Jeonju wine bar for spicy aglio e olio and pork steak: Adam

I visited Adam, a Western-style wine bar on Jeonju’s Gaekridan-gil that gets everything right—from the atmosphere to the food. Personally, it was my favorite place among the spots I’ve visited recently in so many ways, and I wanted to post about it quickly because I hope the owner keeps it going for a very, very long time!!!! 💟

Adam’s location and parking

Adam is at the Seoyang Housing intersection. There is no dedicated parking, so I think it would be best to use the public paid parking lot near Dwaejibaksa (₩700 per hour) or the Jangmi paid parking lot near Daga Saenggui (₩1,000 per hour)! 🚐

There was a menu board in front of the restaurant, which was nice because I could check the menu and prices in advance. The selection is surprisingly varied, and the prices are incredibly affordable for Gaekridan-gil, right?

A cozy interior for blind dates and gatherings

The interior was more spacious and pleasant than I expected. The whole place has dark tones, but the lighting installed at each table makes Adam feel so much more atmospheric 💡 The overall cozy, warm feel would make it great for a blind date, date night, or anniversary.

When you head further inside~ there’s an even more atmospheric, private area. I think this would be great for group gatherings or company dinners too, since you can join the tables together.

The restroom is inside the restaurant too, so it was convenient and felt safe.

These days, almost nowhere has a physical menu anymore—everyone takes orders through a Toss QR code.

By the way, corkage at Adam is free regardless of the type of alcohol, with no limit on the number of bottles 🍻 The food in general seems like it would pair wonderfully with wine, so I’m planning to come back with a bottle I received as a gift. Oh, and although Adam is a Western-style wine bar, you can absolutely come just for a meal too ✔️

Pretzels and a complimentary salad

Pretzels are served as the basic snack. The water has fresh lemon and lime in it, so my mouth felt much cleaner even after the meal.

For the basic snack (pretzels) and extra cutlery, please use the self-service bar by the entrance. This is the complimentary salad. It was plenty for two people, and the fresh vegetables with tangy, nutty balsamic dressing were perfect for waking up the appetite as an appetizer 🤤

The YBD pork belly steak is a must-order

I wondered what YBD was—not BYD!—and apparently it refers to a premium pork breed. Anyway, this is a pork steak made with quality pork, sous-vided for 20 hours and then appetizingly grilled. It comes with the steak, roasted potatoes, and miso sauce.

For something you’d call bar food, the visuals are seriously overwhelming ㅠㅠ😭♥️♥️ The inside of the pork was so white it was practically glowing, and this was the first time I’ve ever looked at meat and thought it was sexy.

I really don’t need to write a long review: it’s so tender, so clean-tasting, and so delicious. It’s good on its own, good dipped in the miso sauce, and even better with the boiled potatoes that come with it. You absolutely have to order this menu item when you go!!!

Even the pickled cabbage they served instead of pickles was so, so delicious 🌀 I think the owner is simply a great cook, with a definite aesthetic sense for both flavor and plating.

The best aglio e olio of my life

Sigh… ah. I know my credibility might drop if I say everything I ate was delicious and that I recommend it all 😓 But of all the aglio e olio I’ve eaten in my 27 years of life, this was overwhelmingly, without question, number one.

I asked for it slightly spicy, and with every bite I got garlic, olive oil, and chili oil aromas all at once—the umami was honestly insane 🔥 The seasoning clung tightly to the pasta, and I loved this rich, thick texture.

What am I even supposed to do with you? In my opinion, Adam’s owner shouldn’t be running a Western-style wine bar—they should just run a full-on Western restaurant. After trying the aglio e olio, I became so curious about the carbonara and ragù pasta.

Honestly, this one photo explains everything hahaha. I was already a little full because I’d eaten Pringles as a snack beforehand, but if we scraped the plate this clean, that says it all, right? 🤔