Gangnam Station Western food, Shin Ramyun-hot cream pasta: Eulji Darak

Today I visited Eulji Darak (을지다락) Gangnam, a hot Western restaurant near Gangnam Station. It was almost full even on a weekday evening, so I'd recommend it if you like Western food. The flavors were rich all around, which made it a pasta place I really enjoyed.

Eulji Darak Gangnam: location and basic info

The address is 22 Gangnam-daero 96-gil, 2nd floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (lot-number address: Yeoksam-dong 818-6). Parking, corkage and pets are all not allowed.

Where to park near Eulji Darak Gangnam

The restaurant doesn't offer parking, so you'll need a nearby public lot. The Yeoksam Cultural Park No. 1 public parking lot is the closest and cheap.

• 1-minute walk
• ₩300 per 5 minutes
• 50% off for low-emission vehicles

The entrance is a door you open with an elevator button

Eulji Darak is 269m from Gangnam Station Exit 11, under a 10-minute walk. At first I thought this was the door, opened it and nothing happened, so I looked around until I found another door, haha.

The door into Eulji Darak opens when you press the elevator button. It's a quirky concept, so don't get confused and be sure to go in through this door!

Eulji Darak Gangnam atmosphere: good for blind dates, wedding invitation meetups and company dinners?

I hear Eulji Darak Gangnam is well known as a restaurant many people visit for cheongmo (청모, meetups to hand out wedding invitations) near Gangnam Station.

The interior really does feel upscale and calm, so I think it works well for a blind date, a date or a wedding invitation meetup. In fact, the table next to me was having a blind date.

After dinnertime passed, the crowd thinned out a bit. There are also group tables from 2 people up to 10, so I'd recommend it for group dinners and lunch get-togethers near Gangnam Station too.

The self-serve bar has water, wet wipes, tissues and aprons.

Eulji Darak Gangnam menu and prices

Mains at Eulji Darak Gangnam run ₩17,000–24,000 and sides are around ₩10,000–12,000. The 🥇 marks are the dishes I marked as recommended on the menu.

Main dishes

• Darak omurice (omelet rice) ₩17,000
• Darak rosé pasta ₩19,000
• Spicy crab risotto ₩19,000
• 🥇 Pork neck steak ₩24,000
• 🥇 Corn pogri ₩19,000
• Brisket perilla pasta ₩19,000
• Spicy cream pasta ₩19,000
• Octopus carbonara ₩19,000

Side dishes

• Katsu sando ₩12,000
• 🥇 Cream onion fries ₩10,000
• Truffle fries ₩10,000

Non-alcoholic drinks

• Coca-Cola ₩3,500
• Pepsi Zero ₩3,500
• Sprite ₩3,500
• Seagram's sparkling water ₩3,500
• 🥇 Eulji ade, lemon ₩6,900
• Darak ade, pineapple ₩6,900
• Gangnam ade, yuzu ₩6,900

Alcohol

• 🥇 Butter highball ₩6,900
• Earl Grey highball ₩8,900
• Jeju Pale Ale ₩6,900
• Hoegaarden ₩6,900
• Stella ₩6,900

What I ordered at Eulji Darak Gangnam

I ordered the spicy cream pasta (₩19,000), the spicy crab risotto (₩19,000) and the katsu sando (₩12,000): a pasta, a risotto and a katsu sando.

This is the plate from the basic table setting. You get a wide spoon and a fork.

How spicy is the spicy cream pasta? About Shin Ramyun level

Eulji Darak's spicy cream pasta is a cream spaghetti flavored with three cheeses, cream sauce and spicy seasoning.

It has an egg yolk in it, which maxes out the rich, nutty flavor. Give it a good stir before eating. The noodles were cooked just right.

The flavor was more intense than I expected, which surprised me. The spice level is about Shin Ramyun (a popular Korean instant noodle), so it's addictively punchy. It's thick and creamy yet spicy, so my hand kept going back for more. There was also a generous amount of shrimp.

Spicy crab risotto: is there really crab in it?

Eulji Darak's spicy crab risotto is flavored with vegetables stir-fried in chili oil and fresh crab meat. This risotto also has an egg yolk in it, so stir it before eating.

Eulji Darak makes its seasoning really well, so it's a little salty, but it's just as delicious for it.

There's real crab meat in it. The crab wasn't fishy at all, and the spiciness makes you keep reaching for more. If I had to choose between the spicy cream pasta and the spicy crab risotto, my personal taste goes to the risotto.

These are the pickles I asked for midway. Eulji Darak doesn't bring pickles automatically; you have to request them (free).

Katsu sando: 4 pieces for ₩12,000, recommended as a side

Eulji Darak's katsu sando (가츠산도) is a Japanese-style pork cutlet sandwich made with juicy loin katsu. It comes as 4 pieces, and at just over ₩10,000 it seemed like great value.

The pork cutlet is really thick, so even one bite fills your mouth.

The katsu is thicker than the bread. The fried coating was crunchy too.

The kicker of the katsu sando is the salad that comes with it! Put it on top and the greasiness vanishes, crisp and really delicious.

Eulji Darak Gangnam verdict: risotto > pasta > katsu sando

Eulji Darak Gangnam, the Western restaurant near Gangnam Station I visited today, was out of the ordinary starting from the entrance. Every dish was above average, a truly good Western spot. Personally I liked them in the order risotto > pasta > katsu sando, and since the katsu sando goes well with the pasta and risotto, I recommend it as a side. I'll probably order it as a side next time too.

If you're looking for Western food or a pasta and risotto place in Gangnam, how about Eulji Darak? I recommend it as an atmospheric spot that's also good for a blind date or a date.