Hongdae Yeonnam pasta with barley risotto: Rangteu Yeonnam

It had been a while since I visited Yeonnam-dong, but I've got a Western food spot to recommend that nails portion size, taste, AND atmosphere‼️ It's Rangteu, located in Hongdae's Yeonnam neighborhood🍝 Super easy to get to, so I swung by quickly.

What we ordered at Rangteu Yeonnam and the prices

• Yuja wild greens pasta ₩18,900
• Red snow crab bisque shrimp risotto ₩19,300

The menu had so much variety that I genuinely struggled to decide what to get…🗽 After a lot of deliberation, we went with one pasta and one risotto, and it turned out to be the perfect combo!

White tones and green plants: the vibe at Rangteu Yeonnam

The interior hit my taste the moment I walked in… white walls with green plants scattered everywhere gave it a relaxed, cafe-like feel even though it's a proper restaurant, with a hip edge to it🌿 The lighting was soft and dim, great for photos, and the background music was mellow enough for easy conversation‼️ It was exactly the kind of place you could talk quietly while eating, and the open-kitchen-style counter had real character. Being Western food, it's obviously great for a date, but it's also totally solid for catching up with a friend over a meal🙆‍♂️

Starter: white kimchi

A plate of white kimchi (baek-kimchi) arrived before the meal! Tangy and crisp, it woke up my palate right before the richer pasta and risotto dishes👌 It also worked perfectly as a palate cleanser between bites to cut through the richness, and matched the white color scheme too — I kept reaching for it👍 Such a small side dish, but the care put into it raised my expectations right from the start!

How does the yuja wild greens pasta taste?

Time for the full introduction of the yuja wild greens pasta🍝! Fresh romaine and stonecrop piled high across the bowl, with chewy capellini noodles and a tangy-sweet yuja-doenjang (citron-soybean paste) dressing that made my mouth feel completely refreshed with the first bite🧡 Fried shrimp and crispy lotus root chips rounded it out, making the plate look colorful and pretty😍 It's light rather than heavy, so it felt perfect for a hot day or when you don't have much appetite! Not as heavy as a cream pasta, but definitely not a small portion — great value for money‼️

I twirled the noodles and greens together on my fork for a big bite! The crunch of the lotus root chips mixed with the chewy noodles made for a fun texture, and the subtle yuja aroma with just-right tanginess kept me going back for more🍴 It stayed clean and light all the way through with never a hint of heaviness, and the fried shrimp's coating stayed crisp to the very last bite🍤

Red snow crab bisque shrimp risotto and its barley texture

The red snow crab bisque sauce on this risotto was genuinely deep and rich, topped generously with smoky charred shrimp and stir-fried bok choy🥵 doesn't that just make your mouth water🦀 Made with barley instead of regular rice, it had a distinct chewy, popping texture that set it apart from any risotto I've had elsewhere ㅎㅅㅎ It leaned more toward umami than saltiness, so I could eat it comfortably all the way through without it feeling too intense🧡

I scooped up a big spoonful — the creamy, salty, savory bisque sauce with the plump shrimp and smoky bok choy all coming together in one bite was so hearty and satisfying‼️ The umami kept building with every bite, the kind of flavor that has you scooping it up nonstop… It would work great as a drinking snack or as a full meal💯 It felt like the kind of dish that would pair really well with a glass of wine or a highball..

Is the portion enough for two?

Seeing the pasta and risotto laid out together like this, the portions were genuinely generous and the presentation so pretty that I had fun taking photos the whole meal📸 It worked well whether sharing between two people or each ordering your own dish to eat full, and the value for money was solid! If you're looking for a Western restaurant in Yeonnam-dong with a great atmosphere and hearty portions, I genuinely recommend Rangteu‼️

It's a great spot for a relaxed brunch with a friend or a dinner date with a partner.