Gwangju date-night restaurant: cuttlefish and minari at Suwanjigu Form

2026.08.05

After our kid's dad, aka Sotteok Papa, took an extra day off following our family vacation, we dropped our little Sotteok off and finally got to enjoy a rare date just the two of us — at Suwanjigu Form, a restaurant in the Suwan district of Gwangju. They had a summer season menu going, so I got to try that too, and honestly, just being on a date without our kid made everything taste even better and feel even more romantic, like we were dating again. It's a Blue Ribbon restaurant known for using seasonal ingredients, and I'd been saying 'let's go, let's go' for ages — finally made it there with Sotteok Papa for a really nice meal.

Suwanjigu Form hours, parking and reservations

Suwanjigu Form is open Monday to Saturday from 12:00 to 22:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:30. Last order is at 14:00 and 21:00. It's closed every Sunday, plus the second and fourth Monday of each month.

• Hours: Mon–Sat 12:00–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:30
• Last order: 14:00, 21:00
• Closed every Sunday
• Closed 2nd and 4th Monday of each month

The space isn't very big and there can be a wait at lunchtime, so it's best to book through Naver reservations before you go.

For parking, there are 2–3 spots in front of and beside Suwanjigu Form, or you can use the roadside or the public parking lot about 2–3 minutes on foot.

This is the Suwan district restaurant I'd wanted to visit for the longest time — Suwanjigu Form. It's a Blue Ribbon spot with great ambience too, and Sotteok Papa and I kept saying 'let's go' without ever actually going, until finally, today was the day.

Five tables, an open kitchen and the summer menu at Suwanjigu Form

Suwanjigu Form has an open kitchen, so you can trust what you're eating. There are only about five tables inside, so definitely book ahead for your dinner date. Since I reserved for two, we got to sit exactly where we wanted.

There are two menus — a summer season menu and the regular menu. I ordered the summer season's cuttlefish dish with fresh tomato sauce, minari (water celery), and anchovy breadcrumbs, plus the pork tenderloin dish with spicy romesco sauce, pickled cucumber, and apple coulis.

Wine recommendations and ingredients from the early-morning market

All the dishes at Suwanjigu Form pair well with drinks, so there's a big wine selection. The owner has actually gone to wine tastings himself, so if you don't know much about wine, just ask and he'll recommend something to suit your taste. The food is sourced fresh from the dawn market every day and made and sold same-day, so some menu items might be unavailable if they sell out.

It's been so long since it's just been the two of us that it felt kind of awkward, haha. My husband was glued to his phone, but he still showed up for our date, so I'll forgive him for today. Once the food arrived though, he was more excited than anyone — that's the guy I love hanging out with.

What does the summer cuttlefish with minari taste like?

The summer season's cuttlefish dish comes with minari, anchovy breadcrumbs, and fresh tomato sauce. Just looking at it made me hungry.

Sotteok Papa cut up the plump cuttlefish for me. Whenever there's something to slice or grill, he always takes care of it, and it makes me so happy — kind of a bragging moment for my husband, haha.

Wow, it was clean and light, and the tomato sauce paired so well with the anchovy breadcrumbs. Sotteok Papa let out a 'wow' the moment he tasted it too, saying it was light but kept making you want another bite. The cuttlefish was especially plump since it's in season, so the texture was soft and lovely.

Romesco pork tenderloin with potato chips and pickled young radish

After the cuttlefish, the pork tenderloin dish came out next. These dishes are only on the menu in summer, so writing this review is making me crave them all over again — I think we'll have to sneak off for another quiet date soon.

The pork tenderloin dish comes with spicy sauce and pickled cucumber. As for the potato chips, apparently the owner tried a version made by a Mexican friend of his and adjusted it to suit Korean tastes. I remembered everything being so salty when I traveled to the US and Mexico, but eating the pork tenderloin together with pickled cucumber and the potato chips wasn't salty at all — it was exactly right for a Korean palate.

Perfect for Sotteok Papa's taste too. There's a hint of spice, but it disappears when eaten with the young radish kimchi (yeolmu jangajji) that comes alongside. I'd never had it before, and it was so good I wanted to try making it myself.

Finishing with melon sorbet

Dessert to finish: melon sorbet. The sweet-tart combination with the melon is fantastic. Eating it right at the end of the meal felt so refreshing, like the flavor just spread cleanly through my mouth.

Is Suwanjigu Form a good date spot for couples?

Suwanjigu Form, a Gwangju restaurant in Suwan, more than held up for a couple's date, with great ambience and great food. Since it's an open kitchen, you can watch the food being made, and having a summer-only season menu made for a satisfying, atmospheric, delicious date with Sotteok Papa.

The squid the owner sourced fresh from the dawn market was so plump and paired so well with the tomato sauce that it would even be a great dish for kids, and the pork tenderloin served with potato chips was a fun, unusual combination — the slight spiciness kept it from feeling heavy, which I loved.

I'd wanted to come here for so long, and taking it easy on a date with just Sotteok Papa was so nice that next time, I want to bring our little Sotteok along too.