Lobster lunch course for couples in seated room: Tams Badaetgaja

My husband and I were trying to figure out where to go for a leisurely lunch together, and we ended up at Tams Badaetgaja. I wanted something a bit different from our usual meals, so I looked up lobster course restaurants in Gwangju. The atmosphere was nice and we could eat comfortably in a private room, so it seemed like it'd work well not just for a date but as a spot for a sangyeonrye (formal meeting of families before marriage) or a first-birthday family gathering in Gwangju too. We had the lunch special Tams half course, and it was satisfying from start to finish, right down to dessert.

How much parking is there?

Tams Badaetgaja is in Jisan-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju. When you're driving, parking is always a bit of a worry.

This place has its own private lot with room for up to 30 cars at once. So even for a first-birthday family gathering in Gwangju where several families show up by car, the parking stress is much lower.

When you're hunting for a sangyeonrye restaurant in Gwangju, parking is always one of the first things you check, so this was a nice plus.

From seated rooms to a 38-person group room: the interior

What I liked most about Tams Badaetgaja was the private room dining. Even though it was just my husband and me, eating in a room while chatting comfortably made a real difference to the mood of the meal.

Both the hall and the rooms have full-length windows, so it doesn't feel closed in, and the overall look is quite clean.

Tams Badaetgaja also had a range of room styles. There are seated rooms and table-style rooms, and some rooms let you drop your legs under the table, which makes dining more comfortable. A seated room would probably be easier if you have a baby with you, and being able to pick a room to match your family's needs made it seem like a good spot for a first-birthday family gathering in Gwangju too.

By adjusting the partitions between rooms, up to 38 people can be seated together, which fits well for a first-birthday family gathering in Gwangju. That's also a good reason for anyone looking for a quiet sangyeonrye restaurant in Gwangju.

For a meal with parents, or an anniversary where the atmosphere matters, a room like this would definitely be comfortable.

What's in the lunch special Tams half course, and the price

We picked the Tams half course, which is available as the lunch special. It's a nice way to enjoy a lobster course in Gwangju for lunch without it feeling too heavy.

The lunch special can be ordered until 2 PM, and the Tams half course is ₩37,000 per person.

The course starts light with a salad,

then jellyfish salad, warm cream soup, and lobster broth thin noodles came out one after another. And then, the main event — lobster! Tams Badaetgaja notes that it uses grade-A live lobster.

If you're the type who cares about freshness when looking for a lobster course restaurant in Gwangju, this is worth noting. Since the courses come out one at a time, it's also great for chatting slowly over the meal, and I could see why people pick this as a sangyeonrye restaurant in Gwangju after visiting myself.

How was the lobster and fried rice?

The lobster was, of course, what I was most looking forward to.

The texture was plump and chewy, and there was a subtle, pleasant hint of butter aroma.

It was fairly easy to pick the meat off, so my husband and I dug in enthusiastically, saying how good it was.

Having some warm broth partway through felt like it reset our palates.

Topping the fried rice with lobster meat added a savory richness that made it really delicious.

It's tasty dipped in the sauce too!

Fitting for a lobster course in Gwangju, the meal wasn't just the main dish alone — there were plenty of dishes before and after to enjoy, which I liked.

At a first-birthday family gathering in Gwangju, everyone from grandparents to kids needs to be fed, so having a varied course lineup like this would work well. When choosing a sangyeonrye restaurant in Gwangju, both the food and the atmosphere matter, so enjoying a course in a private room was a real plus.

A lunch that ended on a good note with dessert

After the meal, we picked out dessert too.

My husband chose coffee, and I picked the chilled sujeonggwa (cinnamon-persimmon punch).

Finishing off good food with sujeonggwa left my mouth feeling clean and my mood good. It was just the two of us this time, but I thought it'd be nice to bring my parents along next time.

For anyone planning a first-birthday family gathering in Gwangju or an anniversary get-together, or looking for a sangyeonrye restaurant in Gwangju, I'd say it's worth checking out.

A place where you can eat comfortably in a private room while properly enjoying a lobster course in Gwangju! My husband and I ate well and left in a great mood — a truly satisfying meal.

Store info

• Address: 10-1 Jiho-ro 124beon-gil, Dong-gu, Gwangju, South Korea (Jisan-dong 98-2)
• Hours: Daily 11:30 AM – 10 PM, last order 8:30 PM