Jeonpo, Busan lunch date: jambon squid ink risotto at Friends Club

I went to Friends Club (프렌즈클럽), a well-known pasta spot in Jeonpo, Busan, famous for its great atmosphere 🍝

What are Friends Club's opening hours?

Friends Club opens at 11:30 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. Last order is at 9 p.m.

• open 11:30
• close 22:00
• last order 21:00

What's the atmosphere at Friends Club in Jeonpo? Good for a date?

Friends Club is a clean, quiet Jeonpo restaurant with a white-toned interior and wood accents, so it worked well for a lunch date. I was looking for somewhere to eat lunch near the Jeonpo café street, and the tidy interior and unusual menu caught my eye, so we stopped in 😊

The stylish mood was clear from the outside already,, and inside it's the same: an all-white interior with wood touches that felt clean and polished 👍🏻

The tables are spaced comfortably, so we could eat in peace, and the window seats with natural light looked lovely too, so it seemed good for a date 🤍

The whole place was quiet and calm, great for chatting over a meal, and the food was plated so prettily that taking photos was a joy 📸

What did we order at Friends Club?

We picked one pasta and one risotto: clam linguine (dongjuk vongole linguine) and ham squid ink risotto. My partner and I agonized over the choice for ages ㅠㅠ everything looked so good 🫢 The gnocchi is supposedly super famous too •• but we decided to start with one pasta and one risotto ✌🏻 Here's what we ordered .. !!!!

After much deliberation !! here's what we ordered:

• 🍝 Clam linguine (dongjuk vongole linguine)
• 🖤 Ham squid ink risotto (jambon)

That's it.

Let me introduce them one by one ☝🏻

How does the clam linguine taste?

Friends Club's clam linguine was a classic vongole: generous with clams and clean, not salty. It looked super appetizing from the start 😊 The savory depth from the clams melted right into the sauce.

The flavor was so rich I wanted to spoon up the broth too, and the clean, not-salty finish kept me going back for more.

The linguine had a nice springy bite, and the oil sauce soaked into the noodles so well that I enjoyed it to the very last mouthful 🤤 The fresh taste of the clams and the garlic aroma blended nicely, so you really get the charm of a vongole. It was closer to a classic vongole that lets the ingredients shine than something flashy and intense 🍝

Is the ham squid ink risotto fishy?

Friends Club's ham squid ink risotto had no fishy taste at all: thick and creamy, with cheese and salty ham, and it was the most impressive dish of the day. Truly the standout! The ham squid ink risotto 🖤

The look grabbed me the moment it arrived. Lots of cheese sat on the deep black ink color, with ham on top, and it looked delicious just sitting there.

The first thing I noticed on the first bite was the creamy texture! You get that deep, rich squid ink flavor, but the cheese wraps it softly so it's really nutty and savory.

The salty ham balanced the flavors well, and since the risotto itself is the thick style, I was satisfied the whole way through 😌💕

Just because it has squid ink doesn't mean it tastes strongly fishy, not at all. Instead it adds a subtle savory depth that makes the flavor even richer. Eaten with the cheese on top, the nuttiness is maximized, and with the ham the saltiness adds even more to enjoy 🧀 Personally, the ham squid ink risotto stuck with me a little more of the two !!!

Overall verdict on Friends Club in Jeonpo

• ✔️ Clean interior full of Jeonpo vibes
• ✔️ Great atmosphere for a date
• ✔️ Clam linguine packed with clams
• ✔️ Thick, nutty ham squid ink risotto
• ✔️ A Jeonpo pasta spot with beautiful plating

If you're looking for a pasta place with a great atmosphere in Jeonpo, I recommend Friends Club :)