Mapo restaurant for egg in hell and rosé pasta: Hôtel de Couture

I went out to Hongdae with my middle-school daughter, a total little-shop fanatic. I wish Hongdae were right in front of our house 😆 Still, it seems like the sweltering summer is on its way out, so it is a little easier to walk around. The sun is hot, but the shade is cool—and it is not humid—which is actually quite nice 🌈 My daughter specifically said she wanted rosé pasta. Mom will find us a good restaurant!

Finding Hôtel de Couture in Yeonnam-dong

It is at 101, level 1.5, 7 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울 마포구 동교로46길 7 101호 1.5층). It is open daily from 11:00 to 20:00, with last orders at 19:00. Parking is not available.

You can spot Hôtel de Couture from afar. It is not quite on the second floor but on level 1.5, so you can see a bit of the interior.

These are the kinds of buildings you commonly find only in Yeonnam-dong—so cute, which I love. Walking through Yeonnam-dong's little side streets is interesting and fun :)

Lunch wait and a cozy interior

I was happy because some seats looked empty, so I thought there would be no wait 😆 But when we went farther in by the stairs, there was a waiting list... It was around 12:30, and we were the last party in line. I think we waited about 20 minutes. There were lots of foreigners too; maybe it has become a well-known good restaurant among the international ladies!

The interior has a warm, cozy atmosphere within its casual feel.

The tables are spaced nicely, with tables for two and four, so it seems suitable for dates and all kinds of gatherings. That arched doorway is adorably cute, and there were a good number of tables inside too. I wanted to sit in one of those cozy inner seats, but I will have to aim for that next time.

The cute little objects and postcards here and there—the casually but charmingly decorated space has real appeal. 🏠

What we chose via QR ordering

You can look over the menu and make your choices with the QR code for ordering. There were so many tasty-looking dishes. They offer a wide variety, including pasta, steak, and salads. My daughter had already decided on rosé pasta before we came, and after debating aglio e olio and egg in hell, we made our decisionnn!

Rich and spicy egg in hell

One of the dishes we ordered was egg in hell (₩18,000), a stew of sweet-tangy tomato sauce with soft-cooked eggs.

It is fairly boldly seasoned, with a spicy finish. Rather than sweet and mild, it has a hearty, concentrated flavor, which made it even tastier. Unlike shakshuka, it does not contain spices, so I think it suits Korean palates better.

The rich tomato sauce fills the dish, with bacon, sausage, cherry tomatoes, and three eggs inside. Break the yolk gently and scoop up a spoonful—the flavor becomes even smoother 🍳 It comes with one slice of white bread, though I thought sourdough or a heartier bread would have been nice (I am such a bread lover 😆).

Because the base is so rich, it is perfectly seasoned when dipped with bread. So we added bread (₩3,000) and properly polished it off.

Honey whole-bacon rosé pasta

The honey whole-bacon rosé pasta (₩18,000) is an appealing pasta with a thick piece of bacon coated in natural honey.

I tend to enjoy oil-based dishes, but when you are with family, there are dishes you end up eating regardless of your own wishes 😆 (A dish I would never order if I came with my husband.)

But it is tasty, so it is the kind of dish I happily eat when it is right in front of me 😎 The rosé sauce is wonderfully thick and creamy, and the noodles are cooked just right. That plump whole piece of bacon could not possibly be bad! There are bacon pieces throughout as well, and the portion is quite generous.

You do not really taste tomato acidity; the rich cream flavor comes through more strongly. It also had a subtly spicy touch. My daughter gave it two thumbs up 👍 and finished it all. The atmosphere was nice and the menu selection was not bad, so it felt like a good place for brunch with a friend or a date.