Magoknaru Station brunch with sous vide pork jowl: Romaok Magok

It's such a nice time of year for going out in the fall, and I had a lovely brunch catching up with my sister after a long while ☺️ She always puts family before herself, so I really wanted to treat her to a good meal this time~

After going back and forth on where to go, I picked Romaok Magok — good atmosphere and a menu with some special dishes!!

What kind of restaurant is Romaok Magok?

Romaok is an Italian bistro on the 3rd floor of LG Art Center Seoul. It serves creative dishes that add Korean ingredients into the mix, so every visit is a treat for the eyes and the palate.

We came right when they opened for brunch, so the place was quiet — much more relaxed than the busy hours, and we got to talk slowly, which was nice since it had been a while since we'd seen each other.

The atmosphere is calm and sophisticated, so every time I come to Romaok it feels like I'm here for a special occasion,

and since it's located inside LG Art Center, it's also super convenient to stop by before or after a show — not just for dates or meals with friends, so it'd suit anyone looking for a good restaurant near LG Art Center.

Bread service: green onion ciabatta with herb oil

The bread service at Romaok Magok is green onion ciabatta. It came out after we ordered.

It wasn't your typical bread service — it came out warm and light, like it had just been baked, and dipping it in the herb-packed oil was really delicious.

The combination of the fragrant herb oil and green onion woke up my appetite in the best way!!

How was the abalone geou pasta?

For our meal, we ordered the abalone geou pasta and the masala sauce sous vide pork jowl.

The abalone geou pasta combines abalone gently steamed with kelp, garlic scape chorizo, geou (abalone innards) sauce, and linguine,

and thanks to the geou, it had a distinctly deep flavor that set it apart from an ordinary pasta.

The linguine was cooked just right, with the sauce soaking richly into every strand — every bite had that savory, umami seafood flavor.

The abalone was soft too, and eating it together worked so well — it really made me admire how skillfully they blended familiar Korean ingredients into an Italian dish.

Sous vide pork jowl in masala sauce

I'm used to pork jowl grilled, but I was curious what sous vide pork jowl would taste like, so I ordered this dish. It comes with pork jowl, cauliflower anchovy, brussels sprouts, and masala sauce, and the plating alone was gorgeous.

The presentation was so clean and elegant the moment it arrived that it felt almost a shame to eat it right away — my camera shutter finger just went off on its own haha.

The sous vide pork jowl was, as expected, tender while still holding its texture, and with the masala sauce added, it had a distinctly different character from the grilled version we're used to.

Every garnish was delicious too — I've bought brussels sprouts before and failed to make them taste good,

but seeing them cooked this well made me want to give it another try. Ordering the abalone geou pasta and the pork jowl together made for a nice seafood-and-meat combo that was great for sharing.

Every dish felt carefully thought through, from plating to flavor, and it struck me as the kind of place to visit when you want a special, fine-dining-like meal.

After the meal: the terrace and a Seoul Botanic Park walk

Romaok Magok has a terrace right in front of the restaurant, and it's also close to the entrance of Seoul Botanic Park. After a delicious and enjoyable meal, with the weather being so nice, we stepped out onto the terrace for a short walk — the green garden scenery around us and the open view gave us a refreshing, healing moment for the eyes and mind.

Feeling good from a delicious meal and then getting a healing walk afterward made for a really satisfying brunch course.

Since Romaok is right by the Seoul Botanic Park entrance, it's also great for strolling through the garden before or after a meal — worth a visit if you're looking for a good restaurant with a nice atmosphere near LG Art Center or Seoul Botanic Park.

Parking info 🚗