutes. Everything looked so delicious and pretty that we took plenty of photos with my friend before digging in. A staff member recommended we try the katsu sando first, so we started there.

The katsu sando had a thick pork cutlet layered between soft slices of bread, served alongside pickled cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and sauce. The bread had a light brush of tonkatsu sauce, the breading was crispy, and the cutlet inside was tender. Even the bit of fat on the cutlet tasted savory — genuinely one of the best things we ate.

I'd had a katsu sando elsewhere before that didn't leave much of an impression, so I actually debated whether to order it again here. But Seongsu Darak's katsu sando was good enough that I was glad I did. It's memorable enough to rank among the best pork cutlet dishes I've had recently.

Darak rosé pasta at Seongsu Darak

Next up is the dalak rosé pasta. My friend told me this is another famous dish at Seongsu Darak. It's pasta over a spicy house-made meat sauce, topped with a whole scoop of fresh cream and grana padano cheese. I'd never had pasta with an entire dollop of cream on top like that, so I was excited even before tasting it.

Mixing the sauce, cream, and noodles together made for a smooth rosé pasta. The sauce was fairly spicy, with the tomato's tang and the cream's richness coming through together. The noodles were on the thinner side too, so the sauce coated them nicely. Spicy and tangy at once, it didn't get old — I kept going back for more.

Corn gnocchi at Seongsu Darak

The last dish was corn gnocchi — potato gnocchi with grilled corn over a corn cream sauce.

The gnocchi seemed pan-seared, crisp on the outside and soft inside — great texture.

Dipping into the sauce, you could also pick out thinly sliced onion,

and there were chunky pieces of bacon too, making the flavor feel more layered. The sauce had a mild, sweet, smooth taste reminiscent of corn soup. A hint of garlic came through as well, cutting the richness so it was easy to keep eating. The corn on top was also prepped in a way that was easy to eat. Since the rosé pasta ran a bit spicy, taking a bite of the corn gnocchi in between balanced things out nicely. The katsu sando, rosé pasta, and corn gnocchi didn't overlap much in flavor or ingredients, so it felt like we'd picked a good combination.

Overall it was a satisfying meal, and we cleaned our plates completely.

Why Seongsu Darak works for lunch with a foreign friend

Seongsu Darak has a lot of foreign tourist customers, and the staff handled English naturally and well, so it seemed like a solid option when looking for somewhere to eat with a foreign friend in Seongsu. The friendly service toward guests was also notable. Since I was there with my Taiwanese friend that day, these details stood out even more to me.

Between the cozy atmosphere, the pretty drinks, and the good-looking dishes, this felt like a good spot for lunch with a friend in Seongsu. The katsu sando in particular was way better than expected, and the dalak rosé pasta and corn gnocchi each had their own distinct appeal, so I was glad we ordered them together. If you're looking for a good-atmosphere lunch spot in Seongsu, or want to enjoy a variety of dishes together, Seongsu Darak is worth checking out.