Italian spot near Jisan Resort, Yongin: cream pane, seafood risotto

Ttukbaegi-e Dameun Italia is a Yangji, Yongin restaurant where I had a really great meal.

Opening hours and parking at Ttukbaegi-e Dameun Italia

Ttukbaegi-e Dameun Italia is open every day, Monday to Sunday, 11:00-22:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last order at 20:40. Group seating, high chairs, takeout, reservations, Wi-Fi, separate men's and women's restrooms and parking are all available.

You can park on both sides of the building. From the front it looks like the 2nd floor, and if you go around to the back it's the 1st floor. The building has an elevator, so it's easy to get to.

Come around like this and it's the 2nd floor, but from the back it's the 1st floor: Ttukbaegi-e Dameun Italia in Yangji, Yongin.

What's the atmosphere like inside?

The interior is quite modern, with high ceilings that make it feel airy. Ooh, it's clean and classy, so it'd be great for a blind date or a date in general. I spotted plenty of Instagram-worthy photo spots too!

First, I was in awe of the brick wood-fired oven.

Ooh, Stella draft beer! If I weren't driving I'd have had a glass, argh. It also looks great for group gatherings. There's even a group table for up to 12 people!

For an Italian specialty restaurant, the prices are quite reasonable. We'd had bread that morning, so we ordered risotto rather than pizza, and we absolutely should have ordered the pasta too, haha.

Starter bread, homemade pickles and self bar coffee

Ttukbaegi-e Dameun Italia brings out cute starter bread and homemade pickles. The pickles have a pretty intense flavor, sweet and sour.

It's a self bar, so you can grab pickles without feeling awkward, and you can have a coffee after eating. So good, really! Meal, coffee, beer, you can just do it all here!! Haha.

Why is it called "Italy in a Clay Pot"?

At Ttukbaegi-e Dameun Italia (the name means "Italy served in a ttukbaegi, a Korean clay pot"), the pastas and risottos all come in huge clay pots. So the food arrived, and, is this size for real?! They said clay pot, and ahh, since all the food comes in clay pots, that's why it's "Italy in a clay pot"!!

Ooh, the food comes out piping hot in the clay pot, so you can eat it warm to the very end, which I really liked!

How is the signature cream pane pasta? (₩22,000)

The cream pane pasta is ₩22,000, and it's both the signature and the best-selling dish at Ttukbaegi-e Dameun Italia! Wherever you go, ordering the signature is the safe bet!

The thick white cream sauce had a lovely buttery aroma, and the seasoning was just right. I want to eat it again. One bite and wow, amazing. The thick white sauce was sprinkled with whole black pepper, and among the mushrooms there were some with a truffle scent! Both taste and aroma were incredible. Full marks, really.

Paired with the tomato seafood risotto (₩20,000)

The tomato seafood risotto is ₩20,000. Fresh seafood, a bright tomato sauce, and risotto gently simmered in it. Ahh, the harmony with the seafood was really good here too.

Cream alone gets heavy, so we ordered the tomato risotto alongside, and they pair very well. Still, the signature cream pane pasta was especially addictive.

You can tell it's thick just by looking, right? The bread soaks up all the sauce, so you have to rescue it quickly! The sauce is seriously delicious.

How many people does the portion feed?

Taste aside, the pasta and risotto at Ttukbaegi-e Dameun Italia are really big, so two dishes would be right for three people.

Is the seafood fresh?

The tomato seafood risotto has big mussels, and the mussel meat inside is plump too. The seafood was all fresh, a total pass. If seafood is even a little off, the smell hits you right away. Ttukbaegi-e Dameun Italia is definitely serious about it.

The squid and shrimp are both in big chunks, so the chew is fantastic.

What if you mix the cream pasta and tomato risotto?

I also tried mixing the cream pane pasta and the tomato seafood risotto a little. That was super delicious too. Ahh, any way you eat it, it's just good. Because both are good! If only one of them were tasty, you couldn't do this, lol.

Last, the rich, mushy bread soaked in sauce! This is the highlight. Ahh, it dances in my mouth! Finishing with the homemade pickles cleans up the palate so nicely.

Verdict: a proper Italian restaurant near Jisan Resort

Honestly, it's been ages since I saw food served in clay pots like this. Actually, they're not even clay pots, they look like the lids of big soy sauce jars! So huge, haha. The portions are big and the food is tasty, the kind of place where you want to finish everything even when you're full. Ttukbaegi-e Dameun Italia is a Yangji, Yongin favorite and it's close to Jisan Resort. It's a proper Italian restaurant well worth a visit!