Gangnam Italian restaurant Romaok Dogok: sea mustard scallop risotto

This was already my third visit to this pasta spot near Yangjae Station, Romaok Dogok (로마옥 도곡)... I keep coming back because this is exactly the place around Yangjae–Dogok where you can get reasonably priced, well-made pasta in a great atmosphere!!

What is the evening atmosphere like at Romaok Dogok?

The atmosphere is seriously great haha. I've only ever come in the evening, and with the soft lighting and a space that's spacious but not too loud, with a private feel, it's a place I've also been to many times on my own dime.

Every time I come, there's always a table celebrating an anniversary or on a blind date. That probably says something about how good the atmosphere and service are..!?

There's lush greenery outside, so even inside the restaurant you get a relaxed feeling. Totally recommend it when you want to treat yourself or someone else!!!! And since the Yangjae area is mostly loud bars and meat restaurants, this is a great alternative if you're looking for a place with atmosphere.

Bread service and the three dishes ordered at Romaok Dogok

After sitting down and choosing our menu, warm pre-meal bread came out~ It's always the same bread, but this time it was even warmer and the soft taste was great — my friends said the bread was delicious too. Somehow the bread felt extra tasty to me that day too.

The pre-meal bread has a ciabatta feel, warm and chewy with bits of green olive tucked inside~ So chewy~ Dipping it in the olive oil sauce that comes with it really gets your appetite going!!! Since this was my third visit, I've tried quite a lot of the menu~~? This time we ordered the abalone gonad pasta, sea mustard scallop risotto, and Korean beef ragu fresh lasagna roll, which we'd enjoyed before!

This is the sea mustard scallop risotto!! Looking at the photo I figured it would be pretty green, and seeing it in person it really was green because of the sea mustard lolol, so interesting.

And this is the gonad pasta, which is the signature menu!! Of everything I tried last time, the abalone gonad pasta was the tastiest, so I picked it without hesitation! Trust the signature menu, everyone.

And here's the Korean beef ragu fresh lasagna roll, which I picked because I thought it looked like a novel dish. The taste was really novel too lolololololol.

Sea mustard scallop risotto: barley texture was the top pick

This is a risotto with sea mustard in it, and since it's made with barley rice instead, it felt special, so I ordered it! Just as I thought, the barley made the texture pop with each bite, and it was reeeeeeeally good. Even with the sea mustard in it, it wasn't fishy at all — actually there was a slight umami taste. The scallops were grilled nicely so they cut smoothly and softly. There was shrimp scattered throughout too, so it was fun to keep scooping into it~

The sea mustard risotto was the tastiest that day, so it was our top pick. I also tried the mushroom risotto — if you like seafood, go with this one instead.

Abalone gonad pasta: toss it before the sauce cools

With the gonad pasta, tossing the noodles thoroughly in the savory, rich sauce before it cools makes it even tastier!!

It's not just putting on a fancy show — it's genuinely delicious.....

Korean beef ragu fresh lasagna roll: served like mini cupcakes

And it arrived....! Truly unusual, the Korean beef ragu fresh lasagna! It came out as three pieces like mini cupcakes, so it wasn't the layered lasagna I had in mind.

Since there happened to be exactly three of us, we each got to eat one piece of lasagna, and it kind of looked like a cinnamon roll too lolol.

When you cut the cake-like shape in half, the lasagna sheets are stacked in layers with Korean beef ragu sauce spread between them. But it didn't really taste like beef...? Or like meat sauce, which was unusual lolololol — but I guess there's meaning in trying something new~~

My friends who came along were satisfied too — this pasta spot in Yangjae-dong, Romaok Dogok, is definitely a place I'd visit again!!!! Hahaha