[Visit AREX Station]
by AREX monthly magazine
Let's go on a food tour with Spee and Nareu near AREX Gongdeok Station.
Fritz Coffee Company (Dohwa Branch)
[Gongdeok Station Exit 9 → Walk 5 mins]
It was opened in 2014 by Kim Byung-ki from Coffee Libre and Baker Heo Min-su from Oven and Kettle. The first generation of specialty coffee supply, the president of coffee and the legend of bread in Hapjeong-dong have gathered together, and so this is a bakery dessert cafe that offers the best quality ever. The wooden walls and antique tiles of the old building were remained and the record player, old calendar and mother-of-pearl cabinet were arranged in a way to create an atmosphere as though you have arrived at your grandmother's old house. There is a baking studio in the basement floor and they serve freshly baked bread every 30 minutes.
[Information about Fritz Coffee Company]
1. Address : 17 Saechang-ro 2-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
2. Opening hours : Weekdays: 08:00~22:00 / Weekends & Holidays: 10:00~22:00
3. Instagram : www.instagram.com/fritzcoffeecompany
4. Contact number : +82-2-3275-2045
Cafe Dohwa Apt.
[Gongdeok Station Exit 9 → Walk 7 mins]
Just like any other "apartments" where different people live together, this place boasts about different charms on each floor. It consists of a cafe in the basement, bread and snacks on the first floor, a book cafe on the second floor, a bookstore specializing in humanities books and picture bookstore for children & adults on the third and fourth floor. All breads are baked and made from dough kneaded by yeast grown by them. The most popular menu is the scones that are baked early in the morning. Their coffee tastes unique. It features the blending that is the most suitable for each season, and you can also taste the single origin beans that maximize the taste of seasonal beans.
[Information about Cafe Dohwa Apt.]
1. Address : 27 Dohwa 2-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
2. Opening hours : 09:00~21:00 daily
3. Instagram : www.instagram.com/dohwa_apt
4. Contact number : 070-7808-0990
Guldari Restaurant
[Gongdeok Station Exit 9 → Walk 1 min]
The restaurant started its business operation in 1977 and until now, it is still one of the popular lunch places for office workers in Gongdeok, Mapo-gu area.
The main menu, Kimchi stew, is boiled with braised kimchi and it melts right away as soon as you put it in the mouth. The best way to eat kimchi stew in this restaurant is to wrap it with seaweed. You can put kimchi stew on the rice and mix it, then put 1 sheet of seaweed on top and wrap it. You won't need another side dish! The meat in Stir-fried spicy pork comes in large pieces and it is stir-fried. Stir-fried spicy pork dish is perfect as side dish for drinking.
[Information about Guldari Restaurant]
1. Address : 8-1 Saechang-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
2. Opening hours : 08:00~22:00 daily, Closed on first day of festive season
3. Contact number : +82-2-712-0066
Mifendang (Mibundang)
[Gongdeok Station Exit 10 → Walk 3 min]
From the outside of the restaurant, you might think that it is Izakaya or Japanese ramen restaurant, but it is actually a Vietnamese restaurant specializing in rice noodles. The restaurant name "Mifen" also means "rice noodles" in Chinese. Thanks to its quiet and comfortable atmosphere, it is loved by many workers and people who dine in alone.
The main menu is beef brisket pho (rice noodles). What makes it special is that there is almost overflowing of meat on top of the noodles. Moreover, you can add noodles for free! If you need a hearty meal, you won't regret eating here.
[Information about Mifendang (Mibundang)]
1. Address : 16 Saechang-ro 4-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
2. Opening hours : 11:00~21:00 daily (Break time: 15:00~17:00)
3. Instagram : www.instagram.com/mifendang_gongdeok
4. Contact number : +82-2-707-3607
Seoul Meatball
[Gongdeok Station Exit 10 → Walk 3 min]
This is a popular meatball restaurant with more than 6,000 Instagram posts, serving 7 types of homemade meatballs, that are made freshly every morning, together with rice, french fries, salad and fried eggs on one plate.
Many people said that food is worth the price. It is KRW 9,400 but comes in a generous amount of food, so it won't be too burden for a meal. When you order pasta, you will also get three meatballs. If you need more of that, you can order additional meatballs. Basil salad with basil pesto sauce and caprese is also popular.
[Information about Seoul Meatball]
1. Address : 9 Saechang-ro 4-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
2. Opening hours : 11:00~21:00 daily (Break time: 15:00~17:00)
3. Contact number : 070-4383-8642
Grotto
[Gongdeok Station Exit 10 → Walk 3 min]
In ancient Rome, there is an artificial cave known as "Grotto" at a villa garden that displayed various decorations and artistic features. The Grotto was turned into a cafe near Gongdeok Station.
When you go down to the basement following the stone wall, you will see a mysterious space like a cave. This place is known to be a cozy restaurant that serves coffee and dessert along with unique objects. They serve various kinds of drip coffee, and it is remarkable that each flavor is specifically curated.
[Information about Grotto]
1. Address : B1 Floor, 9 Saechang-ro 4-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
2. Opening hours : 11:00~21:00 daily
3. Instagram : www.instagram.com/grottocoffee
4. Contact number : +82-2-702-4196
B. Patisserie
[Gongdeok Station Exit 4 → Walk 7 min]
It is a traditional French-style bakery representing San Francisco. The first store in Asia was opened in South Korea. The representative menu is the French dessert named "Kouign-amann" that is made from thick galette with butter and sugar.
It is a moist pastry that is crispy on the outside, sweet on the inside and filled with a variety of fillings that bring out a fantastic combination of taste. They have a partnership with Kudos Coffee Roasters and the coffee is roasted at the cafe. There serve various types of coffee, so you can choose according to your preference, and you can also buy the coffee beans.
[Information about B. Patisserie]
1. Address : 4 Mapo-daero 14-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
2. Opening hours : 10:00~22:00 daily
3. Instagram : www.instagram.com/bpatisserie_seoul
4. Contact number : +82-2-702-1220
Mallijaeyet-gil cafe
[Gongdeok Station Exit 4 → Walk 10 min]
This cafe is a two-story brick house located at the corner of an alley. From the appearance of the teal wood wall, it exudes the retro sensibility of an old-style cafe. Although it is a cafe for takeout, it has a loft-like space on the second floor for people who wants to take a break. The representative menu is the salt coffee, which consists of an attractive combination of sweet and salty taste. The sweet taste of coffee with milk mixes well with the slightly salty thick cream to show the "sweet and salty" taste. Tea and ade made from handmade syrup taste great as they are not too sweet.
[Information about Mallijaeyet-gil cafe]
1. Address : 50 Mallijaeyet-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
2. Opening hours : Weekdays: 09:00~20:00 / Public Holidays 10:00~18:00
3. Instagram : www.instagram.com/manrijae_road
4. Contact number : +82-2-713-1175
