Seasonal omakase in Pangyo, Seongnam: Kkweda summer course

While looking for a nice restaurant for a date in Pangyo, Seongnam, I found Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch (꿰다 판교아브뉴프랑점)! Its upscale interior and varied menu that did not lean into just one genre were exactly my style. Eel rice bowls and neungi duck soup were a combination I had not often seen in other course meals, so I got curious, booked it, and went!

Kkweda, booked near Pangyo Station

Kkweda Pangyo is in the Avenue France area, within walking distance of Pangyo Station. Reservations can be made through Naver; regular bar tables can be reserved for two or more, and six-seat dining tables for three or more. During the summer season when I visited, both lunch and dinner offered the ₩75,000 summer stamina course.

A simple, upscale exterior

Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch is farther inside Avenue France. At first, its exterior was so simple that I wondered whether it was really a restaurant. Rather than a big sign, there was simply “Kkweda” on the wall, making it look very clean and refined.

There was a photo of the eel rice bowl and the current course menu in front of the entrance, so you could check them before going in. The quiet, neat exterior made it seem like a good spot for a Pangyo date or anniversary meal.

Inside: bar tables and private rooms

Once inside, it was quite a bit larger than it looked from outside. First were bar tables facing the kitchen, plus regular tables and rooms seating four to six. Lots of families were visiting. On the day I went, there was even a birthday party at a regular table 👀

The whole space felt calm, with really nice interior design 👍🏻👍🏻 The tables were spaced comfortably too. It was neat and orderly overall, so it looked great for family gatherings or a meeting between families before a wedding! From the bar table, you can see this cute little kitchen, haha.

One seasonal course and a drinks menu

Kkweda operates with one course that changes by season.

• Watermelon gazpacho
• Grilled vegetable salad
• Chodang sweet-corn custard
• Charcoal-grilled Iberico pork
• Sea bass karaage
• Eel donburi
• Neungi mushroom duck soup
• Yogurt sorbet

This was the order when I visited! You could add truffle to the eel donburi for ₩10,000, and Korean beef uni maki was available as an additional à la carte dish for ₩10,000.

From sake to highballs

There was a wide range, from sake and Korean alcohol to wine, whisky, and highballs. There were plenty of traditional Korean drinks and sake options, so it looked easy to pair a drink with the course.

What we ordered

Kkweda omakase for 2 ₩150,000 / non-alcoholic mojito ₩12,000 / Kubota Senju 300 ml ₩38,000 / total ₩200,000

The people next to us also ordered a four-glass distilled-spirit pairing. I debated for ages between the pairing and regular sake, then ordered Kubota Senju, which I had tried before. We did not order any additional à la carte dishes.

From watermelon gazpacho to Chodang corn custard

The first dish was watermelon gazpacho! It tasted like a refreshing juice made by blending watermelon and Korean melon. I worried the watermelon flavor might be too strong, but it was subtler than expected, which I actually liked more! There was squid inside for a little chew here and there, and it was a great first dish to wake up the appetite.

Second was the grilled vegetable salad! Just as it sounds, it was a dish of assorted grilled vegetables.

Each vegetable kept its texture, so it was light and wholesome like a pre-meal salad. It was better with the prosciutto than with vegetables alone, because the saltiness made a nice pairing.

The Chodang sweet-corn custard was a dish that surprised me because it was so good!

The custard itself was nutty, and the nuts made it even nuttier as you chewed. The crunchy texture between the soft custard was especially appealing.

The scallop gave it savory depth and a pleasant bite. I do not usually even like corn that much, but this was creamy and nutty, so delicious.

Firm Iberico pork and sea bass karaage

Next came the charcoal-grilled Iberico pork. Rather than being soft, the meat was a little firm and had a satisfying chew.

The potato was firm rather than fluffy too, which was interesting. The chimichurri sauce was refreshing and tasted great over the meat. By this point I was already full! There were still three courses left 😭 It was not that I am a lightweight—Kkweda simply gives you a lot of food 😄

It was so good that I wanted to eat two plates of this alone. The outside was fried to a nutty crispness, while the sea bass inside was very tender and flaky! It was good on its own, but topping it with daikon and scallion in yuzu ponzu sauce was such a great combination. I was starting to get full, but it was so tasty that I cleaned the plate.

Eel donburi and my favorite, neungi duck soup

The eel donburi arrived as the meal dish!

The eel was incredibly tender, and the sweet sauce had soaked nicely into the rice. It was good as is, but adding a little wasabi now and then balanced the sweetness and suited my taste much better.

It was topped with pickled Korean melon, which cut through the richness of the eel with a sweet, tangy flavor that I loved!! Miso soup came alongside it too, and taking a sip while eating the eel rice bowl made for a clean pairing. It tasted like a Japanese-Korean collaboration.

Personally, the neungi mushroom duck soup was the most delicious! I expected a rich, heavy broth, but it was clearer than expected and so good. The duck flavor was gentle rather than overpowering, and there were more noodles inside than I expected. I was already extremely full after the eel donburi, but the broth was so good that I ate until the end. This duck soup was seriously amazing—I want to go back just for it.

A refreshing finish with yogurt sorbet

Yogurt ice cream came topped with berry jam. I really love Yoajung frozen yogurt, but this was even more refreshing, with a slightly sorbet-like texture, and it was truly delicious.

It was perfect for freshening up at the end and left me feeling that the course had wrapped up perfectly 👍🏻

Non-alcoholic mojito and Kubota Senju

Even though it was non-alcoholic, it was interestingly booze-like, sweet, and refreshing—totally my style. If you cannot drink, have this one. I highly recommend it.

Kubota Senju was ₩38,000 for 300 ml. I expected it in a tokkuri flask, but it came in a small bottle, which I actually preferred. It was clean and understated rather than strongly aromatic, with a dry, crisp finish. Since it did not overwhelm the food, it paired well with the course—especially dishes such as the sea bass and eel.

A course suited to Pangyo dates and family gatherings

I visited Kkweda while looking for a restaurant with a nice atmosphere for a Pangyo Station date! From watermelon gazpacho to Iberico pork, sea bass, eel rice bowl, and duck soup, the varied lineup made it fun to eat. The sea bass karaage and neungi duck soup were especially delicious. With eel rice bowl and duck soup arriving at the end, the full course was far more filling than I expected. With bar tables, regular tables, and rooms, it also looked like a good choice for Pangyo family gatherings or a meeting between families before a wedding—an omakase spot I recommend.