Charming Mangwon and its Thai Gems

Do you like exploring new neighborhoods and tasting some delicious new food? Me too! Since moving to Seoul, I’ve been interested in exploring the food scene in this new city I call home. This time, I took a trip to Mangwon, arguably one of the most charming neighborhoods in Seoul, and found a great Thai restaurant!

Mangwon

The Mangwon area is located in Seoul’s Mapo-gu. It is on line 6, one station after Hapjeong Station. Or, if you take a bike, it is just 10 minutes from the trendiest neighborhood in Seoul, Hongdae.

It is famous for being a quiet neighborhood that comes to life on the weekends. Plus, it is known as the top-foodie destination in all of Seoul. There is a lot of great experimentation going on in the small alleyway restaurants. Traditional and modern flavors are being fused with international cuisine. Overall, it’s fantastic!

One of the reasons why Mangwon became a foodie destination is because of the Mangwon Traditional Market. There, just like any other traditional market, you can find fish and vegetables at cheap prices. But, this market is a little unique.

It is one of the youngest traditional markets in Seoul, first opening in 1975. Then it was renovated with modern facilities for the 2002 World Cup with the expectation that it would welcome international visitors. As a result, it is one of the most modern traditional markets. It is cleaner, more integrated with technology, and more accessible than most other traditional markets you’ll find in Korea.

For more information on Mangwon Traditional Market, Click Here.

As a result of this modernized traditional market, lots of young chefs seeking fresh ingredients naturally came to the area and ended up opening their own places nearby. There is now a variety of restaurants and cafes. This, is what makes Mangwon a ‘hot place’, especially for young people.

Thai Gems in Mangwon

I am from Indonesia and I must say that Thai food reminds me of home. It seems that cuisine from fellow Southeast Asian countries has similar tastes to those I’m used to.

With Thai food, there are some vegetables that are cooked the same way as fried rice and morning glory, even though they we different spices. Not all Thai cuisine is the same as Indonesian food. However, Thai cuisine is also rich in flavor that I think anyone one who calls themselves a foodie can enjoy it.

And so, there is no better place in Seoul to get some Thai food than the heart of foodie heaven, Mangwon

Korat

Korat (코랏) Restaurant is located not far from Mangwon Station exit 2. The atmosphere of the restaurant is cozy, with lots of Thai items featured in its interior. This restaurant has all of the classics – soft-shelled crab (뿌팟풍커리), tom yam (뚬얌 누들), Short Rib Beef Soup (갈비쌀국수). Plus, for those of you who come in a group, you can choose the set menu offered by Korat.

I personally recommend the standard set menu. It has Soft Shell Crab with rice, Short Rib Beef Soup, and milk tea. The short Rib Beef soup can be replaced with Tom Yam, milk tea can also be replaced with other drinks. I’m actually also curious about the taste of Fried Shrimp (텃만꿍), next time I may try it.

Korat (코랏)

Address:  14 World Cup-Ro 19Gil, Mapogu, Seoul
Korean Address: 서울 망원동 57-38 1층
Opening Hours: 11:30 AM - 09:00 PM
Breaktime: 03:00 - 05:00 PM
Closed: Mondays

Gothai

Gothai (고타이) is located an 8-10 minutes’ walk from Mangwon Station. One of the specialties of this restaurant is pad-thai. Pad-thai is one of the representative foods of Thailand, so if you’re wanting Thai food for the first time, why not go with the national dish?

My friends and I ordered pad-thai (팟타이꿍), stir-fried morning glory (팟팍붕), and stir-fried clams (허이라이팟남프릭피오). Note that these dishes do not provide rice, so we need to order the rice separately.

We ordered the morning glory because we have similar food in Indonesia, and it really had that familiar taste we were craving. Overall, we really enjoyed our lunch time there. These 3 foods are recommend because the taste was so rich, foodies will not be disappointed.

Gothai (고타이)

Address:  400-19 Mangwon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Korean Address: 서울 마포구 포은로 86-1
Opening Hours: 12:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Breaktime: 03:00 - 05:00 PM
Closed Mondays, Tuesdays

Those are the two Thailrestaurants in Mangwon that I recommend. Where in Mangwon should we go next?