Tanbang-dong Italian anniversary dinner, beef lasagna: THE MUA

A record of visiting THE MUA, a great Daejeon date restaurant to go to when you want a special meal in a place with a good atmosphere.

Located in Tanbang-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, THE MUA is an Italian restaurant with a warm, cozy atmosphere — a great spot for a date, a blind date, or an anniversary meal when you want somewhere with good vibes.

This time we ordered the fresh-noodle Korean beef lazagna, the salmon saffron risotto, and the deep chocolate terrine that capped off the meal! The beef lazagna made with fresh noodles looked delicious just from the visual of the tomato sauce and cheese coming together, and the salmon saffron risotto also had my expectations up with its nutty, soft risotto topped with nicely seared salmon.

On top of that, the deep chocolate terrine with its rich chocolate flavor rounded things out perfectly, so we got to properly enjoy everything from the meal to dessert. If you've been looking for a good Daejeon date restaurant or a nice-atmosphere restaurant in Daejeon, THE MUA is worth considering. Today I'll go through the fresh-noodle Korean beef lazagna, salmon saffron risotto, and deep chocolate terrine one by one in detail :)

THE MUA hours and parking in Tanbang-dong

• Name: THE MUA
• Address: 35 Munjeong-ro 122beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon
• Hours: 11:00 – 21:00
• Break time: 15:00 – 17:00
• Last order: 20:20
• Closed every Sunday
• Parking: beside the store

How to get to THE MUA in Tanbang-dong, Daejeon

THE MUA is located along an alley behind Saedeungseonwon temple in Tanbang-dong.

If you're driving, you can park beside the restaurant or in the building's parking lot.

If you're taking public transit, it's a 3-minute walk from the Hangaram Apartment bus stop, or a 16-minute walk from Yongmun Station (Catholic Hospital) Exit 6.

Arrived at the clean-looking exterior of THE MUA~!

Let's head inside THE MUA, where you can enjoy great Western food.

Inside THE MUA: wood interior and private room seats

THE MUA's interior was very clean, stylish, and had a luxurious feel. It even has a room, so it seemed like a great spot for private gatherings or work dinners too.

The upscale wood finishes paired with warm lighting made for a great atmosphere for focusing on food and conversation. It'd also be a great spot for a blind date or a regular date.

You could really see the owner's eye for interior design in every little prop and light fixture. It felt less like a restaurant and more like stepping into a gallery to see art pieces on display.

THE MUA also sells wine at reasonable prices that pairs well with the Western food, so it'd be great to enjoy some alongside your meal.

THE MUA menu, phone pre-orders and corkage-free Thursdays

Here's THE MUA's menu. They serve a variety of pastas, risottos, croquettes, gnocchi, steak and more, and you can also enjoy them as sets.

For office workers whose every minute counts, they run a pre-order system — call ahead and your food will be ready to eat as soon as you arrive.

They also do corkage-free every Thursday, so you can bring alcohol they don't sell in-store and enjoy it together. For ordering, you can simply scan the QR code at your table.

My wife and I ordered the fresh-noodle Korean beef lazagna (1.99), salmon saffron risotto (1.69), and deep chocolate terrine (0.5).

Handmade pickles came out as a basic side. The sweet and tangy pickles went really well with the Western dishes.

Fresh-noodle Korean beef lasagna, 19,900 won: how does it taste?

THE MUA's signature dish made with fresh pasta noodles, the fresh-noodle Korean beef lazagna, ₩19,900. Doesn't the visual look incredibly appetizing?

You need to cut it into bite-sized pieces with a knife and eat it in one go to really get the full flavor — the nutty cheese, the soft texture of the Korean beef, the freshness of the fresh noodles, and the richness of the tomato sauce all came together like a single perfect work of art.

It had such a clean, refined flavor that it was genuinely a fresh shock — like, 'wow, this kind of taste exists?'

Eating the fresh-noodle Korean beef lazagna at THE MUA, I felt like it might be the best luxury you can enjoy in Daejeon for under 20,000 won.

Korean beef, fresh noodles, tomato sauce, mozzarella, grana padano, red wine, béchamel, basil oil — each ingredient came together to deliver the best possible flavor.

Salmon saffron risotto, 16,900 won: when to squeeze the lemon

The salmon saffron risotto, ₩16,900, made with saffron — the world's most expensive spice — aged salmon, onion, garlic, shrimp, risotto, and garlic chives. The salmon steak on top absolutely steals the show visually. I'd recommend eating a bit first before squeezing in the lemon that comes with it.

I scooped up a spoonful and took a bite — it had a really appealing rich yet clean, refreshing flavor.

I cut the salmon steak into big pieces and ate it together with the risotto — the deep, rich risotto paired with the soft salmon steak filled my mouth with flavor, and it was so good.

You could also feel the luxuriousness of the saffron spice, and it was the kind of dish that made me feel genuinely happy while eating it.

Squeezing in the lemon while eating lets you enjoy a different charm — it adds a fresher, more refreshing taste, and it was nice being able to taste the difference before and after adding it.

A fresh flavor I was tasting for the first time, with an addictive appeal that grew the more I ate — the salmon saffron risotto was great.

Deep chocolate terrine, 5,000 won: dessert to finish the course

A dessert made with no flour, packed with only rich dark chocolate and butter, soft and dense like pudding — the deep chocolate terrine, ₩5,000. It came with raspberry jam.

I got to enjoy a dense, rich chocolate flavor unlike anything I'd tasted before.

Eating it together with the raspberry jam added a refreshing touch that gave it a whole different kind of appeal.

The choco terrine gives you the ultimate happiness a dessert can offer after a meal. Honestly, this choco terrine gave me more sweetness than a gold bar would in my heart. You have to try it.

Who should book a table at THE MUA?

• When you want the best Western food in Daejeon
• When you want to go on a date with your partner somewhere with good vibes
• When you want to lift your mood with delicious food