Hangover-friendly spicy clam pasta lunch in Cheomdan, Gwangju: Filling

Today I'm bringing you a review from a lunch date at Filling Donkatsu Gwangju Cheomdan Direct Store with my food-savvy friend. It's already known around Cheomdan as a spot with great katsu and pasta, so I went in with high expectations — and this time I made sure to dig into the spicy-sweet crowd-pleaser 'spicy dongjuk (clam) tomato pasta' and the ultimate in creamy softness, the 'shrimp rosé pasta,' for lunch. The atmosphere was clean and the food was excellent, so it was hard to put my spoon down — here's my vivid review!

Where is Filling Donkatsu Cheomdan and where do you park?

Filling Donkatsu Gwangju Cheomdan Direct Store is on the 2nd floor of Building A in the IBC Knowledge Industry Center, and you can use the building's surface or underground parking. The parking entrance is directly across from the entrance to the government complex.

• Building name: IBC Knowledge Industry Center
• Parking entrance: directly across from the government complex entrance
• Surface parking: visible right as you enter
• Underground parking: spacious lot once you go down

Come in through the 'A' building entrance right behind the underground parking tower, then head up to the 2nd floor!

Inside Filling Donkatsu, featured on Daedon Yeojido

Next to the entrance of Filling Donkatsu stands a big standing sign that reads 'Selected for the Daedon Yeojido' 🗺️🏆. That was the very first thing that caught my eye — apparently Filling Donkatsu has proudly earned a spot as Gwangju's representative katsu restaurant on the nationwide katsu map, the 'Daedon Yeojido' 👏🎉

A comfortable waiting area 🪑

There's a tableting device by the entrance along with a waiting bench!

Pretty lighting and a cozy window view 🪟💡

The window seats, glowing under warm pendant lights with lush greenery visible outside, were so pretty! Eating there when a bit of sunlight comes in is the best vibe... ✨

Does Filling Donkatsu have group rooms and high chairs?

Deeper inside Filling Donkatsu Cheomdan Direct Store, there are two separate private rooms (ROOM 1, ROOM 2) that can seat 8-10 or more people! It seems like a great spot for gatherings, family dinners, or work dinners 👥👍

And a nice touch for families visiting with kids — plenty of kids' chairs are stocked too! 👶 The interior was full of atmosphere, comfortable and clean ✨

What's on the Filling Donkatsu self-serve bar?

At Filling Donkatsu's self-serve bar you can help yourself to sweet-and-tangy salad, crunchy pickles 🥬🥒, and warming cream soup to settle your stomach 🍲✨

No need to worry about running out of side dishes! At the neatly maintained unlimited self-serve bar 🔄 you can freely grab salad, pickles, kimchi and more. And the soup and broth are unlimited refills too! 🍚🍲🙌

The bread toast corner 🍞🔥

My favorite spot! Spread some strawberry jam on the warm toasted bread and it's absolutely delicious. Dipping it into the soup is also a special treat 🍓🍞

How is the shrimp rosé pasta (18,500 won)?

Filling Donkatsu's shrimp rosé pasta costs ₩18,500, and it comes piled onto a wide antique-style plate with plump shrimp and a thick, creamy rosé sauce 🍤✨ I thought this place was only known for katsu, but I gasped at the pasta's visuals 😍

Plenty of big, plump shrimp 🍤

Instead of small shrimp, there are generous, plump, meaty ones packed in, and the texture is wonderfully bouncy! If you love shrimp, you'll definitely be satisfied here.

Thick, silky rosé sauce 🍅🧀

Soft, savory cream combined with just the right tomato tang makes this an addictive rosé sauce you never get tired of! Topped with snow-cheese, egg yolk, and fresh baby greens, the flavor gets even richer once you mix it all together.

Pasta that soaks up the sauce 🍝

The thick sauce clings tightly to the noodles, so every bite bursts with umami! Scoop some onto a small plate with a shrimp on top and it feels like a fancy Italian restaurant.

The perfect harmony of cream and tomato pairs so well with katsu too, so be sure to try them together 💖

Is the spicy clam tomato pasta (19,500 won) a good hangover cure?

Filling Donkatsu's spicy dongjuk tomato pasta costs ₩19,500, and it's a pasta with a light, brothy tomato base loaded with dongjuk (baby clams) and shrimp 🐚🦐 It's spicy and refreshing — a perfect hangover cure.

If you're looking for something to cut through greasiness, I definitely recommend the spicy dongjuk tomato pasta^^ It's technically a pasta, but the broth is so light and brothy it feels like eating a spicy jjamppong or a hangover pasta.

A refreshing broth from clams and shrimp 🐚🦐

The bowl is packed full of plump dongjuk clams — a pass on visuals alone! Add in the shrimp, and the deep, refreshing seafood flavor melts right into the broth. Picking the clam meat out is also part of the fun.

Clean heat in a spicy tomato broth 🍅🔥

The umami of the tomato sauce combined with the spiciness makes the broth genuinely hot and satisfying — good enough for a hangover cure. Even after finishing the noodles, you'll keep spooning up the broth — it's that addictive.

Springy pasta soaked in spicy broth 🍝

The noodles, cooked perfectly chewy, soak up the spicy, refreshing broth, so every bite fills your mouth with happiness. Try grabbing a clam and noodles together for one perfect bite.

A special pasta where you can enjoy the freshness of seafood and clean spiciness at once — if you visit Filling Donkatsu, I definitely recommend trying it 💖

Strongly recommended for anyone wanting to cure a hangover with pasta!

Filling Donkatsu for a Cheomdan lunch date: would I go back?

Filling Donkatsu Gwangju Cheomdan Direct Store lives up to its title as a katsu institution recognized by the 'Daedon Yeojido' — but as today's post shows, the pasta was just as perfect in both looks and taste! Certified Cheomdan, Gwangju date-spot restaurant 🍝

I was so happy to enjoy a hearty, delicious meal in such a cozy atmosphere 💖 An all-time great katsu restaurant certified by the Daedon Yeojido — and the pasta is just as perfect, so a return visit is a must! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐