Daegu pasta restaurant with mala rosé beef brisket: Palette Hannam

I was meeting a friend in Dongseong-ro to finally hand over my wedding invitation, and that day I also got the happy news that she's pregnant. When I asked what she wanted to eat, she said pasta, so I searched for good pasta spots in Dongseong-ro and ended up at Palette Hannam. It's right in the middle of Dongseong-ro so it's easy to get to, and the vibe is clean and put-together — a solid pick for a Dongseong-ro date, a meetup with a friend, or even a blind date.

Where is Palette Hannam Daegu Dongseong-ro Branch?

Palette Hannam sits right in the middle of Dongseong-ro's main street, so it wasn't hard to find at all.

It's on the second floor of the building, which is a great spot to duck into for a meal while shopping or wandering around Dongseong-ro — you don't need to go far out of your way. It's good for meeting up with a friend like we did, and easy to pair with a café or shopping stop before or after, so it should work well for anyone looking for a Dongseong-ro date spot.

Inside Palette Hannam: a second-floor room for dates and meetups

The inside is clean but with a sense of mood women tend to like. It's not a loud bar-type atmosphere, but not an overly formal restaurant either — the kind of in-between feel that works well for meeting a friend or even for a Dongseong-ro blind date!

What's on the menu at Palette Hannam Dongseong-ro

The menu ranges from pasta to gnocchi to steak, so it'd be great for a group where everyone can order to their own taste. We actually wanted to order steak too, but it was sold out that day — a bummer haha. Instead we ordered two pastas and a gnocchi and had a proper carb party lol.

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How do the mala rosé, basil shrimp pasta and cream cheese gnocchi taste?

Everything was set on the table! Looked delicious, and I was surprised by how generous the portions were. 😆

Beef brisket mala rosé pasta, 18,900 won

A combo that's hard to make taste bad just from the name alone — beef brisket mala rosé pasta! The soft, thick rosé sauce with that distinct tingly mala flavor gave it a clearly different appeal from an ordinary rosé pasta.

At first it tastes creamy and savory, and the mala aroma and spiciness build up subtly as you keep eating, so it never got tiring even after a while. With smoky beef brisket and plump shrimp on top, the flavor got even richer. If you like mala that's mild and creamy rather than overwhelmingly strong, I'd recommend this one.

Basil shrimp pasta, 17,900 won

If the beef brisket mala rosé is rich and thick, the basil shrimp pasta felt a lot fresher thanks to its fragrant basil aroma.

The basil aroma spreading through your mouth paired well with the springy texture of the shrimp, and the shrimp's subtle savoriness made this a dish I kept reaching for more than expected! The two pastas were clearly different in flavor, so it was good to alternate between them. If a group of you are going for pasta in Dongseong-ro, I'd suggest ordering one cream or rosé style and one basil style to share.

Cream cheese gnocchi, 16,900 won

And then there was the cream cheese gnocchi I'd personally been curious about. One bite in, the chewy-yet-fluffy texture came through, blending richly with the savory cream cheese sauce.

Cream dishes can get heavy after a while, but there was a spicy seasoning sprinkled on top that was a low-key highlight. After the savory, smooth cream flavor, a little kick of spice came through and cut the richness, so I kept reaching for more than I expected.

Is Palette Hannam Dongseong-ro worth it?

A day I met a friend to hand over a wedding invitation and ended up getting the happy news that she's pregnant, plus a good meal together. ♡ We went because she wanted pasta, and the food turned out tastier than expected, so we both left satisfied. It's right in the center of Dongseong-ro so it's easy to get to, and the atmosphere isn't intimidating, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for good food in Dongseong-ro, a Dongseong-ro date spot, or a blind date spot. Next time I want to go back to Palette Hannam and finally try the steak we missed out on because it was sold out.