Opening-run brunch with a 6-year-old in Gwangju Suwan: Bueokgan Suwan

Bueokgan Suwan Branch opens at 11:30am: how the Wednesday opening run went

Bueokgan Suwan Branch is a brunch spot in Gwangju's Suwan district, located at 37 Suwan-ro 106beon-gil, 1st floor, Gwangsan-gu. It's the kind of place where you can have a healthy meal built around pumpkin soup, abalone cream risotto, and mushroom grill salad.

On Wednesday I took my son on a little date to Bueokgan Suwan Branch. I try to make sure I spend one-on-one time with the kids once or twice a month, and the day finally came. We arrived at 11am, but opening time was 11:30am, so we parked in front of the restaurant and waited half an hour.

At 11:30am we walked in together. Inside, lush green plants brightened up the interior, and the whole space looked really clean. Bright grays, whites, and wood tones came together in a way that felt tidy and fresh — it put me in a good mood at this Suwan brunch spot.

Inside Bueokgan Suwan: floor-to-ceiling windows, a wide hall and a wine bar

The hall was made up of floor-to-ceiling glass walls with widely spaced tables, and through the huge windows the lush, sunny weather outside made it feel even better. This place is good for the food, and good for the view too.

There's a wine bar set up too, so it seems like it would be nice and atmospheric to come here in the evening.

The interior decor pieces are cute and softly colored, not too flashy, and it gave the whole space a gentle, calming feel.

Sofa seats, a baby chair and everything we ordered at Bueokgan Suwan

A friendly staff member guided us to a sofa seat. Bueokgan Suwan Branch also has baby chairs ready for little kids.

• Pastry soup
• Pumpkin soup
• Abalone cream risotto
• Mushroom grilled salad

The pumpkin soup came out first. I already know how good it tastes, so just seeing it made me start salivating.

Then the mushroom grilled salad and abalone cream risotto landed on the table too.

Once the pastry soup arrived, everything we ordered was on the table.

Pumpkin soup and pastry soup: the dishes my 6-year-old ate most

The pumpkin soup at Bueokgan Suwan Branch was piping hot, steam rising off it. It's one of my son's favorite soups here — creamy softness, a rich pumpkin aroma, and a hint of sweetness, all of which make this Sumun Park-area restaurant such a great pick for visiting with kids.

What's inside the pastry soup? Pumpkin soup, of course! My son and I each had our own — this soup can't really be shared. It's much hotter than the regular pumpkin soup, so you have to be careful.

Dip the pastry into the soup and take a bite — the moist, sweet pastry melts away in your mouth.

How much abalone is in Bueokgan Suwan's abalone cream risotto?

The abalone cream risotto at Bueokgan Suwan Branch has the soft, rich flavor of a carbonara-style cream. Like strawberry milk with just a hint of strawberry flavoring added, you might expect the same trick here — but no, every single spoonful had a good bite of actual abalone in it.

It might be hidden under the cream, but this isn't 'cream risotto featuring abalone' — it's genuinely abalone cream risotto, and there's plenty of it. It would make a great nourishing meal too. Even our kids, who can't handle spicy food, ate this abalone cream risotto happily at this Suwan brunch spot.

Mushroom grilled salad: the mushrooms sit under the vegetables

With the mushroom grilled salad, your first thought might be, wait, where are the mushrooms? They're piled generously underneath the vegetable salad, grilled in a variety of types. Be careful eating it right away since it can be hot. This mushroom grilled salad is actually my favorite dish at Bueokgan.

My son felt a little under the weather today and couldn't manage a full meal, but he did eat the pumpkin soup happily, saying it was delicious.

Why Bueokgan Suwan Branch works for a meal out with a young child

Bueokgan Suwan Branch, a favorite restaurant in the Suwan district, was a genuinely comfortable place to eat with a child — from the cozy, tidy interior to the spacious hall and the baby chair. Even on a day when my son wasn't feeling well, the soft, sweet pumpkin soup and pastry soup were easy for him to enjoy without any fuss, so I'd highly recommend this to anyone visiting with kids.

From the abalone cream risotto — a nourishing dish even spice-sensitive kids can enjoy — to my personal favorite, the mushroom grilled salad, every dish felt made with care, making for a satisfying opening-run date. If you're near Sumun Park, Singa-dong, or Suwan Hanajung looking for a good-atmosphere brunch or Western restaurant to enjoy with your kids, I definitely recommend a visit to Bueokgan Suwan Branch.

• Family dining with kids (baby chair provided)
• A date-course spot (spacious hall with pretty floor-to-ceiling window views)
• Kid-favorite signature dishes: pumpkin soup, pastry soup
• Not spicy and generous with abalone, good as a nourishing dish or even baby food: abalone cream risotto
• Signature recommended salad piled with a variety of grilled mushrooms under the vegetables: mushroom grilled salad