Fusion omakase for couples in Pangyo: Mungyeong Baram highball, Kkweda

Eight courses that start with a watermelon gazpacho, pass through charcoal-grilled Iberico pork and end at an eel donburi (eel rice bowl). It feels a bit Japanese, a bit Western, a bit Korean, and the amazing thing is that it all flows together as one meal and tastes great. That's Kkweda (꿰다), an omakase (chef's-choice tasting course) in Pangyo. It's a fusion omakase inspired by food cultures from many countries, so it was a perfect anniversary spot in Pangyo.

Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch: location, hours and parking

Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch (꿰다 판교아브뉴프랑점) is at Unit 143, Pangyo Hoban Summit Place, 25 Dongpangyo-ro 177beon-gil, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, South Korea. It is open daily 11:30–21:30, with a break from 14:00 to 17:00. The building's underground garage covers 3 hours of parking.

It's a 3-minute walk from Pangyo Station, so access is great, and the underground garage made it easy to come by car too.

The seating is varied: private rooms, hall tables, bar tables and counter seats. It suits anything from a date to a group dinner, a family introduction or a birthday party :)

Is Kkweda's Pangyo atmosphere right for an anniversary?

The inside of Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch feels upscale yet comfortable. The lighting is soft, so it's easy to focus on conversation, and you can tell from the mood alone why it's so often mentioned as an anniversary restaurant in Pangyo.

The biggest plus was that you can enjoy this kind of space and quality in Pangyo without having to go all the way to Seoul.

Kkweda omakase menu and the dinner drink rule

In September, the Summer Stamina Course was the only course offered at Kkweda. It runs through September and switches to a new seasonal course from October, so keep that in mind when you visit!

Dinner at Kkweda requires ordering an alcoholic drink, so we ordered one non-alcoholic mojito and one Mungyeong Baram oak highball.

The mojito was fresh and sweet, nice to sip between courses. My husband's pick, the Mungyeong Baram oak highball, had a subtle, rich oak aroma that added a heavier note.

The 8-course Summer Stamina Course at Kkweda

Watermelon gazpacho

The first course, watermelon gazpacho, was a curious mix of watermelon, squid and chamoe (Korean melon), and its texture and aroma opened up the appetite nicely.

Pretty oxalis flowers on top made it fun to look at, too.

Grilled vegetable salad

Next came a grilled vegetable salad with perfectly cooked zucchini and carrot, plus salty prosciutto, a fantastic match.

It was tossed with almonds and a bright sauce, and when you eat it all in one bite you wonder whether this is really vegetables :)

Chodang corn custard

The chodang corn (super-sweet corn) custard grabbed my eye right away, with plenty of corn and pen shell scallop on top of smooth cream.

From the ingredients alone I couldn't imagine the flavor, but once I tasted it, it was nutty, smooth and impressively deep.

Charcoal-grilled Iberico

Next was the charcoal-grilled Iberico, which had been sending up smoke behind the counter since the middle of the course.

It was grilled so well that the meat stayed juicy inside and the texture was very tender.

It came with chimichurri sauce that went well with it, and the hot potatoes were delicious without feeling heavy.

Sea bass karaage

The sea bass karaage (Japanese-style fried fish) that followed was lovely, with tender sea bass hidden inside a crispy coating.

The freshness of the yuzu ponzu really lifted the flavor, if that makes sense.

The eel donburi my husband was most excited for

The portions were big for an omakase, and just as we were slowly getting full, the dish my husband had been looking forward to most arrived.

It was the eel donburi. Rice mixed with burdock root, topped with chamoe, wasabi and thick, generous eel, and the look of it alone stole the show.

Put eel and wasabi on the rice and take one bite, and the eel melts away. It really deserved to be called the best.

Then, as a palate cleanser, one piece of pickled chamoe leaves your mouth fresh and tidy, seriously!

Neungi duck soup and yogurt sorbet

In the neungi duck soup, the deep aroma of neungi mushrooms (oak mushrooms) lingers softly in the broth, and it went best of all with the noodles. The final yogurt sorbet with tangy berry jam wrapped up the course neatly :)

Why I want to go back to Kkweda

The course changes every season at Kkweda, so every visit means trying a new menu. That's what makes it a Pangyo value-for-money restaurant I want to revisit.

If you're looking for an omakase or an anniversary restaurant in Pangyo, I recommend Kkweda. I'm already looking forward to what the next season's course will be :)