Yeouido wine restaurant with tooth-friendly octopus steak: MOI

Friendly service, a comfortable atmosphere, and distinctive yet upscale flavors: MOI, a Yeouido brunch favorite.

The weather has been so lovely lately, and I'm so grateful for the holiday! It's the turn of the month, so I have a pile of things I've been putting off, but I still found a little time to take a trip to a neighborhood I love. As I write this post the holiday is almost over, and I wish I could turn back time to that day, haha.

How did I book MOI in Yeouido for a weekend evening?

I figured MOI would be busy on weekends, so I reserved ahead on Catch Table (a Korean restaurant booking app). Since I was already out near Yeouido, I headed off to MOI, a Yeouido brunch spot I'd long wanted to try.

MOI location, hours and reservation info

MOI is a Yeouido restaurant where you can enjoy wine and pasta at your leisure in a stylish space, and it's a popular spot for dates and blind dates.

• Address: 2F Gongjak Sangga, 113 Yeouinaru-ro, Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
• About 5–10 minutes on foot from Exit 1 of Yeouinaru Station (Line 5)
• Reservations via Naver or Catch Table (groups of 5 or more must book by phone)
• Dessert coupon when you follow on the Naver app
• Closed Mondays; open daily 11:00 a.m.–9:30 p.m. (break time 3–5 p.m.)
• Corkage-free event in October
• Separate restrooms for men and women

There was a plaque-like award at the entrance, as if a famous and very skilled chef works here, so I took a photo of it.

What is MOI's atmosphere like for a blind date?

MOI is smaller and cozier than I expected, which makes the mood just right for a date or blind date. There's a break time even on weekends, so I booked 5 p.m., right when it ends, and as soon as dinner service opened the reservations were already packed, haha.

When I opened the door, a friendly staff member showed me to my reserved seat. The atmosphere is great, so maybe that's why there were so many blind-date couples that day, haha.

How to order at MOI, and the wine list

You order directly at the table, and there's a menu at the entrance, so I glanced through it before going in. Once seated, I also got a drinks menu, and as befits a Yeouido pasta restaurant that goes well with wine, the selection was wide and varied.

How is MOI's burrata salad (₩18,000)?

MOI's appetizer burrata salad is ₩18,000: fresh wild arugula with marinated tomatoes and green grapes, topped with burrata cheese as the star. It's a fresh, sweet salad served with a citrus dressing.

That day I ordered one appetizer salad and a main. There were several salads and they all looked good, so it was a tough choice, but I picked the burrata salad that tempted me most.

True to a Yeouido brunch favorite, the burrata was surprisingly big, and the creamy cheese inside had a lovely texture.

Is MOI's octopus steak (₩34,000) OK with sensitive teeth?

MOI's dinner main, the octopus steak, is ₩34,000: a plate with aioli and romesco sauces underneath, generously topped with crispy-outside, tender-inside fried baby potatoes and gently grilled octopus legs. It also comes with shredded dried pollack (bukeo) flakes.

For the main, I agonized for a while because the pork belly steak looked so good too, but I went with the octopus steak since it's not something I eat every day.

A few days ago I suddenly started dental treatment and I'm using a temporary tooth, so for now I can't eat anything tough or hard. Contrary to my worries, MOI's octopus leg meat was really tender, cooked just right so even I, with my not-so-healthy teeth, could enjoy it a lot.

Fried baby potatoes and homemade pickles that won over a potato skeptic

The fried baby potatoes served with the octopus steak: I hardly ever eat potatoes, so I had no expectations. But even I, the non-potato person, ate them happily; crispy outside with bright yellow, fluffy insides, they were a truly great garnish, haha.

I usually like having pickles or jalapeños on the side. There were no jalapeños, which was a shame, but the homemade cabbage pickle worked as a light palate cleanser and was so good, haha.

Is MOI in Yeouido worth going back to?

With friendly service and great food, MOI let me enjoy a good meal for the first time in a while, relieve some stress and recharge, and I was grateful for that time. If I get the chance, I'll definitely try the pork belly steak next time.