Pasta date in Gwangju Suwan: napa Caesar & poached egg, Bueokgan

I finally had a proper date in the Suwan area with my partner in a long while, haha! There are tons of great restaurants in Suwan, and we went to Bueokgan Suwan Branch (부엌간 수완점), a pasta favorite!

Bueokgan is a Western restaurant with a great atmosphere for blind dates, wedding invitation meetups, dates and get-togethers!

Bueokgan Suwan Branch hours, parking and waiting

Bueokgan Suwan Branch is open daily 11:30–21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00. There's no private parking, so you'll need to park in the alley.

There may be a wait, so I recommend booking through Naver. They used to use Tabling, but now it's a handwritten waiting list. Waiting is tough, right? Everyone, please reserve before you go :)

Italian forest-themed interior and seating

Bueokgan Suwan Branch is decorated with an Italian forest feel, they say. We were lucky and got in without a wait, and maybe that's why it felt like sitting in a lush, green fairy tale.

Indoors there are bar seats, 2-person tables and 4-person tables, and there are tables on the outdoor terrace for nice-weather days. I want to eat on the terrace when I visit in spring or fall, haha. I bet the mood is amazing.

Looking around the interior is half the fun. They've decorated with the pasta, wine and cute cups they use.

You order right from the tablet on the table.

What should you order at Bueokgan Suwan Branch?

The must-order is the napa cabbage Caesar salad. I can say with confidence it's the number one on Bueokgan's menu, haha!

Pay money to order a salad? Yes! Order it. It's so good.

Bueokgan is great with salads. The grilled mushroom salad is good too.

I poured a cola while waiting for the food. Zero cola is a must with Western food, right?

At last, my trio arrived. The looks are insane!! And the portions are big, haha. I added a poached egg to the napa cabbage Caesar salad.

With all three dishes together they look even tastier, haha. Let me review them one by one.

1. Napa cabbage Caesar salad, and how to eat it with poached egg

For the napa cabbage Caesar salad, first snip off the root end at the top with scissors, then coat it generously in the sauce. There's something ham-like on top, so it's sweet-salty-sweet-salty and you keep eating. So good.

Try it original first, then spread out the poached egg and poke the napa cabbage into it.

That adds a nutty richness and makes it even better.

2. Shrimp anchovy oil pasta

The seasoning on the shrimp anchovy oil pasta is crazy good. I also love oil pasta so much. When it arrives, toss it together and eat it in one bite with a shrimp. The savory depth of the anchovy is no joke, haha.

3. Abalone cream risotto

The abalone cream risotto is thick and rich. If you think "I love cream," order this one. The nutty flavor is excellent.

Is oil pasta plus cream risotto too heavy?

If you don't handle rich food well, the combo of shrimp anchovy oil pasta and abalone cream risotto can feel a little heavy. I worried about ordering oil pasta alongside a cream risotto and wondered if I should get tomato pasta instead, but my partner said, "No! It's not heavy!!" But I can't do rich food well, so with oil pasta and cream risotto together it was a bit heavy.

Next time, if I order the cream risotto, I'll get the tomato pasta, haha. Ugh... both are so good I can't give either up. Better yet, next time I'll bring more people and order a variety of dishes. Smart, right? Hehe, I never plan to eat less.

Verdict: a good spot for a Suwan date or blind date?

If you're planning a date, blind date or wedding invitation meetup in Suwan and wondering where to go, I recommend Bueokgan Suwan Branch. The dishes are better than the basics and the atmosphere is so good, haha.

It's open for weekday brunch, lunch and dinner, so if you want tasty brunch or pasta, I recommend giving it a visit!!!