Japanese restaurant in Mapo, Seoul for kimchi cheese nabe: Padong

While looking for Japanese food with a nice atmosphere near Mangwon Station, I visited Padong at the entrance to Mangridan-gil.

Padong serves a range of Japanese dishes centered on futomaki (thick sushi rolls), soba, and Japanese rice bowls.

Futomaki, steak rice bowls, and kimchi cheese nabe are known as its signature dishes, and it has a great atmosphere for a date or lunch near Mangwon Station.

This time, I ordered the kimchi cheese nabe, basil soba, and karaage to compare each dish.

Getting to Padong near Mangwon Station and opening information

Padong, a popular Mangwon Station restaurant, is in a great location about a three-minute walk from Exit 2 of Mangwon Station on Line 6.

Since it is at the entrance to Mangridan-gil, this is an area that is always full of people, including couples on dates and tourists.

When you reach the market street, look for the gold exchange sign and enter this alley.

Address: B1, 47 Woldeukeop-ro 17-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울 마포구 월드컵로17길 47 지하 1층)

• Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 11:30–21:00
• No break time
• Regular closure: Monday
• Parking is not available.
• Most restaurants on Mangridan-gil do not allow parking in front of the store.

What is Padong’s atmosphere like?

The restaurant felt like a newly opened place, and its plant-filled exterior gave it a rather unusual atmosphere for Mangridan-gil.

Inside, it was clean and quiet. There seemed to be about seven tables, mostly tables for two, so there were lots of solo diners and couples on dates.

Quite a few people came and went, and I found myself wondering, how do all these people even know to come this far into this little alley?

Basil soba: taste and price

The basil soba costs ₩13,000. It is a Japanese-style mixed noodle dish with basil pesto, ground pork, and arugula.

The egg yolk in the middle is the key point. Mixing its rich flavor into the tangy basil soba made the combination of flavors work really well.

The green look especially stands out, and the basil pesto and arugula made it feel like a healthy-tasting dish.

Basil pasta often costs more than ₩15,000 these days. Padong’s basil soba is ₩13,000, so it seems like quite good value.

Kimchi cheese nabe with shrimp tempura

The next dish was the kimchi cheese nabe. It costs ₩15,000. This nabe (Japanese hot-pot dish) gets its flavor from kimchi, tare sauce, and mozzarella cheese, with shrimp tempura on the side.

It comes with a small bowl of rice. Unlike a typical kimchi katsu nabe, Padong’s version is distinctive for including shrimp tempura and cheese.

The spicy, tangy kimchi was joined by the mild, rich flavor of mozzarella. Since it is a warm soup dish, I think it would pair well with futomaki or a rice bowl.

Karaage, a great side dish

This is an order of five pieces of karaage (Japanese fried chicken), a great side dish. At ₩4,000, it is quite good value.

With karaage, I think how well it is fried really determines the taste. The outside was nicely crisp, while the inside was moist and tender, so it was delicious.

Distinctive Japanese dishes in Mangwon-dong

Padong offers choices ranging from its signature futomaki to basil soba, mazesoba, and various rice bowls.

Overall, the dishes are not ordinary and each has a clear personality, so ordering several items to share seems like part of the fun. If you are looking for a Mangridan-gil date spot or a restaurant near Mangwon Station, Padong is worth adding to your list: you can enjoy futomaki, rice bowls, soba, and nabe dishes all in one place. It would be well worth a visit, especially if you are looking for somewhere to eat on a date or with friends in Mangwon-dong.