Seongsu date restaurant with window seats and mushroom soup: Kongkase

Got a date planned around Seoul Forest? Stuck picking a spot for a blind date dinner? This is a review of Kongkase Seongsu, the pasta place everyone raves about near Seoul Forest.

Where is Kongkase Seongsu, and how do you find the entrance?

Kongkase Seongsu is on the 1st floor of 11 Wangsimni-ro 5-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. There's no big sign, so the entrance can be a little confusing — just look for the brick building with big windows and a European vibe.

From Ttukseom Station Exit 8, walk straight out and turn left, or from Seoul Forest Station Exit 5, walk straight down.

There's a tiny sign on a small plate to the right! The actual entrance is all the way on the left side of the building.

Kongkase Seongsu menu and prices

• Lasagna (fresh noodle) ₩23,000
• White ragu pasta (fresh noodle) ₩19,000
• Tomato salad ₩12,000
• Mushroom soup ₩8,000

Since I have a long trip abroad coming up, my partner and I planned a rare weeknight date and picked Kongkase Seongsu, ordering everything above! We ended up meeting the best pasta near Seoul Forest ever...♥

Check the menu board above for the main dishes!

They also have house drinks, beer, coffee, and non-alcoholic options

There's also a wide range of wines, so Kongkase seems like a solid pick for a Seongsu blind date dinner too — the pasta spot near Seoul Forest to remember!

Inside Kongkase Seongsu: a big tree in the middle and wide-set tables

Inside Kongkase Seongsu, there's a large tree in the center, giving the space a cool yet cozy feel.

There's a big table in the middle, which looks great for large group gatherings too.

But most of all, the wide spacing between tables makes it comfortable to talk on a date or a blind date.

The layout is a bit unusual, but each seat feels nicely filled in and cozy. The restroom is outside the building, accessed with a key by the door, and it's on the clean side.

The seats along the window line have decently large windows next to them for an open, airy view — it's less a forest-view spot and more a spot for people-watching the street outside. The best part is that it doesn't feel stuffy!

The cutlery is clean and the plates are neither too big nor too small, so they sit comfortably on the table.

Tomato salad and bread before the meal, with tangerine in August

First out: the appetizer tomato salad and bread!

The bread looked like baguette, but the quality was just okay. It felt a bit too thin!

Still, it was a basic baguette so I munched away happily. It tasted good with the tomato salad, too.

You have to order the tomato salad. Tangy, refreshing, sweet — it has it all.

There are basil leaves, and what looks like a green sauce and a white sauce, plus probably a generous drizzle of olive oil.

The fruit mixed in seems to change with the season, and when I visited in August, tangerine was the perfect match.

Eating all the ingredients together is really delicious. But even eaten separately, each ingredient tasted fresh and good on its own — a perfect appetizer.

Mushroom soup, 8,000 won: just enough for two to share

Next up is my partner's pick — worn out from too much AC — the mushroom soup.

I compared it to my iPhone 16 Pro for scale, and it's neither too big nor too small — just the right size to pair with a main dish or warm up with before the meal! Perfect for two people to share.

It's a cream soup base with mushrooms, cheese, and more, and it's very lightly salty overall (not too salty!) with a nice rich, savory flavor of mushroom and cream coming through.

The croutons weren't very crunchy, so I'm not totally sure about those.

My partner ate it up like it was a restorative meal, saying it was delicious. The cream base is on the rich side, which I personally love, so it felt like great value for the price!

Fresh-noodle lasagna, 23,000 won: rolled up and easy to split

The lasagna is a must-order at Kongkase! An absolutely essential dish. It's among the best lasagnas I've ever had.

Unlike typical lasagna, the flat noodle is rolled up rather than layered. It comes topped with a generous pile of arugula.

Since the flat noodle is rolled individually instead of stacked in layers, it's really easy to share. That's one reason I'd recommend it if you've got a blind date lined up in Seongsu — whatever you order here, it's easy to share or eat solo.

Each piece is a manageable bite-sized portion for an adult woman, so there's no awkwardness, and you barely need a knife, which made it easy. Since it's fresh noodle, the noodle itself is genuinely delicious, and the flavor leans more cheesy than meaty.

Fresh-noodle white ragu pasta, 19,000 won: thin noodles in rich cream

Next up is the white ragu pasta.

Being a white ragu, it's cream-based, and the parmesan cheese gives it a slightly funky, savory edge. But the pepperoncino and onion balance it out, so it doesn't feel too heavy.

The portion is just right for one person!

I personally like thin noodles like capellini, and the white ragu's noodles are on the thinner side too, which pairs really well with the rich sauce.

Is Kongkase Seongsu a good Seongsu spot for a date or a first dinner?

A little messy, haha, but proof of just how good it was — we finished every plate. If you've got a date or blind date planned, make sure to visit Kongkase Seongsu, the best pasta spot near Seoul Forest! Great value and reliably delicious — it'll be one of the best Western restaurants you try.