Salmon steak puttanesca pasta date at a Pangyo restaurant: Tobeu Nain

Tasting salmon steak puttanesca and mushroom salad at Tobeu Nain in Pangyo

When you crave pasta and salad in Pangyo: Tobeu Nain

When I eat out in Pangyo, I often end up with Korean food or meat, but sometimes I want something a little different, like pasta and salad. This day I visited Tobeu Nain (토브나인) in Pangyo.

At Tobeu Nain I ordered the salmon steak puttanesca, the mushroom salad & focaccia and a strawberry banana juice. Rather than eating just one dish, I like to mix different kinds of food, so this time I got a fish dish, a vegetable salad and a fruit juice together. Each had its own taste and texture, so they worked well side by side on one table.

What does the salmon steak puttanesca taste like?

The first dish that caught my eye was Tobeu Nain's salmon steak puttanesca. The charm of a salmon steak is getting the grilled flavor on the outside and the soft flesh inside together. With pasta and salmon in one dish, it's quite a filling meal from just that one item.

Puttanesca is known as an Italian pasta that is usually built on tomato, with ingredients like olives, capers and garlic. The tomato's acidity gets a salty kick from those ingredients, and it has a different appeal from cream sauce pasta.

When you add a bite of salmon in the middle of the pasta, the flow of flavors changes. Unlike eating noodles alone, you get the mild taste of the fish, and the soft salmon blends with the texture of the pasta. I also liked that I could alternate between noodles and fish within a single plate.

If you prefer pasta with a sauce that isn't too heavy, a tomato-based dish can be a good choice. With the salmon steak on top, I got to enjoy it in a slightly different way from the pasta I usually eat.

Does the mushroom salad & focaccia go well with pasta?

I can't skip the mushroom salad & focaccia I ordered with it. Adding a salad to a pasta-centered meal gives you crunchy vegetables and the flavor of mushrooms together. Mushrooms have a distinctive aroma and savory depth, so they hold their own even in a vegetable-based dish.

Unlike a salad made only of leafy greens, adding mushrooms makes it more satisfying to chew, and it's fun to compare the different textures of each ingredient. I also liked that focaccia came with it. Focaccia is an Italian bread made with olive oil, known for its plain but nutty flavor. Eaten with the salad, it's more filling than vegetables alone and adds a texture different from pasta.

Taking a bite of salad between pasta bites gave the meal some variety. Focusing on one flavor is nice too, but splitting the dishes like this makes each ingredient's character stand out more. Mushroom flavor, fresh vegetables and nutty bread all in one go — that was the combo.

Finishing with a strawberry banana juice

My drink at Tobeu Nain was a strawberry banana juice. The fresh taste of strawberry and the sweet, soft flavor of banana go together well, so it pairs nicely with a meal. Choosing fruit juice instead of coffee or soda changes the mood of the meal a bit.

Strawberry and banana is a familiar pairing, but the two fruits balance each other, so it's relatively easy for most people to like. It's a safe drink to sip between pasta and salad or after finishing the meal. When I pick a meal, I treat the drink as almost as important as the main dish, and this day I completed the set by adding fruit juice to the pasta and salad. Food and drink each played their part, so I got to enjoy a good variety.

Is Tobeu Nain worth recommending for a pasta date in Pangyo?

On this visit to Tobeu Nain I centered on the salmon steak puttanesca and also tried the mushroom salad & focaccia and the strawberry banana juice. The pasta's flavor, the soft salmon, the varied textures of the mushroom salad and the sweetness of the juice each came together in a different direction.

I especially liked being able to alternate between pasta and salad rather than eating each dish separately. If finishing a meal with noodles alone feels lacking, or you want vegetables too, this combination is worth considering. If you're looking for a pasta date in Pangyo, I think Tobeu Nain Pangyo Main Branch can give you a moody one. Add salmon, vegetables, bread and fruit juice, and you get a meal that feels a little different from usual. ^^