Mangwon, Seoul salad café: tonkatsu pasta & tofu inari, Green & Fini

What kind of salad restaurant is Green & Fini in Mangwon?

Green & Fini Mangwon is a salad restaurant in Mangwon with a clean, café-like feel. Unlike most other salad shops, the atmosphere is so relaxed that you can linger like you would in a café. It was calm and peaceful, and I think I've found a salad place I want to become a regular at.

I figured it must have lots of regulars. Even though it wasn't mealtime while I was there, there were nonstop orders and takeout, and people kept coming in at that awkward hour. It made me feel that people's tastes really are all alike.

Of course, a pretty, comfy space alone doesn't bring in crowds~ The portions are generous and the food is really tasty, and calling it just a salad shop undersells it, because the menu is seriously varied. You could come every single day and eat something new and different each time.

Where is Green & Fini Mangwon and what is the atmosphere like?

Green & Fini Mangwon is close to Mangwon Station and extremely close to Mangwon Market, so lots of locals come here. The shop is on the second floor of the building in the photo above. There are stairs on the right side of the building, so just head up!

And at the top you'll find a sunlit, comfortable, clean café-like space that feels like a brunch spot.

The shop is quite spacious, and with so many tables there are plenty of coat hangers too, and aprons are provided as well.

What I ordered at Green & Fini Mangwon

At Green & Fini I ordered the Saijeoksin tenderloin cutlet, which was a pasta with the feel of a pork cutlet salad pasta. I liked that you can choose the spice level, like mild or spicy! I can't handle spice, so I went with mild.

I love fried tofu pouches and I love tofu, so I added one piece of tofu yubu chobap (tofu-stuffed fried tofu pouch sushi). It was so good that I joined the review event and got one more piece. The tofu pouch sushi is really delicious, so definitely join the review event and get the freebie! The cutlet and the tofu pouch sushi make a really tasty combo together, and I'll share a tip for enjoying both even more!

Saijeoksin tenderloin cutlet salad pasta: portion size and taste

The Saijeoksin tenderloin cutlet at Green & Fini came in a big, deep plate piled with lettuce, pasta, cherry tomatoes and tenderloin cutlet, so the portion was generous. The cutlet had a strong presence but wasn't greasy at all, just light.

Salad shops usually have small, pricey portions and limited variety, so you often feel like it's just canned toppings, right? But Green & Fini's menu, with burritos, pasta and more, is varied enough that it's fair to call it a brunch place, and every dish is fresh and light, perfect for watching what you eat. The portions are generous too, which I liked.

The pasta was so good that I went beyond dipping it generously in this refreshing cold sauce. I scooped a spoonful of sauce, put the noodles on top and ate it that way. They also gave a very generous amount of sauce, so I could eat to my heart's content.

Does the tenderloin cutlet's crispy coating get soggy?

The cutlet in the Saijeoksin tenderloin was even lighter because it's tenderloin, and the coating isn't thick and is so clean that I wondered if it had been air-fried without oil. So even though it's a cutlet, it didn't feel heavy.

Since you dip this cutlet in the sauce too, it could easily get soggy, but even eating slowly the coating didn't peel off and it soaked up the sauce beautifully. Really delicious.

The sauce was so good that I even scooped the cutlet up with sauce on a spoon haha. I tried a piece of sauce-soaked cutlet together with lettuce and noodles and wow... it was really delicious.

And instead of canned vegetables or fruit, it has tasty cherry tomatoes, which add just the right freshness and a clean finish.

Is Green & Fini's tofu inari sushi worth 3,000 won a piece?

Green & Fini's tofu pouch sushi is ₩3,000 per piece, and you will not regret it. It's really delicious. At first I wondered how good something at ₩3,000 a piece could be.

You might not be able to tell from the photo, but it's incredibly heavy and big. The tofu isn't loosely crumbled in but packed in very tightly, so it's really filling. A soy sauce-based dipping sauce comes with it, but I want to share my tip for eating it with the Saijeoksin cutlet.

Best way to eat the tofu inari sushi: a pairing tip

It's nothing special, but the salad sauce from the Saijeoksin cutlet combined with the tofu pouch sushi was amazingly good.

I especially recommend the combo of salad sauce, tofu pouch sushi and a piece of cherry tomato!

Green & Fini Mangwon opening hours and reservations

Green & Fini Mangwon is open every day from 10am to 10pm, all year round, with no break time. So even people on a one-meal-a-day diet who eat at odd hours can visit without worry! Group order reservations and table reservations are also available.