Hapjeong Thai restaurant date: soft-shell crab curry, Saeng Augustine

Today I visited Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch, a Thai restaurant in Mecenatpolis at Hapjeong Station.

I love pad thai and often get it delivered, but it had been a while since I went out for proper Thai food!

Where is Saeng Augustine Hapjeong and what are its hours?

Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch is at B1118, Mecenatpolis, 490 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, and it is open daily 11:30–22:00. The weekday break time is 15:00–17:00, and there is no break time on weekends and public holidays.

• Address: B1118, Mecenatpolis, 490 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• Hours: daily 11:30–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00 (none on weekends and public holidays)
• Last order: 21:20
• Amenities: 3 hours 30 minutes of free parking, takeout, delivery, group seating, accepts the high oil price relief subsidy

Saeng Augustine Hapjeong: exterior and dining room

It connects to Hapjeong Station Exit 9, so access is really good! The exterior felt like a nostalgic family restaurant! Since it's a Thai place, there's a cute little palm tree. I love this kind of vibe, so I took lots of photos without even realizing it.

Inside it's spacious but cozy, I'd say? I liked the cute Thai decorations here and there and the interior that doesn't feel over the top! The restroom is outside, a shared one inside Mecenatpolis, so of course it was clean and had soap!

From outside it looks like a proper restaurant, but inside it feels relaxed, so I think it's a good place to drop in for a casual lunch too!

Saeng Augustine menu: what to order on a date

On our date we had Saeng Augustine's recommended Set A for two (tod mun kung x2, pu phat phong curry, rice, king prawn pad thai). The menu is hugely varied, from single dishes like rice noodle soup or rice bowls that suit a casual lunch, to set menus for groups at company dinners and gatherings.

Tod mun kung: fried shrimp cakes with chili sauce

I'd never had tod mun kung before, and it turned out to be a fried shrimp dish! You eat it with chili sauce, and it was nutty and delicious! I could have eaten more, but we only got two pieces, which was a shame.. haha

Poo pad pong curry: can you eat the soft-shell crab shell and all?

Saeng Augustine's pu phat phong curry uses fried soft-shell crab that you eat shell and all, they say! When I heard you eat the crab's shell too, I thought it would be hard and... haha. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical.

But when I tried it, it was really crispy and the nutty flavor of the crab shell was something else!!!

The crab's nutty flavor went so well with the smooth curry sauce! Since it's fried, I got full faster than I expected and gave the rest to my boyfriend, so I'm sad I couldn't eat more of it..!!

The crab meat inside was really tender and tasty too, and I keep thinking I should have eaten more... it's a flavor I can't stop thinking about... T_T

King prawn pad thai: how to eat it with lemon and chili flakes

For the king prawn pad thai, the staff told us to squeeze lemon over it and sprinkle on chili flakes! At first the aroma was even more unfamiliar than regular pad thai, but the lemon balanced it out!

There were the king prawn plus quite a few medium-sized shrimp inside too!

The dried tofu inside is unusual, the king prawn was really fresh and nutty, and the noodles had soaked up the seasoning, so it was seriously good!! This pad thai has great savory depth and is sweet and spicy, so delicious!! (Highly recommend, highly recommend!!)

I'd only ever had it delivered, but eating it freshly cooked in the restaurant was definitely better!!

Verdict: who is Saeng Augustine Hapjeong for?

Besides the taste, the sets are generous overall and the portions are big, so I think it's great for family gatherings, friends' get-togethers, and date meals! The interior is clean and the restroom is tidy, so I'd strongly recommend it to anyone who cares about hygiene too! Next time I'm going back for tom yum kung!