Jeonpo brunch spot for lunch with Mom: jamón risotto, Odd Bird Oliver

A daytime date with Mom in Jeonpo: why I chose Odd Bird Oliver

Odd Bird Oliver is a Western brunch spot that's well known as a brunch favorite in Jeonpo. I went with my mom, timing it for lunch.

Jeonpo has so many restaurants and cafés that on weekends or at lunchtime it's hard to decide where to go, right? Lately there are so many brunch places with pretty interiors, and a lot of them seem great not just for meeting friends or going on dates, but also for a casual family lunch.

This time, Mom and I decided to have a daytime date in Jeonpo for the first time in a while, so we went for brunch. When we eat together we usually go for Korean food or rice dishes, but that day I wanted something a little different, a relaxed lunch somewhere with a nice atmosphere. After some searching, we ended up at Odd Bird Oliver.

It's known as a top brunch spot in Jeonpo, so I was curious, and sure enough, there was a wait. Anyone looking for a brunch place in Jeonpo with a line has probably heard of it at least once. It was just the two of us, and we arrived around lunchtime.

Lunch wait at Odd Bird Oliver: how long do you have to wait?

When we visited at lunchtime, there were customers waiting. I thought we'd be seated right away, but we ended up waiting longer than expected, so if you want a relaxed meal, it's best to expect a possible wait.

There are so many good restaurants in Jeonpo these days that plenty of them have lines. It depends on whether it's a weekday or weekend and what time you go, of course. Still, chatting with Mom while we waited, the time didn't feel very long. Jeonpo has lots to look at nearby, so if there's a wait, strolling around the area is a good way to pass the time.

What was disappointing about the seating order

There was one thing I found a little disappointing in how seating was handled at Odd Bird Oliver. We were a party of two and had been waiting first, but a group of four who came after us was shown to a table before us, with no explanation. I don't know if a table for four had opened up first.

Of course, I understand that the restaurant may have to seat people according to the tables available, and maybe a four-person table simply came free first 😢 So I wasn't really upset; it's more that I wished they had explained it in advance. Since we'd been waiting first, seeing people who came later get seated with no explanation was a little confusing 😔

When you're waiting in line, you naturally get sensitive about the seating order, so if the order changes because of table availability, even a brief explanation would make it much easier for customers to understand. Luckily, our food came out first. Once it arrived, Mom and I were able to eat comfortably, and I liked that. It wasn't a big enough problem to hold against the whole visit, but it was a little disappointing from the waiting side, so I'm leaving an honest note about it.

Odd Bird Oliver menu and what we ordered

Odd Bird Oliver has a wide range of meals, from sandwiches to pasta and risotto, plus alcohol like wine and beer. That day we ordered two dishes: the ham and mushroom risotto and the new pistachio jambon (Korean-style cured ham) pasta.

There's something for every taste. With alcohol on the menu, it seemed like a good place to come for brunch by day and have a casual drink in the evening. Neither dish is something I eat often, so I was curious how they'd taste, and since the pistachio jambon pasta is a new menu item, I was even more curious about it.

Since it was just Mom and me, we ordered two dishes to share. At a brunch place, ordering different dishes and sharing them lets you enjoy a variety of flavors, which I think is great.

Odd Bird Oliver atmosphere: is it awkward to go with your mom?

The atmosphere at Odd Bird Oliver fits Jeonpo's signature stylish vibe, and I liked it quite a bit once we sat down. It's neither too casual nor too formal, so it was easy to eat comfortably.

I came with my mom, but looking around, there were friends dining together and people who seemed to be on dates. Couples especially would find the atmosphere well suited to a date. If a café alone feels like too little in Jeonpo and you want a good meal and a nice atmosphere together, this seems like a good place to visit.

Coming with Mom in the daytime felt different from our usual evening meetups. Eating, then slowly wandering the Jeonpo alleys and heading to a café was just the right course.

How was the ham and mushroom risotto?

The ham and mushroom risotto at Odd Bird Oliver was the dish that came out first that day: the soft texture typical of risotto, with the aroma of mushrooms and the saltiness of jamón (cured ham) added. I was curious how ham and mushrooms would combine just from the name, and the two ingredients went together better than I expected.

I personally like risotto, so I naturally reach for dishes like this. Mom first wondered if it might be a bit heavy, but she ate it well. One order was fine for two people to share, and eating it alongside the other dish kept the flavors from getting monotonous.

Probably because of the mushrooms, the whole dish had a rich flavor. I liked that it felt a bit different from the usual brunch menu items. The signature saltiness of the ham blended well with the risotto, and it was the kind of dish where you keep going back for another bite.

What does the new pistachio jambon pasta taste like?

The new pistachio jambon pasta at Odd Bird Oliver had the nutty flavor of pistachio with the saltiness of jambon added, a different feel from an ordinary cream pasta. It was also the dish I was most curious about that day.

I see a lot of pistachio desserts and dishes these days, but this was my first time having it with pasta, so I wondered how it would taste. I thought the jambon might make it heavy, but the nutty pistachio made it a more fun combination than I expected. The sauce coated the noodles well, and you could taste the nutty richness in each bite.

It seems like a good pick if you want to try something different, or something a little more special than the pasta you usually eat. If you're looking for brunch in Jeonpo and want to try a new menu item too, it's worth ordering once. Mom and I had both never had this style before, and it was fun tasting each other's and saying, "Oh, there's pasta like this too!" haha

Going as two? Share two different dishes

If you go to Odd Bird Oliver as a pair, I recommend picking two different dishes to share, like the ham and mushroom risotto and the pistachio jambon pasta. The risotto was soft with the flavor of mushrooms and ham, while the pasta had the pistachio and jambon combination, so they had quite different moods.

Eating just one dish can get monotonous, but sharing let us enjoy several flavors. And since we had ordered first, the food came out relatively quickly after we were seated, so compared with how long we waited for a table, we didn't wait long for the food. Starting the meal after a wait might also have made it taste even better.

Besides what we ordered, there are sandwiches and other pasta dishes, so I'd like to try those next time. When you say brunch, you might think of just salads or sandwiches, but with risotto and pasta too, it was plenty as a proper meal. It seems fine for a light eater and a hearty eater to come together because there are options, and for a group of friends who each order what they like.

Since there's wine and beer, it also seems fine to have a drink on a day when you want to set a mood. We didn't order alcohol that day because it was a daytime date with Mom, but next time I thought it'd be fun to come in the evening and have it with wine or beer.

Our daytime in Jeonpo with Mom

What I personally liked most about this visit was spending relaxed time with Mom in Jeonpo for the first time in a while. When we meet, we often eat and go straight home, but that day we had brunch and then slowly wandered the Jeonpo alleys. Eating somewhere with a nice atmosphere in the daytime and then heading to a café turned out to be a better course than I expected. Mom said the food was good, which made me happy too.

Jeonpo is such a young neighborhood that I worried it might be a little awkward to go with Mom, but once there, it was fine for a family meal too. Next time I'd like to visit with friends, and I'd recommend it to people looking for a date spot. If you're planning a lunch date, eating at a brunch place and stopping by a nearby café would make a perfect course.

Should you put Odd Bird Oliver in your Jeonpo date course?

The atmosphere at Odd Bird Oliver suits a date spot well. It isn't overly formal, so you can chat comfortably, and there are dishes like pasta and risotto that are good to eat on a date.

If you go as a couple, ordering two dishes and sharing them seems like a good idea. At lunch you can eat leisurely in a brunch mood, and afterward move on to the Jeonpo Café Street area for a café. If you're looking for a full-day date course in Jeonpo, it's worth considering as your meal stop. It was also fine for days when you want a slightly leisurely meal, like meeting friends or a daytime date with Mom.

Good to know before you go

• Expect some wait; rather than assuming you can walk right in, I recommend leaving yourself plenty of time.
• If your next plans are tightly scheduled, factor in the waiting time.
• Depending on seating, the waiting order and the actual seating order may differ, so if things seem unclear, it's fine to ask a staff member about the current seating situation.

We found that part a little disappointing, but our food came out first and we were able to finish the meal comfortably 😢

Odd Bird Oliver overall review: a daytime date with Mom

This visit to Odd Bird Oliver was a memorable one because it was a daytime date in Jeonpo with Mom. There was a wait and a slightly disappointing moment with the seating, but once the food arrived, we could enjoy the meal comfortably.

The ham and mushroom risotto was a dish where the flavors of mushroom and ham blended well, and the new pistachio jambon pasta felt fresh because it was a combination unlike pasta I've had before. With a variety of dishes like sandwiches and pasta, plus wine and beer, it looked good not just for brunch but also for a meal with atmosphere.

Above all, it fits Jeonpo's signature atmosphere, so I'd recommend it to people looking for a date spot. It seems great for a daytime date with a partner, having a good meal and then strolling Jeonpo Café Street. It's also good for a time like mine, when you want lunch with Mom in a slightly different atmosphere. If you're looking for a brunch place in Jeonpo with a line, or somewhere to enjoy the atmosphere as well as the meal rather than an ordinary lunch, Odd Bird Oliver is worth a visit.

Next time I'd like to try the sandwiches or other pastas I couldn't get to that day. I hope this helps anyone who wants to enjoy brunch and a date together in Jeonpo ➰😊