Lobster dinner course for two in Dong-gu, Gwangju: Tams Badaetgaja

Today I visited Tams Badaetgaja (Jisan branch), a great spot in Jisan-dong for dates, events, and receptions!

Parking and opening hours at Tams Badaetgaja

Tams Badaetgaja has a huuuge parking lot! No need to worry about parking. Hours are daily 11:30-22:00, last order 20:30 — good to know before you visit.

I wanted something a bit more special than my usual meals, so I visited Tams Badaetgaja. It's a lobster restaurant that's been running in Gwangju for a long time, and instead of serving lobster as a single dish, it lets you enjoy it properly as a full course. Tams Badaetgaja started as a lobster restaurant in March 2003 and moved to Jisan-dong in 2010 with an expansion,

and has operated under its current name, Tams(-full) Badaetgaja, since 2016. The seating varies by room, which looked like it would work well for families with kids too. This time we visited as a couple and ordered the half course for two,

What comes before the main lobster in the half course for two

I ordered the course. At first I figured that since lobster is the main attraction, most of the dishes would center around it, but once I actually ate, the starters, main, meal courses, and dessert were all more varied than expected — it really felt like a proper course meal.

First up as a starter was lobster soup. It was a soft way to begin the meal, good for waking up the appetite

before diving into the more substantial dishes. Starting off with a lobster-based dish from the very beginning felt fitting for a lobster specialty restaurant and showed off the character of the course well.

Next came canapés and jellyfish salad, enjoyed together.

The canapés were light, one-bite bites, and the jellyfish salad had that distinctive chewy texture and a refreshing taste that seemed to reset the palate before the next dishes.

A black sesame salad also arrived, and the nutty black sesame dressing paired nicely with the fresh vegetables. Eating the salad in between richer, more filling dishes like lobster kept things well balanced.

On top of that, several side dishes were set out, making the table look quite plentiful. Rather than a course where small portions trickle out one by one, it felt more like a full spread you could pick at along the way.

How Tams Badaetgaja grades its lobster, and how long it takes to grow

And of course, the star of the day was the lobster half course! According to Tams Badaetgaja's own explanation, lobster grades and prices vary greatly depending on freshness. Grade A live lobster is the top-tier, still-alive product; Grade B live lobster has lower meat yield or missing legs; boiled-and-frozen is cooked then quick-frozen; and fresh-chilled is quick-chilled and distributed cold.

Tams Badaetgaja states that it only uses Grade A live lobster caught near Nova Scotia, Canada. Being able to see the live lobsters yourself in the tank was also a nice touch befitting a lobster specialty restaurant.

What I found especially interesting was the growth time. Canadian lobster takes about 10 years to reach around 1kg, and the 600-700g lobster used in the Tams half course is about 7-8 years old. The 1.6-2.0kg lobster used in the couple course is a whopping 16-20 years old — much longer than I expected.

The main lobster, lobster noodles and fried rice

The main lobster was, of course, the most memorable part of the course.

The meat was plump yet tender, and the more I chewed, the more that clean, savory lobster flavor came through. It had a springy texture different from shrimp or crab, and it was fun picking out every last bit of meat from between the shell.

Once you've eaten a good amount of the lobster, the meal continues — and it wasn't over yet.

Noodles in a lobster-based broth came out next, and thanks to the lobster broth, it was both refreshing and savory. After all the earlier course dishes, having warm broth and noodles felt like it settled the stomach nicely.

Then fried rice arrived too. You know how some people feel a meal isn't truly finished without rice at the end, even after a full course? I'm one of those people, and having fried rice follow the lobster and noodles definitely made the meal feel complete.

At first I thought the half course might not be that filling, but going through lobster soup, canapés, jellyfish salad, black sesame salad and various side dishes, main lobster, lobster-broth noodles, and fried rice in order, the lineup turned out to be more substantial than expected.

Finally, sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch) came out for dessert.

After all those dishes, finishing with cool, sweet sujeonggwa left the palate feeling clean. Eating through everything in order, from the starter soup to the final sujeonggwa, definitely had a different kind of enjoyment than just eating a single lobster.

22 hours from Nova Scotia to Gwangju

The lobster used at Tams Badaetgaja lives in the cold waters off Canada and the eastern U.S. coast, apparently. Lobster caught near Nova Scotia, Canada in particular is treated as the top grade, and this restaurant states it only imports and sells Nova Scotia lobster.

It seemed like a great choice for a lobster course meal in Gwangju, as well as for meetings between families before marriage, or first-birthday family gatherings in Gwangju.

As for the import process, the lobster travels from Nova Scotia, Canada, clears customs and quarantine at Incheon Airport, then comes through Gimpo Airport and finally Gwangju Airport — a journey of about 22 hours. That's quite a long process to bring fresh, live lobster all the way to Gwangju.

Who the Tams Badaetgaja course suits, and what fell short

This place suits days when you want something a bit more special than the usual meal. It works well for a date or anniversary dinner for two, and it also seems well suited to family gatherings, birthdays, or company dinners with several people.

If you want to enjoy more than just a lobster main in Gwangju — starter lobster soup, canapés, jellyfish salad, black sesame salad, side dishes, lobster half course, lobster-broth noodles, fried rice, and sujeonggwa for dessert all in one sitting — the half course is worth considering.

That said, personally, the service was a letdown. If that part had been better, my overall impression of the meal would have been much better. Since the food itself was good, the disappointment I felt about the service stood out even more.

Slowly working through a full course meal and getting to try live lobster, which isn't something you come across every day, made this a memorable visit to Tams Badaetgaja.