Suwon birthday date restaurant: wine-sauce sous vide steak at Hado

I was looking for a place with a nice atmosphere in Suwon for my birthday, and ended up at Hado (HADO) in Haenggung-dong.

Ordering a single dish like usual is fine, but since it was my birthday I wanted to eat something a little special, so I booked the course meal. The food came out beautifully one dish at a time, and they even made a special effort for my birthday, so I left in a great mood :)

Hado's atmosphere: is it good for a birthday date?

Hado is dark and calm overall, which made it great for a date. It's the kind of place where you can talk quietly while enjoying the course, so it works well for an anniversary or birthday.

Appetizer: pea tart and sweet shrimp apple tart

The first plate of Hado's course was two bite-sized tarts: a pea tart and a sweet shrimp apple tart. The pea tart had that mild, nutty flavor peas have, but I personally liked the sweet shrimp apple tart more.

The soft, lightly sweet shrimp with apple added a burst of freshness, and it really woke up my appetite! It was light and not heavy, which is great for the start of a course.

Pasta: squid ink vs. minari bisque, we ordered both and shared

For the pasta in Hado's course, we each ordered a different one and shared.

Squid ink pasta

The squid ink pasta was an oil-based pasta made with squid ink and cuttlefish seared golden in butter. The plump cuttlefish sat next to the black ink pasta, and it wasn't tough at all, just springy.

The seafood aroma of the ink was fairly strong, and it was slightly spicy, so I kept going back for more. If you like seafood, this one will probably be more your thing.

Minari bisque pasta

The minari bisque pasta was a creamy bisque pasta made by sautéing shrimp shells and innards together! From the first bite the deep umami of shrimp hit me, and with the buttery flavor on top it was really rich.

The key was mixing in the minari (water dropwort) pesto on top. The bisque sauce alone is rich and creamy, but the minari makes it fragrant and a bit fresher, cutting the heaviness.

I loved both pastas, but they were such different styles that I was glad we ordered one each and shared, haha

Main: sous vide chuck flap steak with wine sauce

For the main in Hado's course, I ordered the sous vide chuck flap steak. The moment I saw the cross-section I thought it was cooked perfectly!

The outside was nicely cooked and the inside was a moist pink, so it was tender, not tough. It went well with the mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables on the side, and the wine sauce in particular paired really well with the meat.

The sauce was sweet yet rich, and the steak tasted much better with it, but personally I wish there had been a bit more sauce. It was so good that I kept dipping and it was gone quickly, which was a shame, haha

Dessert: Earl Grey ice cream and Hado's birthday event

The final dessert of Hado's course was Earl Grey ice cream. It had a subtle Earl Grey aroma and was sweet and smooth, a perfect way to finish the course.

But what I remembered most that day wasn't just the food, it was how they looked after my birthday!

I had told them it was my birthday in advance, and they stuck a cute bear candle next to the ice cream and even prepared a birthday card separately. It was just one tiny candle, but they brought it lit, and that made me feel extra happy, haha

I could enjoy a proper birthday mood right until the end of the meal. They also wrote a birthday message in the card, and I liked that they pay attention to small details like this.

Verdict: Hado is a good birthday and anniversary restaurant in Haenggung-dong

If you want a slightly special meal for a birthday or anniversary in Suwon, Hado in Haenggung-dong was a good choice. From the appetizer to the pasta, steak and dessert, every plate was prettily presented and the flavors didn't overlap, so it stayed fun to the end.

My favorites were the sweet shrimp apple tart, the minari bisque pasta and the chuck flap steak. The atmosphere is quiet and the food comes out beautifully, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a Haenggung-dong date restaurant or an anniversary spot in Haenggung-dong :)

If you walk a little, you can see Haenggung Palace nearby, so it's great to look around the palace and then have a meal! I highly recommend it as a Haenggung-dong date restaurant :)