Italian pasta restaurant at Gapyeong Market with jambon salad: Pinoli

I heard a real Italian home-style restaurant had opened in Gapyeong, so I went to check it out. It's a new spot that opened a few months ago on the first floor of the Startup Economy Town inside Gapyeong Market, and a friend who'd already been couldn't stop raving about it. I can't stand not knowing something once I'm curious, so I made plans with my friend right away and went for lunch-slash-brunch.

Where is Pinoli, and what are its hours and parking?

• Address: 1F 111, Jangteo 2-gil, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do (inside Startup Economy Town)
• Hours: 11:00 – 15:00 (last order 13:50)
• Closed: Every Monday and Tuesday
• Signature menu: Pasta ₩14,900, Lasagna ₩15,900, Saltato ₩15,900, Pinoli Salad ₩9,900–₩12,900
• Parking: 2 hours free with the Startup Economy Town public parking lot

What is the Pinoli dining room like?

Pinoli is right near the entrance on the first floor of Startup Economy Town, so it's easy to find. Walking in, the whole place felt cozy and warm in a really comfortable way. Even though it's not a big space, the tables are spaced generously apart so it never feels cramped.

That made it a great spot to chat away over lunch with a friend, and it seemed like it'd be comfortable for families with kids too. Word seems to have already gotten out, because quite a lot of people came in right around lunchtime.

Apparently popular items like the lasagna and tiramisu sell out fast if you're even a little late, so if you have your heart set on a specific dish, the tip is to get there a bit early.

What to order for brunch at Pinoli

Pinoli says it uses a homemade seasoning soy sauce as its base, aged 24 hours with 19 natural ingredients, aromatic juices, lemon, and Gapyeong apples. On top of that, they use local produce like Gapyeong pine nuts, grapes, apples, and tomatoes — the care that goes into it is no joke. We ordered the jambon-topped Pinoli salad, the signature Pinoli pasta, and homemade

meatball garlic fried rice.

Pinoli salad with jambon ham and crackers

The owner apparently makes the jambon ham in the salad by hand. It wasn't salty and had a savory, chewy texture, and piling it onto the crackers that came with it was a delicious way to wake up my appetite before the meal.

If you're craving a refreshing salad for a full meal, this is a great salad spot to visit.

The signature Pinoli pasta

Pinoli's signature dish is a rosé-sauce-based pasta with a subtle spicy kick running through it, so it never got heavy and stayed refreshing to the last bite. The chewy noodles soaked up the sauce well, making it perfect to eat alternately with the salad.

I'd never had pasta noodles like this before. They were wide with curly ends, so the sauce soaked in beautifully, and the chewy texture was fantastic.

Homemade meatball garlic fried rice

Instead of plain white rice, it's fried with multigrain rice mixed with barley, giving it an appealing bite. Dipping the plump homemade meatballs generously in the sauce and eating them with the rice was so filling and satisfying as a full meal.

Homemade yeolmu pickles and truffle butter

The homemade yeolmu (young radish greens) pickles were really impressive. They had a crunchier texture than cucumber pickles and paired well with the savoriness of the fried rice — I wanted a refill.

Piling truffle butter and jam onto the crackers made me completely lose control and want to keep eating.

Water is self-serve. I keep forgetting.

Worth a visit in Gapyeong when you want more than dakgalbi

When people think of Gapyeong, they usually think of dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) or makguksu (buckwheat noodles), but trying this handmade, carefully made Italian home cooking for a different kind of meal is a really good choice too. Parking is easy, and it's inside Gapyeong Market where the five-day market is held, so it's convenient to browse the market afterward or head over to nearby Nami Island (Jara Island) or the rail bike area. If you're searching for Gapyeong brunch or Gapyeong pasta restaurants, or just wondering what to eat for lunch today, go experience comforting, well-made Italian cooking at Pinoli on the first floor of Startup Economy Town.