Gwangju Sangmu pasta: pizza crust dipped in tomato sauce, Bueokgan

Trying to figure out what to have for dinner, I suddenly craved pasta and ran straight to Bueokgan. It's so close to my house that I end up going with friends or for get-togethers pretty often — it's basically my go-to pasta spot in Gwangju!

Where is Bueokgan Sangmu Branch, and where do you park?

Bueokgan Sangmu Branch, a pasta spot in Gwangju, is located near Mudeung Church. It's not far from Seo-gwangju Station either!

Bueokgan Sangmu Branch's hours are 11:00 - 22:00, with a break time from 16:00 - 16:30. There's a large parking lot set up behind the building!

What does the inside of Bueokgan Sangmu Branch look like?

The inside of this Gwangju pasta spot is spacious and clean! There are lots of tables and the space is well decorated, making it a popular spot for gatherings. It's also famous as a brunch restaurant in the Sangmu district.

I liked that there was also a large semicircular table. They said the concept is a Roman hotel. The objects filling the space all stay true to that concept.

Menu and tablet ordering: three à la carte dishes

The menu at Bueokgan! Every table has a tablet, and all the menu photos are shown, so ordering was easy. We thought about getting a set menu but ended up just picking the dishes we wanted to eat.

• Shrimp anchovy oil pasta ₩18,000
• Seafood tomato pasta ₩19,000
• Jambon pizza ₩24,000

And that's the order done!

All three dishes arrive almost at once

After chatting for a bit, all three dishes were brought out one after another. They basically all came out together, which was great. Time for a full spread shot.

Jambon pizza in the middle, then clockwise: seafood tomato pasta and shrimp anchovy oil pasta. The oil pasta is what I order every time I come, and today was no exception.

Shrimp anchovy oil pasta, ₩18,000

Shrimp anchovy oil pasta! We ordered it while telling ourselves 'oil pasta doesn't make you fat~' hahahahahahaha. There's a decent amount of pasta along with the huge shrimp.

I mixed it up and rolled it right onto my fork to eat. The umami of the anchovy added to the oil pasta really made it delicious. If you're wondering what basic dish to order, go with the shrimp anchovy oil pasta~!

Seafood tomato pasta, ₩19,000

I wanted something a bit spicy too, so I ordered the seafood tomato pasta. You need at least one spicy pasta to keep eating without stopping. That was my little scheme.

True to its name, the seafood tomato pasta had a good amount of seafood in it. Before eating, I picked the mussels and clams out of their shells and cleaned up the shrimp too! Then rolled the noodles right up to eat. The tanginess and spiciness of the tomato combined so well. What I loved most was how hot it stayed until the last bite.

Jambon pizza, ₩24,000

The jambon pizza I ordered after some deliberation! I was torn between this and pepperoni pizza, but the combination of sweet honey and jambon (ham) sounded promising so I went with it. I thought the honey would come on the side, but it seems to be drizzled on by default. I also liked the pistachios scattered on top for a nutty touch.

The chewy dough and the Grana Padano cheese really stood out on this jambon pizza! On top, thinly sliced jambon was piled generously. I'm a jambon lover, so there was no way I wasn't ordering this.

I cut a slice and tried it — the cheese aroma was great, and the combination of the subtle honey sweetness and salty jambon was really good. The pistachios I bit into every now and then were charming too.

Dipping the pizza end crust into the seafood tomato pasta sauce

The jambon pizza was tasty even eaten plain, straight up by hand! I usually don't bother with the pizza crust, but dipping it into the seafood tomato pasta made it seriously delicious. It matched so well that for once I finished off every last bit of the crust. Definitely try this combination!

If you're looking for a good brunch spot in Sangmu, Gwangju, I recommend visiting Bueokgan Sangmu Branch! It was perfect for a get-together or family meal.