Gwangju brunch a 10-minute walk from Seo-gwangju Station: Bueokgan

Let's just go, wherever it is! I'd wanted to visit Bueokgan Sangmu Branch for ages — it kept popping up whenever I searched for Gwangju pasta or Sangmu brunch spots.

Right before this recent holiday, I went to Gwangju to meet a friend I hadn't seen in a while. My train back was a bit tight, but my friend, who lives in Gwangju, insisted we go to this place famous for pasta in Sangmu. So we headed straight there for lunch, timing it for the 11am opening.

How long is the walk from Seo-gwangju Station to Bueokgan Sangmu Branch?

From the Seo-gwangju Station stop, it took less than 10 minutes on foot to reach Bueokgan Sangmu Branch. I went by bus that day, and I'd say it's a great option for anyone traveling around Gwangju by public transit or looking for somewhere to eat near Seo-gwangju Station.

We were rushed and hurried through the visit, but it would've been a real shame to skip it. From the pastry soup to the abalone cream risotto to the pepperoni pizza, I'm still thinking about what we ate that day.

Where Bueokgan Sangmu Branch is, and where to park

If you drive, there's Bueokgan's own private parking lot behind the building, and I was told the nearby Mudeung Church parking lot is also available. Even without a car, it's easy to reach by bus or from Seo-gwangju Station while traveling around Gwangju.

Inside Bueokgan Sangmu Branch: a vintage hotel lounge mood

Walking in, the soft lighting and a luggage cart by the entrance made it feel less like a restaurant and more like a vintage hotel lounge.

The window side was bright and fresh with sunlight, and it was fun to wander around checking out the lighting fixtures, statues, and vintage props one by one. As someone who loves taking photos, I obviously couldn't just walk past all that haha — I took way too many pictures again.

I found out later they'd placed Louis Poulsen lighting along with designer furniture and vintage pieces throughout the space.

When I was there, a couple of families were having a get-together at the group table, and I also spotted a dating couple and a family with a young child. The atmosphere suited a Sangmu brunch outing just as well as a Gwangju family gathering or date spot.

What the writer ordered at Bueokgan Sangmu Branch, and the prices

• Signature pastry soup ₩10,000
• Abalone cream risotto ₩20,000
• Pepperoni pizza ₩17,000
• Hot batch brew coffee

This place is well known for its Gwangju pasta, Sangmu pasta, so I did briefly consider ordering that too, but in the end my friend and I just picked what we felt like eating that day.

1. Signature pastry soup, 10,000 won

A golden-baked pastry dome covering the bowl caught my eye the second it arrived.

Cutting through the crisp pastry with a knife reveals sweet pumpkin cream soup underneath. I expected the pumpkin to make it quite sweet, but it wasn't overly sweet to my taste — it was mild yet the soup flavor itself was rich.

Soaking the pastry into the soup added a gentle pumpkin sweetness and a nutty flavor — perfect for brunch. It was easy on the stomach too, so it's a dish I'd love to bring my child to try next time.

2. Abalone cream risotto, 20,000 won

With abalone innards in the cream base, the flavor was rich, nutty, and deep. The crispy enoki mushrooms on top had great aroma too, and eating them together with the risotto was really delicious.

Boiled or blanched abalone is usually tender and soft, right? But the abalone here had a firmer, quite chewy bite. I heard the abalone used in risotto is prepared differently — maybe because it's pan-seared until golden — so the texture was different from the abalone I usually eat, almost like it had the springiness of dried abalone. Biting into the chewy abalone throughout the creamy risotto, and there was plenty of it, made this a dish that nailed both flavor and texture.

3. Pepperoni pizza, 17,000 won

Pepperoni pizza — my family's favorite, no need to say more. Bueokgan has its own signature best-selling pizza, but I went with the pepperoni since it's my favorite. Even with a hand-tossed dough, it wasn't too thin — pleasantly thick and chewy — and the pepperoni was thick too, giving it a great bite. My choice wasn't wrong.

When ordering, you can choose between regular and less spicy. The regular I chose was spicier than expected, with quite a noticeable peppery kick. If you're eating with kids, the less spicy option would probably suit better.

The green Tabasco that comes with the pepperoni pizza

The green Tabasco that came with the pizza was different from the usual red kind. I thought it might taste fruity and bright, but the first bite gave off a fresh, green-pepper-like flavor.

Drizzled over the pepperoni pizza, it turned out surprisingly delicious. Curious, I looked it up afterward and found out it's green jalapeño Tabasco — milder than the original, with the characteristic fresh flavor of jalapeño. So that's why it tasted like green pepper to me. Taste buds, huh, haha.

If you want brunch or a meal in a great atmosphere while traveling around Gwangju, this place is worth adding to the itinerary for the food alone. It's also close to Seo-gwangju Station, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for good places to eat in Gwangju.

Is Bueokgan Sangmu Branch worth a visit? Final verdict

Even now that I'm back from Gwangju, I keep thinking about what we ate that day. The pastry soup, the abalone cream risotto, the pepperoni pizza — all of them were so good that I feel extra grateful to my friend for recommending the place.

Next time, I want to go with my family and finally try the pasta I missed out on this time. Since it's known as such a popular Gwangju pasta spot, I'm already curious which pasta I'll try next time haha. And I'm definitely ordering the pastry soup again!