Gwangju Italian restaurant: big-shrimp rosé pasta in Sangmu, Bueokgan

If you're looking for pasta in Sangmu, keep Bueokgan (부엌간) Sangmu Branch on your radar haha The shrimp rosé pasta and jambon pizza catch your eye, and so does the European-style interior.

Bueokgan Sangmu Branch visit info

• Location: 25 Seogwangju-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 1F
• Hours: daily 11:00–22:00 / break time 16:00–16:30
• Last order: 21:00
• Signature dishes: truffle mushroom cream gnocchi, shrimp rosé pasta, jambon pizza and more
• Ordered this visit: sweet pumpkin soup, shrimp rosé pasta, jambon pizza, zero-sugar cola
• Prices: sweet pumpkin soup ₩8,000 / shrimp rosé pasta ₩20,000 / jambon pizza ₩24,000
• Parking: private parking lot
• Restrooms: separate men's and women's restrooms

The break time is only 30 minutes, so if you're visiting in the afternoon, all you need to check is 16:00–16:30.

A European feel that starts from the outside

Looking at the whole building from outside, Bueokgan's exterior really stands out. The black exterior walls, big windows and the BUUK sign in the middle give it a vibe that's clearly different from the buildings around it.

There are outdoor tables set up outside the restaurant too. Small round tables and rattan-style chairs are set out, with street trees running right alongside, so it feels different from the inside again.

Window seats and wall seats, a different feel at every table

From the window side, Bueokgan's signature atmosphere hit me right away. Beyond the black frames you can see green trees and sky, and classic little props are charmingly arranged along the windowsill.

The seats along the wall feel different from the main hall again. White molded walls with mirrors and classic wall lamps give it a slightly calmer, cleaner mood.

By the window there are also these curved booth seats that wrap around you. The checkered backrest with a dark wood frame makes them feel a little cozier than the other seats.

From sweet pumpkin soup to jambon pizza and rosé pasta

The sweet pumpkin soup has a striking, vivid yellow color. With a drizzle of oil in the center and crushed nuts on top, the plating looks far cleaner than a plain soup.

Seen from the side, the color of the sweet pumpkin soup looks even more vivid. It contrasts with the white bowl, so the visual is clean too.

With the jambon pizza and rosé pasta set side by side, the table looks pretty generous. The pizza spreads out wide and the pasta puts the shrimp front and center, so the two dishes don't overlap visually, a decent combo to order together, right?? haha

Up close, the jambon pizza's toppings are quite lavish. Between the thin slices of jambon you can see cherry tomatoes, pistachios and grated cheese, so the visual is really on point!!

Shrimp rosé pasta with big, standout shrimp

The shrimp rosé pasta's orange sauce grabs your attention right away. Big shrimp and button mushrooms peek out between the noodles, and there's plenty of sauce, so the plate has presence all on its own.

I picked up one of the shrimp from the shrimp rosé pasta. It looked big enough to nearly fill the fork, and the surface was evenly coated in rosé sauce.

This time I picked up noodles and shrimp together. The noodles are coated in rosé sauce too, and the shrimp comes right along with them haha

Overall verdict on what we ordered

• Of the dishes ordered this time, the shrimp rosé pasta and jambon pizza stood out as the mains. With ingredients you can see right away, like the big shrimp and jambon toppings, they had a definite presence even in photos.
• Bueokgan Sangmu Branch was memorable for its interior as well as the food. With high ceilings, brick arches and window booth seats, the mood was a little different at every table.
• At ₩8,000 for the sweet pumpkin soup, ₩20,000 for the shrimp rosé pasta and ₩24,000 for the jambon pizza, the three mains came to ₩52,000 in total. It should suit anyone who wants to enjoy pasta and pizza with some atmosphere in Sangmu.