Brunch café in Dongbuichon-dong, Seoul with bisque shrimp pasta

There's nothing quite as reassuring as finding a place you genuinely like to eat in a neighborhood you pass through all the time.🥰 This time I visited Cafe Mellang, located in Dongbuichon-dong.

I went with a friend during an early weekday lunch. Maybe because it was still early, the place felt fairly relaxed inside and was a great spot to take our time over the meal.

A bright interior lit by floor-to-ceiling windows

The first thing that caught my eye walking in was the natural light pouring in through a huge window.☀️ The whole interior felt bright and warm, which made it the perfect atmosphere for a leisurely brunch somewhere between breakfast and lunch.

I also noticed the napkins printed with a heart-smile design and the pretty tableware on the table.😊 Little details like these quietly put you in a good mood. Ordering is easy too — just scan the QR code.

That day we ordered the Mellang Platter and the bisque shrimp rosé pasta.🍳🍝

🍳 The Mellang Platter is generously packed

Centered around an omelette, the plate is loaded with everything you could want for brunch — bacon, ham, avocado, cherry tomatoes, a fresh green salad, bread, and cream cheese, all fitted neatly onto one plate.

Above all, the vegetables were really fresh — in the photos you can even see them glistening.✨ The omelette was seasoned just right, not too heavy. Eating it together with the salty bacon and ham, alongside the avocado, tomato, and fresh vegetables, none of the flavors fought each other — everything came together really harmoniously. Spreading cream cheese on the bread was great too, and it also went well paired with the omelette or salad, so there was a lot of fun in mixing and matching within just one plate.🥑🍅

🍝 The bisque shrimp rosé pasta stood out from the noodles up

The dish I was personally most excited about was the bisque shrimp rosé pasta. I've always loved bisque sauce, so the moment I saw it on the menu, my choice was made.😂

It uses noodles much wider than typical pasta, closer to pappardelle. Thanks to that, each bite had a chewy, doughy texture like sujebi (hand-torn noodle soup). The thick noodles held onto so much sauce that every bite delivered the full nutty, rich flavor of the bisque sauce.🤤

The shrimp were plump and fresh too. Two big shrimp were tucked in, still bouncy in texture, and they paired really well with the noodles.🦐 Cheese was added on top as well, which made the bisque's signature nutty richness feel even deeper.

But the real problem with this pasta was... "the sauce is just too delicious."😂 By the time I'd nearly finished the pasta, there was still a little sauce left on the plate.

So I snuck some bread from my friend's Mellang Platter and started dipping it into the sauce. Once I dipped once, I kept going, and before I knew it the plate was completely empty haha (I'm already pretty good at finishing my plate, but still). I think this counts as an officially certified great pasta place.🤣🍝

☕️ Next time I'll have to try the coffee too

Mellang has a wide range of coffee and desserts too, not just meal items. Unfortunately I had somewhere to be after this, so I didn't get to try the coffee or dessert that day. Dongbuichon-dong is a neighborhood I visit often, so next time I want to come back not for a meal but just to relax with a cup of coffee.☕️

In the evening, wine and a bar menu

It turns out Mellang has a different atmosphere in the evenings compared to the daytime. A separate bar menu runs at night, so it looked like a great place to enjoy a meal alongside wine.🍷 I was especially glad to see orange wine on the list, which isn't something you see everywhere.

Enjoying brunch or a meal under bright natural light during the day, then spending a more relaxed evening with a glass of wine, sounds like a great combination.

How fast does the food come out?

There were quite a few tables at lunch and a wide range of dishes from brunch to pasta, all handled by a single staff member, so at first I thought the food might take a while. But it actually came out surprisingly fast. I found myself thinking, 'they must have really quick hands.'😆

Who I'd recommend this to

The Mellang Platter is great for brunch lovers who want to enjoy a variety of dishes on one plate without much fuss.🥑🍳 And if you're a bisque pasta fan like me, "you have to try the bisque shrimp rosé pasta at least once."🦐 Next time, I want to try the coffee and dessert I missed this time, and enjoy a glass of wine in the evening too.🍷

If you want a pleasant, comfortable spot in Dongbuichon-dong for a nice meal with family or friends, or even a date with someone you love over coffee or wine, Mellang is worth a stop.😊 It's close to Ichon Hangang Park and the National Museum of Korea too, so pairing them into one course will make for a memory that lasts a long time.💚