Gwangju brunch restaurant: abalone cream risotto à la carte, Bueokgan

My husband and I finally got to have a lunch date together, just the two of us :) These days it's become our everyday life to go everywhere with our kid, so it had been a real while since we last sat down and ate leisurely, just chatting haha. That day we wanted somewhere with a nice atmosphere and good food, and after looking around I kept seeing Bueokgan Sangmu Branch come up as a brunch spot in Sangmu, so we went!

I wanted pasta, I wanted pizza, and I couldn't give up risotto either, so just picking the menu took forever lol.

Where is Bueokgan Sangmu Branch? Hours and parking

Bueokgan Sangmu Branch is on the 1st floor at 25 Seogwangju-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, and it's open daily from 11:00 to 22:00. Break time is 16:00–16:30, and last order is 21:00.

• 📍 25 Seogwangju-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, South Korea, 1st floor — very easy to reach by car from Sangmu district!
• ⏰ Daily 11:00–22:00 / Break time 16:00–16:30 / Last order 21:00
• 🪑 Baby chairs available ⭕⭕
• 🚗 Private parking lot behind the building

You know how hard parking is in Sangmu, right,, Bueokgan Sangmu Branch has its own private lot so parking was really easy!

What the Sangmu brunch restaurant looks like inside

The moment we walked into Bueokgan Sangmu Branch, the vibe was noticeably different from a typical Western restaurant.

It has a classic yet warm feel overall, so even though we came for lunch it felt like we were out on a proper date haha.

I saw a lot of reviews mentioning people visiting for dates or meals with friends, and since it was rare for the two of us to be out alone that day, I think that atmosphere meant even more to us :)

✅ They also have plenty of baby chairs!!

Why we ordered à la carte instead of the couple set

The couple set at Bueokgan Sangmu Branch requires picking a salad, so we ordered three à la carte dishes instead. We thought about the couple set at first, but that day we wanted pasta + risotto + pizza rather than a salad lol. So we just each picked a dish we wanted and ordered them individually. There were so many options that it was hard to choose, but everything looked delicious, so we picked from the dishes we'd been wanting to try!

What we ordered:

• 🍝 Shrimp rosé pasta ₩20,000
• 🍚 Abalone cream risotto ₩20,000
• 🍕 Rocket prosciutto pizza

Those three! Laid out together, it really looked like we'd come for a proper lunch haha. The portions were good for two, and more than anything, the three dishes each had their own charm so it was great for sharing. ⭐ If you eat a lot, I'd say order three dishes for two people! It was just the right amount :)

Shrimp rosé pasta, 20,000 won

First up, the shrimp rosé pasta! I ordered it thinking a rosé pasta with shrimp would be a safe, solid choice from the start.

Actually, I was a little worried when ordering — wouldn't rosé pasta + cream risotto + pizza all together be too heavy? lol. But it turned out much lighter than expected. The rosé sauce had its signature soft, savory flavor, and with the shrimp added there was extra umami, so overall it was surprisingly light to eat. I actually like rich, heavy food too, so I loved this combination :)

The sauce coated the pasta really well too — thick and rich and honestly delicious!

Best dish of the day: abalone cream risotto

Honestly, the abalone cream risotto was the most memorable dish for me that day.

I originally thought of the pasta and pizza as the mains, but once I tasted this, I was like, wait, this is really good lol. Cream risotto can easily end up too heavy or taste like nothing but cream. But this one was surprisingly light. And the abalone was really the highlight!

It wasn't just a couple of token pieces of abalone — you could really feel the chewy texture when you bit into it, and the more you chewed, the more the abalone's distinct flavor and umami came through. Add the abalone's chewiness and oceanic aroma to the soft, savory cream risotto, and the flavor felt so much richer. If I had to put it into words: the savoriness of soft cream + the chewy texture of abalone + deep umami — that was the combination :)

Rocket prosciutto pizza with a drop of hot sauce

For pizza, we chose the rocket prosciutto pizza.

Piled high with rocket (arugula), it was already my kind of style just visually :) The salty flavor of the prosciutto paired with the slightly bitter rocket was delicious even on its own. But here's the combination we discovered — a light drizzle of hot sauce!

It really worked so well. Since the pasta and risotto were both cream-based, drizzling a bit of hot sauce on the pizza in between bites totally cut through the richness.

Rocket's bitterness + prosciutto's saltiness + hot sauce's spiciness — I really liked this combo haha. We each polished off about 3 slices in no time haha;

A long-overdue lunch date with my husband

Honestly, more than the food itself, what I loved that day was just getting to eat leisurely with my husband again after a long time. Chatting over good food, eating slowly and enjoying the atmosphere — it felt so good!

So for me, Bueokgan Sangmu Branch felt less like just a place to go eat pasta, and more like

A place good for a lunch date where you can enjoy the atmosphere along with the food

That's the feeling I got. If you're looking for a nice-atmosphere brunch, pasta, pizza or risotto spot in Sangmu, it's worth a visit :)

Is Bueokgan Sangmu Branch worth a visit?

Bueokgan Sangmu Branch, the Sangmu brunch spot my husband and I finally visited together for lunch after a long while :) We tried a bit of everything — pasta, risotto and pizza — and overall the dishes were lighter than expected, with the abalone cream risotto standing out most for me.

The chewy texture and rich flavor of the abalone paired so well with the cream risotto that I think I'd order it again next time haha. If you're looking for a nice-atmosphere spot for a relaxed lunch date with your husband or partner in Sangmu, this one's worth considering :) We're planning to try other dishes next time!