Shrimp rosé pane at Garlic Cook & Story, an Italian spot in Ilsan

With the weather so nice lately, a lot of you are probably planning an Ilsan date or outing, right? A little while ago I went to see Odyssey at CGV and afterward stopped by Garlic Cook & Story, where I got to enjoy proper pasta and great-value Western food.

It's located in Western Dome in Ilsan, so it's really easy to get to, and I fell for the generous, delicious pasta.

Where is Garlic Cook & Story Western Dome, and how do you get there?

This Western Dome favorite sits on the 2nd floor of Western Dome, so accessibility is excellent. Ilsan Cha Hospital and NC Department Store are nearby, and CGV is in the same building, making it a great route for shopping or a movie followed by a meal.

It's also close to Ilsan Lake Park, Ilsan Culture Plaza, and Lotte Department Store Ilsan, so it's a great pick for a weekend Ilsan date course.

Inside Garlic Cook & Story: a warm room and an owner who shops the dawn market

This Western Dome favorite was a cozy space, great for a couple's Western Dome date or catching up with friends over a chat. The layout is spacious, so it also works well as a lunch spot for office workers near Western Dome in Ilsan. I'd also recommend it for a weekend family meal or family gathering. It's good with kids, and good for solo dining too~

The owner of Garlic Cook & Story reportedly lives in Guri, and every single morning heads straight to the Guri agricultural and marine products market to personally check and select only the freshest ingredients to cook with. Made carefully each day with the freshest ingredients available, the depth and freshness of the sauce is on another level.

Naver reviews are full of praise, and I could tell it's popular on Baemin, Yogiyo, and Coupang Eats too. For reference, both delivery and takeout are available, so it's great to order and enjoy comfortably at home too!

What's on the menu at Garlic Cook & Story?

Garlic Cook & Story has a really wide range of menu options.

• Various pasta & risotto: countless pastas and risottos to choose from — tomato, cream, oil, rosé — to suit your taste
• Pizza & hamburg steak: a crispy, savory Western Dome pizza lineup and a hearty Ilsan hamburg steak
• Drinks & highballs: cool highballs perfect for the cozy atmosphere, plus beer, zero-sugar cola for something lighter, and other sodas — fully stocked!

The value is so good that ordering several dishes to share felt totally guilt-free.

What we ordered: shrimp rosé pane pasta and a zero-sugar cola

After much deliberation, what I ordered was one of this Ilsan pasta spot's most popular items — the shrimp rosé pane (tomato + cream) pasta — along with a cool zero-sugar cola!

The shrimp rosé pane, with its rich, thick sauce that's a work of art, was overwhelming from the visuals alone! Inside the freshly baked, big, savory pane bread, the rich rosé sauce was piled in so generously it nearly overflowed.

The sauce balance was perfect. The bright tang of the tomato and the savory, smooth cream came together in just the right ratio.

There were so many plump, springy whole shrimp in there. True to ingredients personally selected each dawn, the shrimp were incredibly fresh and plump, with a springy bite that really came through.

The pane bread's charm can't be overlooked either. Soaking it fully in the rosé sauce let the sauce's deep flavor soak right into the bread — truly delicious. I'm still thinking about that taste~

It's clearly not for nothing that Garlic Cook & Story has become known as a go-to Ilsan pasta spot.

Free self-serve pickles and a vitamin drink on the house

You can freely grab pickles from the self-serve bar too~ and I enjoyed them a lot.

Once you're seated, a staff member brings you a vitamin, telling you to take care of your immunity~ So after eating, I took a vitamin for the first time in a while and felt recharged.

Is Garlic Cook & Story Western Dome worth a visit in Ilsan?

Right in the heart of Ilsan's Western Dome, full of things to do, this spot boasts both perfect value and a satisfying experience.

• Sincerity: fresh ingredients personally checked and selected each dawn at the Guri agricultural and marine products market
• Taste: genuinely delicious, deep-flavored sauce pasta & a rich menu lineup
• Convenience: no break time, delivery/takeout available (ranked highly on Baemin, Yogiyo, Coupang Eats)
• Service: touching kindness, plus a vitamin gift to look after your immunity!

If you're looking for an Ilsan date, a lunch gathering, or a family dining spot to take the kids to, don't hesitate — go visit. I'm planning to come back next time to try the highball pairing~

Garlic Cook & Story Western Dome: hours, address and delivery

Garlic Cook & Story Western Dome is located at Western Dome Building B, Unit 208, 24 Jeongbalsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, and is open 11:00–21:00 with no break time.