Daegu Italian restaurant with squid-ink bisque pasta: Burnish Resto

It's grad-student food review time again!! Today it's an Italian spot after a while — Burnish Resto in Dongin-dong.

Where is Burnish Resto, and where can you park?

Burnish Resto is located at 42 Gukchebosang-ro 150-gil, Jung-gu, and there were cars parked along the road in front. If you're lucky enough to arrive when a spot out front is free, you can park there. But for peace of mind, walking or public transit seemed like the better bet! It's an Italian restaurant that's won the Korea Consumer Satisfaction Award two years running, so that inspires some trust, right??

Open kitchen and a bright, wide-windowed dining room

The inside of Burnish Resto was really clean — the wide open kitchen gave me confidence right away, and there was even a comfortable coat hanger in the middle of the room. The big windows let in plenty of sunlight for an even brighter mood, that feeling of eating Western food in a cheerful space...? It just lifted my spirits.

Reservations come with a name card: what's on the menu at Burnish Resto

Since I'd made a reservation, there was a little name tag (or card?) with my name on it waiting at the table — it felt like a warm welcome and put me in a good mood before I'd even eaten. As a pasta-focused Italian restaurant, Burnish Resto's menu had all kinds of fresh pasta and regular pasta, many of which I'd never even heard of, plus gnocchi, salads, and simple sides. I wanted to try the 1++ Korean beef striploin steak too, but since it was lunch, I figured I'd save that for next time... Looking at the 'what we use' section on the back of the menu, they really only use premium ingredients! I was excited even before ordering.

Pre-meal focaccia and olive oil

We ordered the 'Gnocchi Bite' and 'Bisque,' and once we did, they brought out an appetizer bread! It was focaccia, warm and soft, perfect for before the meal. They gave us olive oil to dip it in too, which made the focaccia's flavor even better. If they sold the bread on its own, I would've wanted to take some home!

Bisque pasta made with squid-ink fresh noodles

Ta-da~ the gnocchi and bisque finally arrived! I'd had gnocchi a few times before, but this was my first time ordering bisque — apparently it's a rich, savory pasta sauce made from crab, shrimp, lobster, and other shellfish! Because of the shellfish, the sauce had a gorgeous orange color, and the noodles were fresh pasta made with squid ink — it looked delicious just from the visuals alone.

The taste of bisque, which I was trying for the first time in my life! First off, the sauce had an incredible seafood flavor. I'd call it the taste of tons of seafood packed in and concentrated down...? Like squeezing a crab and drinking the juice straight. I was surprised at how much better it was than expected. The squid-ink fresh pasta also had a great chewy texture, and the big red shrimp on top made every bite even better. I used to love aglio e olio the most, but this trip switched my mind to bisque haha.

Chewy gnocchi bites

And then the gnocchi!! I've had gnocchi many times and figured they'd all taste more or less the same, but Burnish Resto's was different! First of all, the chewiness of the gnocchi was really great. I don't know how they knead or fry it, but the chewy texture was extremely satisfying. The cream that came with the gnocchi was also full of flavor and nuttiness, and it paired perfectly with the gnocchi. This was honestly the best gnocchi I've had in my life!!

Is Burnish Resto worth a visit in Daegu?

So that's how I ended up eating Western food at Burnish Resto again after a while — I got to taste fine-dining-level flavor at a price muuuch cheaper than actual Western fine dining!! If you want truly delicious Western food in Dongin-dong, I recommend visiting Burnish Resto without hesitation!