Suwon steak restaurant, no-wait weekday truffle risotto: Nonchalant

What is Nonchalant Lounge in Haenggung-dong, Suwon?

Nonchalant Lounge (논샬랑라운지) is a Western restaurant on Jeongjo-ro in Haenggung-dong, Suwon. The listed hours are Mon–Thu 11:00–22:00 and Fri–Sun 11:00–24:00, with Monday listed as closed. I was searching for a Western restaurant in Haenggung-dong and ended up eating steak and pasta at Nonchalant Lounge.

I heard that Nonchalant Lounge is the second space from Nonchalant, a stylish spot where you can take photos and enjoy carefully prepared Western dishes along with drinks.

Is it good for dates, group gatherings and family meals in Haenggung-dong?

Nonchalant Lounge is a rare spacious, relaxed place in Haenggung-dong, so it works for group gatherings, blind dates and dates, and it has high chairs, so it's a fairly easy choice for a family meal too! I went on a weekday early evening and enjoyed it at leisure with no wait.

Inside Nonchalant Lounge

It feels like a hotel lounge, comfortable overall, and the space is big enough that you don't get that cramped table spacing Haenggung-dong is known for. I liked that.

How to order at Nonchalant Lounge, and the menu

At Nonchalant Lounge in Suwon you order by QR code and pay at the counter when you leave.

Please check the photo for the menu at this Western restaurant in Haenggung-dong, Suwon :)

I ordered three dishes at Nonchalant Lounge that day.

• Bisque rosé pasta
• Chuck flap steak platter
• Truffle bulgogi risotto

Truffle bulgogi risotto: the perilla leaf is the real kick

The truffle bulgogi risotto at Nonchalant Lounge has well-seared bulgogi (marinated beef) with truffle aroma, a special cream sauce and perilla leaves (kkaennip) on the side, and it was the best of everything I ordered. At first I wondered how bulgogi, truffle and perilla would work together, but once I tasted it they matched far better than I expected, which impressed me.

First, the truffle aroma is really full. A rich, luxurious truffle flavor rises up, and meeting the cream sauce it spreads even softer and deeper, anchoring the whole risotto. The cream sauce doesn't just go heavy and greasy either; it brings out the truffle and makes the whole dish thick and rich, which I was happy with.

And the perilla leaf really was the kick in this risotto. At first I doubted it would go with risotto, but eating them together, the perilla's distinctive fragrance cut right through the heaviness of the cream sauce.

Truffle and cream sauce can feel heavy, but with the perilla it felt much fresher and better balanced. Truffle-scented cream risotto, the savory depth of crispy bulgogi and the fragrant perilla accent all came together well.

It was rich and nutty, yet the perilla kept it from getting tiresome and the bulgogi made it filling. Personally, it was the most satisfying risotto of the day.

Bisque rosé pasta: thick or smooth?

The bisque rosé pasta at Nonchalant Lounge supposedly uses a seafood base simmered for a long time, and sure enough the umami hit right away. The flavor is deeper than an ordinary rosé, and the sauce isn't the thick, clingy type but smooth and slightly oily as it coats the pasta, so it was easy to eat. Plump shrimp gave it a good texture and the tomato freshened things up here and there, so I didn't get tired of it much until the end.

If you like a smooth rosé with rich flavor more than a thick rosé, this one is for you!

Chuck flap steak platter with Maldon salt and butter galbi sauce

The chuck flap steak platter (salchisal, a tender cut) at Nonchalant Lounge uses prime-grade beef, so the meat's soft texture and savory beef aroma came through well. It kept that tender, juicy texture of the cut, so it wasn't tough and was easy to eat, and the grilled vegetables on the side went nicely with it.

Dipped in Maldon salt, the natural flavor of the beef came through more clearly, and with the butter galbi sauce it was much richer and more savory, so eating it two ways was fun. Overall it was a clean-tasting steak that was satisfying to eat.

It's even more filling with the savory garlic rice. Koreans will love this taste! For a Western restaurant in Haenggung-dong, Suwon, how about pasta and steak at Nonchalant Lounge~?

Overall verdict on Nonchalant Lounge in Haenggung-dong, Suwon

• A rare spacious, relaxed Western lounge in Haenggung-dong, recommended for dates, blind dates and group gatherings
• The menu is rich in flavor overall, and the truffle bulgogi risotto is the kick
• Recommended when you want both atmosphere and a meal, with a steak and pasta combination