Seongsu pasta restaurant for corn gnocchi date: Seongsu Darak

My husband and I took a day off and headed to Seongsu-dong for a weekday date for the first time in ages. We were looking for a truly delicious pasta place in Seongsu and visited Seongsu Darak, which I had been curious about because it had so many reviews. I was worried because everyone said a good meal here meant being prepared to wait, but when we arrived around 1 p.m. on a weekday, we got in right away without a wait.

Seongsu Darak location and hours

It is on the second floor at 20 Ttukseom-ro 9-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. It is open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. Last order is at 8:30 p.m., and there is no parking.

A unique entrance that leads up to an attic

Seongsu Darak was incredibly unique right from the entrance. Open the square, picture-frame-like door and you find stairs that feel as if they lead to an attic; only after following them up do you finally reach Seongsu Darak. On a first visit, it is so unusual that you really wonder whether this is the entrance.

They say Seongsu Darak was created by renovating a space that had long been a home bearing one family's life. There was a story about preserving the traces of a space steeped in time—the delicious smells and warm air that once came from a clattering kitchen—and making new memories there together.

Maybe because of that story, I climbed the stairs from the entrance with a little flutter of excitement, wondering what kind of space awaited us.

A cozy white space and ordering directly

Seongsu Darak uses both the second and third floors, and we were seated on the second. Warm sunlight streamed through the large windows, and the all-white interior made for a clean yet cozy atmosphere that I loved.

The ordering method also stayed with me. Rather than ordering on a tablet, you look over the menu at your table and ring a cute little bell to order directly from a staff member. These days, contactless systems—from kiosks and tablet ordering to serving robots—feel so familiar, so ordering face-to-face with a staff member again felt oddly fresh. From the space to the ordering method, it all felt like it captured Seongsu Darak's own mood so well.

The three dishes we ordered

• Darak Rose Pasta ₩19,000
• Katsu Sando ₩12,000
• Corn Gnocchi ₩19,000

For the amount my husband and I usually eat, we ordered a little too much, but we were so curious about all three that we indulged ourselves that day.

While waiting for the food, I was smitten all over again by the words on the tissue and the moon illustrations on the spoons and forks.

Thank you for waiting. We are ‘darak’—clattering away deliciously.

As a total Feeling type, these little details make my heart ache, haha. It was so cute how they connected the restaurant's name and concept in even the smallest touches.

At last, our food arrived. The plating was so pretty that I kept taking photos before eating.

Darak rose pasta mixed with fresh cream

First up was the Darak Rose Pasta: pasta with spicy house-made Darak meat sauce, sweet fresh cream, and Grana Padano cheese. You mix in the fresh cream on top yourself to make the rose sauce, and it was fun to watch it turn into that familiar rose color as I mixed it, even before taking a bite.

The meat-sauce portion with less cream mixed in was much spicier than I expected, but once it was evenly combined with the cream, the heat softened and the balance was really good. There was a generous amount of meat in the sauce, giving it a nice bite, and the Grana Padano added a deep richness too.

Katsu sando with coleslaw

Next was the katsu sando, a Japanese-style tonkatsu sandwich made with juicy loin cutlet. Topping it with the coleslaw served alongside made it much tastier, with a fresh tang. Tomatoes and pickles came with it too, and having them between bites refreshed my palate, so I could enjoy it to the end without it feeling heavy.

The corn gnocchi I most want to recommend

Of the three, the dish I most strongly want to recommend is the corn gnocchi. It is potato gnocchi flavored with house-made corn cream. The outside was lightly crisp while the inside was chewy and tender, and that gnocchi paired with the thick, sweet-and-savory corn cream was seriously the kind of flavor that kept drawing me back for another bite.

Corn kernels added a pleasant pop of texture, and although it was a cream sauce, it was not as overwhelmingly rich as I expected. I think even people who do not usually like the heaviness of cream sauces could enjoy it. Personally, the corn gnocchi was the dish I remembered most from that meal. I think I would order it again whenever I return to Seongsu Darak.

You can add bread to the rose pasta and corn gnocchi. We were already full after the three dishes, so we could not add it, but the leftover sauces were delicious and would be so good for dipping bread.

How Seongsu Darak felt for a weekday date

It is a well-known spot in Seongsu, so I saw plenty of international guests as well as couples out on dates. The atmosphere was pretty without feeling overly formal, making it easy to settle in for a relaxed meal. The food was satisfying too, and I could see why so many people keep coming back.

My husband and I had taken a day off for this weekday date after such a long time, and eating slowly in a pretty space made it feel like a proper date. From the rose pasta to the katsu sando and corn gnocchi, every dish had a distinct personality, so ordering several things and sharing them was part of the fun. Beyond the food, the unusual entrance, warm space, and even each small prop carried Seongsu Darak's particular atmosphere.

If you want a date in Seongsu somewhere atmospheric, with delicious pasta too, I think it is well worth a visit. It was such a pleasant meal that I think we will remember it whenever we are in Seongsu-dong.