Shepherd’s pie near Dosan Park

When menswear designer Woo Young-mi opened a massive shop-and-eat store near Dosan Park, she devoted every inch of the newly minted space to her main clientele ― guys.

Aptly christened Manmade, the shop sells Woo’s eponymous line, a carefully curated selection of man-friendly accessories and also boasts a cafe on the second floor.

Camping chairs outfitted with custom-designed covers and low tables add a rustic, masculine vibe to the eat-and-drink space. The grub, according to barista Park Hyun-soo, also caters to men. 

At the moment, savory options include the classic British dish, shepherd’s pie, done up with beef instead of the more customary lamb, which may prompt some to call it cottage pie, its older United Kingdom cousin, instead.

Neither of these traditional eats are actually pies in the crust-in-a-round-tin sense. In fact, both resemble casseroles, featuring a bottom layer of minced meat and a top layer of potatoes.

The original purpose of these pies, so the story goes, was to make good use of leftover meat. “Cottage” was believed to allude to the rustic nature of a dish made with leftover meat and potatoes, which were considered populist produce at the time, while “shepherd” was meant to reference its origins as a dish enjoyed by shepherds living in northern England.

In short, both pies possess an attractive lowbrow pedigree, a sort of everyman’s shine, and their heartiness makes them ideal winter fare as well.

At Manmade, ground beef studded with peas, carrots and celery form the bottom layer of the shepherd’s pie, which is then topped with an inch-thick layer of mashed potatoes.

“Lots of potatoes go into the dish because it needs to be filling enough to work as a meal,” said barista Park.

Cheddar cheese acts as a nice crust to the pie, which is then served, one ginormous slice at a time, doused in gravy and accompanied with a pepper shaker and a huge bottle of Tabasco sauce for patrons who want to add a little fire to their meal.

In addition to shepherd’s pie, Manmade serves vin chaud. Essentially mulled wine, Park said, “We make it for winter.”

“We want a clean-tasting version, with the structure and taste of the red wine maintained,” he added.

Cinnamon, apples and citrus fruits form the backbone of the libation. Park revealed that honey is used sparingly, resulting in a not-too-sweet yet fortifying drink.

Some customers might raise their eyebrows at paying 12,000 won per glass of vin chaud and 14,000 won for shepherd’s pie, but Park justifies the pricing, saying, “We go for high quality and provide full service.”

■ Manmade Cafe

● 648-1 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul; (02) 548-8897

● Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily

● www.wooyoungmi.com/manmade

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)