Jisan-dong lobster restaurant, prized 2nd-floor room: Tams Badaetgaja

I'm usually the type who only chases big-portion food haha. Lately what I'm obsessed with is lobster!

Whenever you search for a lobster course in Gwangju, one place always comes up: Tams Badaetgaja (탐스바닷가재), open since 2003. I heard they have a lunch-only half course, so I grabbed my partner's hand and went haha.

• Address: 10-1 Jihoro124beon-gil, Dong-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:30 – 22:00 (last order 20:30)
• Parking: Private lot beside the building
• Reservation / Takeout: Both available (reservation recommended)
• Price: Tams half course 37,000 won per person (lunch, until 2pm)
• Payment: Gwangju Sangsaeng Card, Onnuri Card accepted

How to find Tams Badaetgaja: the red sign on the Jisan-dong forest lane

Tams Badaetgaja sits deep inside a forest path off Jihoro124beon-gil in Dong-gu, Gwangju. Head up Jihoro and right at the entrance to the path, a red sign pops up — "Tomseureon Badatgajae" ("tempting sea lobster"). Just follow the arrow a little further in.

It's a white two-story building with a red awning stretched across the front. Honestly, the exterior shows its age a bit.

At first I thought, "is this really the place?" haha. A chef figurine greets you at the entrance and bamboo decorations fill the space.

In the tank, live lobsters with rubber bands on their claws wriggle around — that's your freshness proof right there.

There was also a sign on the wall saying "only A-grade live lobster used."

What rooms does Tams Badaetgaja have? Floor seating, tables and a 40-person room

Most of the interior at Tams Badaetgaja is private rooms — a mix of floor-seated rooms and rooms with marble tables.

Through the full window, green trees filled the view, giving the space a really calm mood.

Every room has its own door, so it's quiet — I totally get why this is known as a go-to spot in Gwangju for family meeting-of-the-parents dinners.

There's both floor seating and table seating, plus tables set up so families with kids can sit comfortably. Opening the folding doors turns it into a group room that fits 40+ people — the owner told us there was a first-birthday party (dol) event here just a few days earlier.

We were seated in the so-called second-floor room, said to be the best seat in the house, and since we'd booked ahead, the owner had already set the table for us.

What comes in the 37,000-won Tams half course, salad to grilled lobster

The Tams half course is 37,000 won per person, running through salad, canapés, lobster cream soup, jellyfish salad, cold thin noodles (mulsomyeon), lobster broth, half a lobster grilled in sauce, and fried rice. Since we'd reserved, the table was already laid out — ta-da! The red napkins were folded like little crowns. Made us feel oddly pampered haha. Side dishes included kimchi, cubed radish kimchi, stir-fried anchovies, dongchimi (watery radish kimchi), and pickled fruit.

The glass bowl with a lemon floating in it

→ Not drinking water — that's a finger bowl!

First up: salad, piled high with sliced almonds and drizzled with sesame dressing.

There were two kinds of canapés — cream cheese and green grapes on baguette, cucumber and cherry tomato on crackers. Bite-sized and refreshing to start!

The cream soup seemed rich, and it turned out to have finely chopped lobster meat in it. Warm and savory — loved it.

The jellyfish salad was cold, sweet and tangy, with a crunchy texture, crab meat and carrots.

One bowl of mulsomyeon (cold thin noodles) per person — thin noodles rolled into a circle in clear broth. Refreshing, perfect palate cleanser. The lobster broth was clear and warm, with the legs in it giving the broth a surprisingly deep flavor.

And now, finally, the main event!

Half a grilled lobster in sauce: butter beats chili at Tams Badaetgaja

Half a lobster in sauce — cheese and butter melted golden over the orange-red shell.

The claw was bigger than I expected — "is this for real?" I blurted out. The meat was firm and moist, not dry at all. The chili sauce was sweet with a light kick; the butter sauce doubled down on the savory richness.

I liked the butter sauce side better. There was also plenty of green tomalley (lobster "guts") — rich and deep with no fishy taste at all. Alongside came two mounds of fried rice, studded with colorful bell peppers. Mixed with the tomalley, it was fantastic.

Dessert and drinks at Tams Badaetgaja

At the end of the meal, plum tea and coffee arrive. I finished up leisurely with a warm cup of coffee, watching the trees outside — it cleared the greasiness from my mouth nicely.

Verdict: the Tams half course is lunch only, until 2pm

Half a live lobster plus a 7-course spread for around 37,000 won — that's pretty good value for lunch. Just make sure to check the time, since the half course only runs until 2pm!

Served course-style in a quiet private room, I'd recommend this as a Gwangju spot for meeting-the-parents dinners, family gatherings, or anniversaries. If you want to try a Gwangju lobster course without breaking the bank, start with the lunch half course haha.