Casual omakase in Pangyo: steamed abalone and eggplant at Kkweda

I'm bringing you a review of Kkweda Avenue France Branch, a Pangyo omakase spot that really makes the most of seasonal ingredients. Kkweda is a casual dining place that felt very approachable.

Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch: hours and location

Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., with a break time from 14:00 to 17:00. It's on the first floor of the Avenue France building facing the main road, right next to Olive Young.

The restaurant greets you with a modern exterior next to Olive Young, so even I, who am not used to big shopping complexes, found it easily.

A standing sign like this welcomes you too.

Kkweda cooks with seasonal ingredients every season, and you can preview the course from the outside. Of course, we booked ahead through Naver before visiting.

What's the atmosphere like at Kkweda in Pangyo?

Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch was casual yet upscale, which was its charm. The interior is bright overall, so it looked good for friends, couples or even a company dinner.

I went with a friend and we sat at the bar. This is how the table was set.

This season at Kkweda has the theme "Spring and Jang" (jang means fermented sauces and pastes), with a variety of dishes. Each course was made with care, pairing spring-evoking ingredients with fitting dishes.

Is ordering alcohol required for dinner at Kkweda?

Yes, at Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch you have to order alcohol with the dinner course. Since I came for dinner, my friend and I ordered the Peaceminusone GD highball and the Yeontae Gold highball.

Kkweda Spring and Jang course lineup

Cold potato soup

The first course was a cold potato soup. Pickled sweet shrimp, chive-like dalrae oil and balsamic sauce lifted the flavor of the soup. It suited my taste right from the start, so good.

Yeontae Gold highball, refreshing and recommended

Then our drinks arrived. I was going to order the Peaceminusone GD highball, but my friend wanted something lower in alcohol, so I ordered the Yeontae Gold highball instead. It turned out to be zesty and refreshing, and I really recommend it.

Barley salad

Next came a barley salad. Doenjang (fermented soybean paste) mixed with barley gives it a nutty flavor. We were told to put it on top of the leafy wraps beside it.

Honestly, I worried the doenjang would be too strong, but the barley and vegetables blended well and it was tastier than I expected.

Steamed abalone with eggplant, my favorite of the day

The next course was steamed abalone with eggplant. Abalone broth was turned into jelly and finished with sea urchin roe and lime juice. Personally, this was the best dish for me. The abalone was steamed to just the right tenderness and went really well with the lime.

Shrimp cannelloni

The shrimp cannelloni that came next had minced shrimp inside the cannelloni pasta, with a gochujang (red chili paste) yuzu dressing as the sauce.

You dip each bite in the sauce, and this was every bit as delicious.

Clear chicken soup, my friend's top pick

The clear chicken soup was a blend of chicken and abalone broth, topped with chicken thigh chashu. This was my friend's top pick. It balanced Korean and Japanese flavors, so of course I enjoyed it too.

Sous vide roast beef with pickled bampung greens

The sous vide roast beef came with garnishes of mugwort doenjang, grilled asparagus and pickled bampungnamul (a wild green). I'd never heard of bampungnamul before, but it was so good that I kept thinking about it.

Clear soup and conger eel katsudon

For the next course, together with a clear soup,

came an anago (conger eel) katsudon (breaded cutlet rice bowl). This was the last course of the meal, topped with shishito peppers. Personally I don't really like the fishy taste eel tends to have, but I finished it all happily.

Dessert: rare cheesecake

The dessert was a rare cheesecake decorated with apple compote. It was a truly satisfying meal to the very end.

Is Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch worth going back to?

Kkweda is a Pangyo omakase spot serving attractive dishes where seasonal ingredients come together nicely. It was so good that I'd like to visit once more in winter.