Haeundae, Busan couple's set with basil pesto pasta: Bueokgan

Last weekend, right as autumn properly kicked in, I went for a walk around Haeundae and ended up driving over to Dalmaji-gil for dinner. It had been a while since I'd driven that road, and with the cool autumn air it felt great. Add a perfect dinner on top of that, and here's my Bueokgan review.

Dalmaji-gil Bueokgan: parking and entrance

The 1st floor is Bueokgan Chinese, and the 2nd floor is Bueokgan European. Park in the lot beside or behind the building, then take the elevator up to the 2nd floor.

A bright, well-lit European dining room

As soon as we walked in, natural light poured through the wide-open windows, giving the space a bright, open feel. The lighting fixtures and little decor pieces scattered around were charming too. First impressions really do raise your expectations for a place, and it had been a while since I'd seen a restaurant with such a genuinely European atmosphere — I was excited.

Even in the afternoon the light was this good — imagine coming around lunchtime and enjoying brunch! Next time I'll have to come back in the daytime for brunch.

Every table had its own mood, and the spacing between them was generous, so the whole meal felt comfortable and unrushed. This is exactly the kind of place that fits the image of what a proper Western restaurant should feel like.

Menu and the couple's set

Alongside set menus, there's a wide range of à la carte dishes, so you can order however you like. Honestly, there were so many tempting options it was hard to choose. We came for an early dinner, but there was also a solid brunch lineup, so this feels like a place worth visiting no matter the time of day.

We ordered the Bueokgan Couple's Dish Set, which let us pick soup + salad + pasta + pizza plus two drinks. It's more reasonably priced than ordering everything separately, and the combination is great — I'd recommend going with the set.

Pumpkin soup

This might be the best pumpkin soup I've ever had. Really smooth, with just the right amount of sweetness, and the nuts sprinkled on top added great texture. As a lover of root vegetables and squash, this soup won me over completely — a perfect appetizer.

Garden salad

A refreshing garden salad. The dressing was something I hadn't tried before — balsamic-based, so it felt both familiar and a little different at the same time. The soup and salad alone were so good that I started getting excited about how good the mains would be.

Single orange

As orange-juice lovers, we ordered two glasses of orange for our drinks. Rich, full-flavored orange juice that pairs well with pretty much anything on the menu!

Basil pesto cream pasta

Basil pesto cream pasta piled with arugula. The creaminess of the sauce combined with fresh basil kept every bite clean and never heavy.

The noodles were cooked just right and the sauce was so good that the flavor stuck with me long after we finished.

Pepperoni pizza

When it comes to pizza, pepperoni wins every time! Loaded generously with cheese and pepperoni, it reminded me of a Chicago-style pizza.

The cheese pull adds even more richness in every bite. With pepperoni piled on thick, the salty flavor works beautifully together with the cheese and dough.

Green pepper sauce with the pizza

The hot sauce served with the pizza was a green pepper sauce, quite different from the Tabasco I'm used to. I don't usually go for hot sauce, but this green pepper one really suited my taste — I need to order it on Kurly once I get home! From appetizer to main, Bueokgan delivered a perfect course, and being right on Dalmaji-gil, it's a great spot for both a date and a casual outing.