Hanam Western restaurant: lasagna and Hanwoo striploin for 2, Bokkeriu

Last Friday, my husband and I both took the day off and went on a weekday date for the first time in a while. Since we finally had a day off together, I wanted dinner somewhere with a nice atmosphere. That's how we found Bokkeriu, on the Han River bank in Misa. The river-view restaurant is what drew me in, and with a huge Christmas tree set up, we got to enjoy a year-end mood earlier than expected. I had the lasagna I love and he had the steak he loves. Here's our Misa dinner date :)

Bokkeriu hours, parking and reservations

Bokkeriu is at 102-19 Misadong-ro, Hanam-si, Gyeonggi, and is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11:30–22:00. Break time is 16:30–17:30, last order is 14:00 for lunch and 20:00 for dinner, and it's closed every Monday.

• Dedicated parking lot in front of the restaurant
• Naver reservations available
• Private rooms (minimum 8, up to 20 people)
• Corkage available
• Rooftop
• Venue rental available

What are Bokkeriu's building and parking lot like?

Bokkeriu is a building with dark outer walls and a beige awning. The old name, Trunang, is still on the sign on the wall, and you can see the Bokkeriu name on the entrance awning.

Parking was the easiest part. There's a spacious dedicated lot right in front of the restaurant, so it's no trouble to come by car.

After parking, we went in through the entrance and climbed the stairs to the restaurant on the 2nd floor.

Bokkeriu's second-floor dining room and Christmas tree

Stepping into the 2nd floor of Bokkeriu, a sparkling Christmas tree caught my eye. A big tree with red ornaments and lights made it feel like year-end had already arrived.

Wooden tables, soft lighting and green plants here and there all went together nicely. Plates and cutlery were neatly set on the tables and small lights were on, which was perfect for an evening date mood.

If you're planning a Christmas date or an anniversary meal, it's a good idea to check dates and times in advance through Naver reservations. The restrooms were separated by gender, and the stalls were roomy too :)

Bokkeriu steak set for 2: what's included and the price

We chose the Bokkeriu steak set for 2, ₩118,000. It starts with bread, soup and salad, then includes a pasta, a 200g Hanwoo (Korean beef) striploin steak, a homemade dessert and 2 drinks. According to the menu, switching to risotto costs ₩4,000 extra, adding 100g of steak is ₩30,000, and switching to ade is ₩2,000.

• Pasta choice — lasagna
• Steak doneness — medium rare
• Homemade dessert — cheesecake
• Drinks — hot chamomile and Earl Grey

The dessert options were cheesecake and tiramisu, but tiramisu was sold out that day, so they prepared cheesecake for us.

How were the corn soup, kelp butter bread and salad?

In the Bokkeriu set for 2, the soup, bread and salad came out first.

The soup that day was corn soup. You could chew on corn kernels in the smooth soup, so the texture never got boring, and it was warm and a good way to start the meal, one spoonful at a time.

The bread came with kelp butter. The bread was good on its own, but spread with the butter it was even better. Please have the bread with the kelp butter :)

The salad had fresh greens and quite a generous amount of cheese. With cherry tomatoes, olives and nuts added, every bite had a different crunch.

It didn't feel like just eating light greens; you get cheese and several ingredients together, which was perfect for whetting the appetite before the meal.

Set drinks: hot chamomile and Earl Grey tea

It was cold, so we asked for hot chamomile and Earl Grey as our set drinks. The tea came early in the meal, and at first I thought, "Wouldn't it be better with dessert?" But once I tried it, it was good. Sipping tea between bites left my mouth feeling clean, so it went well all through the meal.

How was the lasagna we chose as the set pasta?

For the pasta in the Bokkeriu set for 2, I chose my favorite, lasagna. Finely grated cheese was piled generously over the layered pasta sheets, and it looked delicious the moment it arrived. When you cut it, you can see the cross-section of layers, so I was excited even before the first bite.

Eaten with the tomato sauce and cheese, the flavors blended well, and the stacked layers made it filling too. If you usually like lasagna, it's worth picking as the set's pasta.

Hanwoo striploin steak cooked medium rare

The Hanwoo striploin steak my husband had been waiting for, we asked for medium rare. The outside was nicely seared and the inside still had some red, so it came out just the way we wanted. Above all, there was nothing tough about it and it chewed tenderly, which was satisfying.

It came with grilled vegetables and mushrooms, which were well seasoned and went nicely alternating with the meat. Sharing a bite of lasagna and a slice of steak, we each got to enjoy the dish we love together, which was nice.

Homemade cheesecake for dessert

The last item in the Bokkeriu set is homemade cheesecake. Cut with a fork, it was dense inside, and a bite gave a thick, rich texture and a deep cheese flavor.

The crunchy topping sprinkled on top and around had a texture that reminded me of the outer coating of a Dwaeji Bar (a Korean ice cream bar). Crunch added to the dense cake made it fun to eat, and we ended on a happy note with dessert.

The meal took about 1 hour. If you want to talk and eat more slowly, leaving about 1 hour 30 minutes would be good.

An after-dinner walk along the Misa Han River bank

Right in front of Bokkeriu there are stairs connecting to the Han River walking path, so after eating you can walk right away without getting in a car. We didn't go straight home either; we walked along the river a little with my husband.

Walking beside the trees lined up under the streetlights was a nice way to end the evening date. But it was quite cold that day, so we kept the walk short, about 10 minutes. On chilly days, bring warm outerwear :)

Verdict: what kind of date is Bokkeriu good for?

Bokkeriu was a satisfying date spot with my husband, since we could eat steak and pasta and then continue to a walk along the river. What stays with me are the tenderly cooked steak, the kelp butter with the bread, and the dense cheesecake. The set for 2 also includes everything from starters to dessert and drinks, so ordering was easy.

Thanks to the big tree we got a taste of the year-end mood early, so it also came to mind as a Christmas date spot. This time we had warm tea, but I think it would also suit an evening of steak with a glass of wine :)

Who Bokkeriu is best for

• People looking for a restaurant with a nice date atmosphere in Misa
• People planning a Christmas or anniversary meal
• People who want steak and pasta as a set
• People who want easy parking and a Han River walk after eating

From tender steak to a riverside walk, a Misa date with a early taste of year-end mood!