Apgujeong katsu sando restaurant under ₩50,000 for two: Eulji Darak

Neighbors, when someone says 'let's eat in Apgujeong,' the bill comes to mind before the menu does, haha. This time I walked over toward Dosan Park with a friend on a weekday lunch.

And even after ordering three dishes — pasta, omurice, and a katsu sando — we didn't hit ₩50,000. Let me walk you through Eulji Darak Apgujeong Dosan Park, starting from the entrance and going in menu order.

Where is Eulji Darak Apgujeong Dosan Park?

Eulji Darak Apgujeong Dosan Park is on the 2nd floor at 25 Eonju-ro 168-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It's 520m from Apgujeong Rodeo Station (Suin-Bundang Line) Exit 5. We walked there.

This is the building seen from the alley in front of the restaurant. There's a '2F' sign under the sidewalk sign.

Other shop signs share the building, so you need to look for the sidewalk sign to find your way up. It's painted with an omurice and a pasta bowl, with '2F' written below. The blue street-name plate on the wall shows the number 25 for the address.

Here's a quick rundown worth checking before you go. I walked over on a weekday lunch and climbed the stairs myself. (As of 2026-09-20, the entrance stairs were confirmed on-site; the rest is available on the restaurant's place listing.)

Is the entrance really a bookshelf?

You climb stairs to reach the 2nd floor at Eulji Darak Dosan Park. There's no elevator.

At the top of the stairs, instead of a door, there's a bookshelf. It's packed with children's English-language books, and a sign on the wall to the right reads: 'The store entrance is a bookshelf. Please pull it!'

This is the sign on the wall to the right of the bookshelf. Pulling the bookshelf opens the door.

You can read titles like Harry Potter, Peter Pan, The Secret Garden, Treasure Island, Jane Eyre right on the spines. Instead of a handle, you pull the bookshelf to get in — and that's the first impression of this place, haha +_+

What is the dining room like?

Once you pull the bookshelf open and step inside, the mood shifts again. It felt like walking into a storybook.

This is the main hall. Marble tables, wooden chairs, feather-shaped pendant lights on the ceiling.

Rows of pendant lights shaped like feather bundles hang from the ceiling, the tables are marble, and the chairs are wood. A gold-framed glass partition divides the hall, and a long gray bench seat runs along the window. When I was there, there were about two or three other groups.

A white round order counter with a green door.

A corner with a large fabric mural of a cat and bookshelves. In one corner hangs a big fabric print of a cat, bookshelves, and a window scene, with a wooden stool, a full-length mirror, and artificial grass laid out in front.

There's also a seated loft nook carved into the wooden wall in the shape of a little house. A single lightbulb hangs above and two cushions sit inside, with 'Eulji Darak – Dosan Park' written vertically on the wall. That's where the 'darak' (loft) in the name finally makes sense, haha.

Darak rose pasta, Darak omurice and katsu sando: three dishes reviewed

That day at Eulji Darak Dosan Park we ordered three things: darak rose pasta, darak omurice, and katsu sando. Two of us ordered three dishes and the total bill didn't go over ₩50,000. Darak Omurice is ₩17,000, Darak Rose Pasta is ₩19,000, and Darak Omurice is the weekly No. 1 bestseller (as of 2026-09-20, per the restaurant's place listing).

This is the Darak Rose Pasta. Noodles are stacked over a meat sauce with cream on top.

The rose pasta catches your eye starting with the plate. Meat sauce is spread around a floral-patterned plate, noodles are piled in the center, and a dome of white cream is placed on top, finished with parsley and grated cheese.

This is the Darak Omurice. Egg is draped over brown demi-glace sauce. Omurice is this restaurant's weekly No. 1 menu item. Brown demi-glace sauce is laid down first, then covered with a thin sheet of egg — cut into the middle and fried rice spills out.

A side view of the omurice showing the egg's texture.

The katsu sando comes with thick pork cutlet sandwiched between slices of bread, cut into four pieces. A small tartar sauce cup, pickles, and cherry tomatoes are plated alongside.

A cross-section of the katsu sando. That's how thick the meat is, ㄷㄷㄷ

The best thing that day was this katsu sando. Picking up a piece, you can see the thickness of the meat right in the cross-section, and the juiciness was incredible +_+ If I had to pick just one of the three dishes, this would be it.

I picked up a piece topped with tartar sauce.

Is Eulji Darak a good spot for a first date?

Eulji Darak Dosan Park would actually be a great spot for a blind date. The bookshelf entrance, the hall with feather pendant lights, and the food served on floral plates all naturally give you things to talk about.

Reservations are available and there's a waiting area, so it's easy to coordinate timing. It's 520m from Apgujeong Rodeo Station Exit 5, so walking there together after meeting up isn't a burden either. Book a blind date here and you'll probably get complimented on your taste, haha.

What I liked and what to keep in mind

What I liked

• The katsu sando's juiciness is incredible — the meat's thickness is visible right in the cross-section
• Prices are kind for Apgujeong — three dishes for two under ₩50,000
• The interior, from the entrance to the hall, feels like stepping into a storybook

What to keep in mind

• It's a 2nd-floor restaurant with no elevator, so you have to take the stairs. If you have knee issues, or you're bringing a stroller or a suitcase, factor this in beforehand
• Other shop signs share the building — look for the '2F' marker on the sidewalk sign to find your way up to the 2nd floor

If you're in Apgujeong wanting good atmosphere without stressing over the budget, this one's worth putting on your list 🚗💨

Frequently asked questions

Can you book a table at Eulji Darak Apgujeong Dosan Park?

Reservations, takeout, and delivery are all available.

What time is last order?

Last order is 14:30 for lunch and 20:30 for dinner (as of 2026-09-20). The restaurant is closed September 25 for Chuseok.

What are the signature dishes?

The weekly bestsellers, in order, are Darak Omurice, Rose Pasta, and Spicy Cream Pasta. Darak Omurice is ₩17,000 and Darak Rose Pasta is ₩19,000 (as of 2026-09-20).