Seongsu Station gnocchi spot: first in the Sunday line, Seongsu Darak

2026.05.31

Where is Seongsu Darak and when does it open?

Seongsu Darak (성수다락) is a Western restaurant at 20 Ttukseom-ro 9-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Compose Coffee building. It is open 11:30–21:15, and opens at 11:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Is the entrance really a picture frame?

Oddly enough, that picture frame is the door (!), and apparently lots of people walk right past it. My mom was like, "Wait, this is the door?!" when she first saw it. Total shock.

How was the Sunday opening-run wait at Seongsu Darak?

I got to Seongsu Darak 30 minutes before Sunday opening and was number 1 in line. The place usually has a long wait, so I figured a Sunday weekend would obviously be brutal and came early, and ended up first. Heh 😅

Even as number 1, guests with reservations went in first and we followed. The 2nd and 3rd floors filled up right as the doors opened, so I couldn't take any photos of the interior, boohoo (it was cute and cozy, with that attic concept).

What's on the menu at Seongsu Darak?

There's omurice (rice omelet), rosé pasta, spicy crab risotto!!! chop pork neck steak, corn gnocchi... ah, so many. There are tons of pastas too, so I wanted to eat everything. Still, the signature labels made it easier to choose.

How does the corn gnocchi (₩18,000) taste?

The signature corn gnocchi is ₩18,000, and it was number 1 of everything I ate this visit. The biggest reason I wanted to come to Seongsu Darak was this corn gnocchi, which is why I did the opening run, and true to its signature status I fell for it with the very first bite. The gnocchi is great, but the corn cream was insane.

There are whole corn kernels in the corn cream too, and dipping the soft corn and the crispy-outside, chewy-inside gnocchi into that cream is so good. I'd eaten gnocchi two days in a row, and this was the best one 😄

The handmade gnocchi was the textbook crispy-outside, chewy-inside, so delicious. They were cute little pieces, and small ones were easier to eat.

Is the chop pork neck steak (₩22,000) tough?

The chop pork neck steak is ₩22,000: grilled pork neck served with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes. The chop steak is amazing too. Personally I don't like pork neck much because it's tough, but this wasn't tough at all. It was grilled just right, which I loved.

Mom and I share our food, so when we order we always think about which combination goes well together (!), and the gnocchi and steak combo was delicious.

Is the katsu sando (₩12,000) side worth ordering?

The katsu sando (Japanese-style cutlet sandwich), a side menu item, is ₩12,000, and I'd have regretted not ordering it. The portions are big, so I wasn't going to order a side, but at ₩12,000 the price was fair and I was curious, so I got it, and this... what is this?? The katsu sando was so good that I'd have gone home regretting it if I hadn't ordered it.

It's a Japanese-style pork cutlet sandwich made with loin katsu. Just look at how thick the meat is, see? Even that thick, it wasn't tough, and was actually chewy in a good way.

The katsu is so big it feels like a main, not a side 😬

What are the downsides of Seongsu Darak?

The tables are tiny, so with two people and three dishes it was a bit cramped. But it's okay... it's so delicious that I forgive it.

Is Seongsu Darak worth a weekend wait?

I waited 30 minutes even before opening, but the food was so good that I forgot about the wait. At this level of quality, it's worth waiting... I guess restaurants with lines really do have their reasons.

And of course it's not just pretty, the taste is great too. Looks, taste and interior were all good. The best of all was... the corn gnocchi 💛

The corn gnocchi, the steak and the katsu sando were all so good I can't rank them, but if I had to give first place, the corn gnocchi is just ridiculous. I still can't forget the corn gnocchi I ate yesterday.

Eat the katsu sando with coleslaw on top

The trick with the katsu sando is to pile coleslaw on top. The loin cutlet itself was so good, but with coleslaw on top it gets so much better. The coleslaw cuts right through the greasiness of the fried cutlet.

Of course it's good plain too, but try loading that coleslaw onto the cutlet... wild. The coleslaw itself is crunchy and tangy and delicious.

There was a lot of corn cream with the gnocchi too, so after the pork neck steak and the katsu sando I thought my stomach would burst, but it was a happy meal 😋

Next time I'll try the best-selling omurice and pasta, plus the gnocchi and katsu sando again. Oh dear~ looks like I'll be waiting on a weekend again. Still, it was a spot worth the wait.