Gwangalli pasta restaurant in Busan: cod roe cream pasta at Vivid13

Hi, it's Naya! Maybe it's because it's summer vacation, but I've had way more free time than I expected haha. I got bored and while thinking about what to do, I landed on... eating lots of delicious food! 😋 So this time I went looking for good spots around Gwangalli and ended up at Vivid13, famous as a Gwangalli brunch spot in Busan ~.~

Where is Vivid13 Gwangalli Main Branch, and what are the hours?

📍 Address: 129 Gwangnam-ro, Gwangan Building 1F, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea ⏰ Hours: 08:20 - 18:00 (Last order 17:20 / Closed every other Wednesday)

The opening hours were a lot earlier than I expected? Since they open from 8:20am, it seemed like a great spot for breakfast in Gwangalli or for brunch after a walk along the beach ~.~

Inside Vivid13: atmosphere and solo seats

Walking in, the place had a clean yet cozy atmosphere overall! From the entrance it looked like there wouldn't be many seats, but going further in, there were actually quite a lot more seats than I thought?

There were separate solo seats too, and seating extended all the way to the back, so it looked good whether you're visiting alone or in a group.

And in the middle there were lots of cute little props — dolls and small decorations arranged adorably, so it was fun to look around haha. Overall it wasn't too loud or chaotic, more of a comfortable feel for sitting down and enjoying brunch ~.~

The three dishes we ordered at Vivid13

What we ordered was

• Cod roe mushroom cream pasta
• Grill steak
• Vivid oriental salad

That's what we ordered! There were a lot of people when we went so I worried the order would be slow, but it came out faster than expected

Cod roe mushroom cream pasta: thick cream, gentle cod roe

Ta-da~ First out was the cod roe mushroom cream pasta! But the portion was seriously huge... I thought it'd be small since it's a brunch menu item, but it turned out surprisingly hearty haha.

Since it had cod roe (myeongran), I wondered if it might be too salty, but the saltiness wasn't strong at all — more of a subtle, distinct cod roe flavor. The cream sauce was thick, and eating it with the cheese made it deliciously savory! There was also a bit of chili mixed in, which cut through the richness of the cream and made it even tastier than I expected ~.~

Personally, the one letdown was that the green beans in the pasta were a bit tough! But apart from the green beans, the pasta itself was quite satisfying haha.

Grill steak: thick-cut but tender, and the mushrooms steal the show

Next up, the grill steak! Honestly, I just glanced at the menu photo and figured it'd be steak with maybe some salad... but when it actually arrived, it came with not just steak but french fries, all kinds of fried sides, mushrooms, and vegetables piled up lol.

The steak portion looked a bit small at first, but there was a solid amount tucked under the fries, so I ended up quite full. I set the fries aside for a bit (?) and dug into the steak, mushrooms, and vegetables haha. The steak was thicker than expected but wasn't tough at all — nice and tender!

And personally, what stuck with me most was the mushrooms! I already love mushroom dishes, and these were grilled to a tender, juicy finish with great texture and flavor haha. They went great with the steak too, so mushroom lovers will probably like this ><

Vivid oriental salad: plenty of avocado

Lastly, the Vivid oriental salad~ It had various fruits, vegetables, shrimp and more, so the composition was more substantial than expected. I especially loved that there was quite a lot of avocado in it haha. The avocado was nicely ripened and soft, and the dressing matched well, so it was great to pair with bites of the pasta or steak ~.~

They also had a wide variety of drink menu items, so it seemed like a good place to order a drink alongside your brunch too!

Is Vivid13 worth it for brunch in Gwangalli?

Overall the store's atmosphere was clean and cozy, which I liked. Most of all, I liked that the food portions were bigger than expected lol. At first I worried the portions might be small since it's brunch, so I ordered three dishes, but once the food arrived the portions were so generous that I ended up pretty full by the end...haha.

The cod roe mushroom cream pasta had a thick, savory cream sauce with a subtle cod roe flavor that I liked, and the grill steak was tender and delicious too. Adding the salad on top made for a nice overall combination!

If you're looking for a brunch spot in Gwangalli to eat at from the morning, this place is great to visit since it opens early ~.~ If you want to take a walk in Gwangalli and enjoy a tasty brunch, I recommend Vivid13, a top Gwangalli brunch spot in Busan! Next time I visit, I'd love to try some of their other pasta dishes haha. Thanks for the meal ><