Yangju Japanese restaurant for futomaki and cream pasta: Choi Dining

Choi Dining Yangju Okjeong is one of those places I often think of when I want a neat Japanese meal in Okjeong, Yangju. I had visited once before, and this time I went back with my boyfriend for a late weekday lunch.

With a pretty broad selection—from futomaki to pasta and rice bowls—it was a great Okjeong spot for a casual lunch or a date. This time, I’ll introduce the two kinds of futomaki I enjoyed on my previous visit, along with the whole bacon cream pasta I ordered for the first time!

Choi Dining Yangju Okjeong: location and parking

Choi Dining Yangju Okjeong is on the second floor. You can use the building’s underground parking lot, and parking can be registered for the duration of your meal. If the building lot is full, parking is also available at Dream Tower 2, so keep that in mind if you’re driving!

I liked that the restaurant felt more spacious than expected as soon as we walked in. The high ceiling made it feel open overall, and the tables themselves were generously sized. Best of all, there was plenty of space between tables, so we could eat comfortably without feeling too close to the next table.

Since we came for a late weekday lunch, we were able to enjoy the space at a more relaxed pace.

Ordering futomaki and pasta

Choi Dining’s menu combines Japanese dishes with fusion options, from its signature futomaki (thick sushi rolls) to tonkatsu, rice bowls, pasta, and yakisoba. We ordered three dishes: tempura futomaki, 5 pieces for ₩13,900; salmon futomaki, 5 pieces for ₩13,900; and whole bacon cream pasta for ₩15,000!

There were two of us, and ordering two kinds of futomaki plus one pasta made it easy to try a nice variety of dishes.

Along with the à la carte dishes, there are set menus and weekday lunch options, so it’s worth checking those when you order. They’re also currently running a Naver review event that gives you a plate of juicy hamburg steak, so do give it a try!

Tempura futomaki, still my top pick on a return visit

One of the reasons I came back to Choi Dining was the futomaki. The salmon is delicious too, but if I had to choose just one, tempura futomaki came in first again for me. Haha.

The large futomaki is filled with several ingredients, including eel and fried shrimp, then generously topped with crispy tempura crumbs. With every bite, the fillings are pleasantly chewy while the fried shrimp and crumbs add crunchy moments throughout, so the texture is really good. It was lightly spicy too, which made it even better!

Even with so many ingredients inside, the flavors did not feel disconnected—they worked together beautifully. It’s the first menu item I’d recommend to anyone visiting Choi Dining for the first time.

The salmon futomaki is another reliably good choice. It contains generously cut pieces of salmon, so you can really enjoy salmon’s soft, chewy texture, and it was quite filling even with one piece alongside egg, cucumber, pickled radish, and the other ingredients.

If you love salmon, it’s a combination that needs no explanation.

An unexpected find: whole bacon cream pasta

The whole bacon cream pasta was what I ordered for the first time on this visit. I honestly added it lightly to eat alongside the futomaki, but it was much tastier than expected and really stayed with me after this visit.

To start with, the bacon on top is not the usual thin kind. As you can see in the photo, it comes with thick slabs of whole bacon that are almost like pork belly, and they were substantial enough that we cut them ourselves with scissors. Haha.

The sauce was creamy and smooth but also slightly spicy, making it the kind of cream pasta you keep reaching for rather than one that feels overly rich. In particular, having the spicy cream pasta alongside the crisp, substantial futomaki turned out to be an even better pairing than I expected.

Why I would return to this Okjeong Japanese restaurant

Once again, the futomaki was satisfying, and the whole bacon cream pasta I tried for the first time was delicious too, so I could see for myself why I had come back. Haha. If I had to rank my personal picks: tempura futomaki in first place, whole bacon cream pasta in second, and salmon futomaki in third! Haha.

To sum it up, the restaurant is spacious and pleasant, making it an easy place to stop by for a date or whenever you’re craving futomaki or pasta for lunch in Okjeong. If you’re looking for Japanese menu options in Okjeong, Yangju, give Choi Dining Yangju Okjeong a visit :)