Gangnam fusion Korean lunch: crispy chicken and jambon salad at Moa

Whenever I have plans near Gangnam Station, it's always a bit tricky picking a restaurant. There are so many good spots, but plenty are packed and noisy, and a lot of them feel a little off for a date or a group gathering. This time I went to Moa Gangnam, a fusion Korean restaurant that puts a slightly different spin on Korean food, and it worked well whether it's a Gangnam Station date, a wedding-invite meetup, or a hangout with friends.

Moa Gangnam location and opening hours

Moa Gangnam is on the 1st floor of the Geumseong Building, 31 Teheran-ro 5-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, about a 5-minute walk from Exit 11 of Gangnam Station. It's open daily from 11:00 to 22:00, with a break time from 15:30 to 17:00.

• 📍 1F, Geumseong Building, 31 Teheran-ro 5-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• 🚇 About a 5-minute walk from Exit 11 of Gangnam Station
• ⏰ Daily 11:00 - 22:00
• ☕ Break time 15:30 - 17:00
• 🚗 No dedicated parking lot / nearby public parking recommended
• 📅 Reservations available via Naver
• 👥 Group bookings welcome

Being so close to Exit 11 of Gangnam Station made it an easy meeting spot for people coming from all over.

What is the atmosphere like inside Moa Gangnam?

Walking into Moa Gangnam, the space was bigger and cleaner overall than I expected. Even at 2pm on a weekday, there were quite a lot of people there haha.

The modern interior paired with warm lighting made the food photos come out pretty, and the tables could be pushed together for larger groups, so it seemed good for friend gatherings or small work dinners too.

You might picture a slightly old-fashioned vibe when you think 'Korean restaurant,' but Moa Gangnam actually feels more like a casual fusion restaurant!

What is on the menu at Moa Gangnam?

Looking at the menu, you immediately understand why Moa Gangnam is known for fusion Korean food. Abalone mushroom butter pot rice, perilla oil salted-fish pasta, vongole kalguksu (clam noodle soup), sea mustard and conch risotto, gondre cream sujebi (hand-torn noodle soup), doenjang arancini, spicy buckwheat noodles with flounder, arugula cheese potato pancake, gwariwon dakgangjeong, and more!

There are a lot of dishes that mix familiar Korean ingredients with Western techniques like pasta, risotto, and arancini, so it definitely feels different from the Korean food you usually eat.

Three dishes two people ordered

At Moa Gangnam we ordered abalone mushroom butter pot rice for 20,000 won, gwariwon dakgangjeong for 18,900 won, and jambon napa cabbage salad for 15,800 won. We tried to balance it out with a rice dish, a chicken dish, and a salad haha.

Jambon napa cabbage salad, 15,800 won

The combination of crisp, moisture-rich napa cabbage with salty jambon (ham) gave this salad quite a presence.

Unlike a typical lettuce salad, the distinct crunch of napa cabbage made for a satisfying bite and felt much fresher.

Adding the salty, savory flavor of the jambon made the whole dish much richer than napa cabbage alone!

Abalone mushroom butter pot rice, 20,000 won

Next up, the abalone mushroom butter pot rice! Lifting the lid off a pot rice is always the most exciting moment haha. It came piled with abalone and mushrooms, with the buttery aroma hitting right away — it looked hearty just by itself.

Mixed all together, the chewy texture of the abalone naturally blends with the mushroom's aroma and the butter's nutty flavor.

With actual abalone in it, this felt a bit more special than an ordinary pot rice — good for a meal with parents near Gangnam Station or a wedding-invite gathering too.

Gwari dakgangjeong, 18,900 won

And gwariwon dakgangjeong, apparently one of Moa Gangnam's popular dishes! It totally looks like a drinking snack from the visuals alone.

Glossy pieces of fried chicken were mixed with shishito peppers, and the sweet, salty chicken glaze paired with the peppers' distinct aroma and slight spiciness worked together far better than I expected.

It wasn't just plain sweet chicken — the shishito peppers cut through the flavor throughout, so it never got sickly by the end. The chicken pieces were nicely big too, crispy outside and juicy inside!

Is Moa Gangnam worth a visit?

If you want something different from the usual Western food or barbecue places near Gangnam Station, Moa Gangnam is worth a visit. It's Korean food at its base, but every dish has its own twist, so you get to enjoy something familiar yet new.

It's easy to reach from Gangnam Station and the interior is clean and pleasant, making it a great pick for a Gangnam date, a wedding-invite gathering, a blind date, or a friends' meetup — anytime you want both good food and good atmosphere. Highly recommend!