41,900 won steak set at Plate, a Sunhwa-dong restaurant in Daejeon

I went on a food date with a friend to Sunhwa-dong in Daejeon, catching up over a good meal for once.

Sunhwa-dong is close to the main Sungsimdang bakery, so it's popular with people doing a bakery pilgrimage. But wander the back alleys and you'll find a surprising number of nice cafés and characterful restaurants too.

Where is Plate in Sunhwa-dong, and what are the hours and parking?

Plate's Sunhwa branch sits down an alley at Sunhwa-dong 24, Jung-gu, Daejeon. It's open 11:00–21:30, and 11:00–21:45 on weekends. There's no dedicated parking lot.

Hours may change, so it's worth checking the latest info before you go.

It's close to the main Sungsimdang bakery too, so it's a good lunch or dinner stop before or after buying bread there.

Since there's no store parking, if you drive you'll need to use street parking around the alley or a nearby paid lot. The Sunhwa-dong alleys are narrow and get busy on weekends, so it's best to allow extra time.

The black awning with "Plate Italian Bistro" spelled out in English made the place easy to spot.

With wine bottles and a standing sign outside, it had the feel of a small Italian restaurant tucked into an alley. The exterior isn't flashy, but it has a quiet, understated charm — my friend and I were already saying "this would be a great date spot" before we even walked in.

This visit was to Plate's Sunhwa branch, a Sunhwa-dong spot in Daejeon known for making its own fresh pasta noodles.

Pasta starts at ₩10,900, which isn't intimidating, and you actually get to choose your own noodle type. There's also a set menu with steak, salad, soup and bread all together, which made it perfect for a date with a friend.

Honestly I planned to just have pasta and leave, but the moment I saw the steak set on the menu, my resolve wavered.

"Let's really eat well today!"

My friend and I exchanged a look and immediately checked the box for the steak set, haha.

Inside Plate: a small, calm dining room

Inside, Plate's Sunhwa branch was a compact space with about 6 tables for four.

Dark-finished walls paired well with warm-toned wooden tables, giving the whole space a calm, comfortable feel. It's not huge, but the tables were tidy and the space wasn't noisy, so it was easy to sit across from my friend and talk.

Restaurants that are too formal make you self-conscious about how you're even sitting, haha.

Plate's Sunhwa branch looks nice but felt relaxed enough to eat comfortably in, making it good for friends and equally suited to a couple's date in Sunhwa-dong.

Given the compact size, there can be a wait at lunch or dinner, especially on weekends, so visiting on a weekday or slightly off peak hours is a good idea.

On the table, plates with the Plate logo, forks, knives and spoons were neatly set out. Along with water, we were also given a bright pink radish pickle as a default side — its color alone caught the eye.

The tangy, crunchy radish pickle did a great job of resetting our palates between bites of the cream pasta and steak.

Choosing from 12 fresh pasta noodles at Plate

The biggest feature of Plate's Sunhwa branch is that you choose your own noodle when ordering pasta. There are 6 house-made fresh noodles and 6 dried noodle shapes, 12 in total.

The fresh noodles were spaghetti, spinach spaghetti, squid ink spaghetti, tagliatelle, pappardelle, and picci; the dried noodles were linguine, penne, fusilli, farfalle, conchiglie, and rigatoni.

Usually when you order pasta you just get whatever noodle comes with it, so being able to match the noodle to the sauce and your own taste made the ordering process fun in itself.

Of course, more choices also means more decision paralysis, lol.

Next to each pasta on the menu, there's a recommended noodle number, so even people unfamiliar with noodle types can choose easily.

Pappardelle holds sauce well thanks to its wide surface, penne suits cream sauces, picci is great for a chewy bite — each noodle has its own shape and texture, and it made me want to try different combinations next time.

What the 41,900 won steak set at Plate includes

Since one plate of pasta alone felt like it might not be enough, we ordered the steak set. The base price of Plate's Sunhwa branch steak set is ₩37,900, and it includes the following.

• Steak cream ragù pasta
• 220g hanging tender steak
• Plate salad
• Bread
• 2 soups

Swapping the basic pasta for the signature steak cream ragù added ₩4,000, bringing the total to ₩41,900.

The recommended noodle for the steak cream ragù was No. 5, pappardelle, but we went with the more familiar No. 1, fresh spaghetti, for an easy, no-pressure choice.

We were told the set gives roughly a 15% saving compared to ordering the pasta and steak separately. With salad, bread, and two soups included on top of the pasta and steak, the set felt genuinely generous for two people.

At first I wondered, "the price is reasonable, so maybe the portions are small?" but that worry disappeared the moment everything landed on the table.

The pasta came on a big plate with a generous portion, and the 220g hanging tender steak was plenty for my friend and me to share.

The Plate salad that opened the meal

The salad came out first. Lettuce, red cabbage, cherry tomatoes, corn, and baby greens were colorfully arranged in a wooden bowl. It looked so good that I took several photos before the main dishes even arrived.

The fresh vegetables were crisp, and you could taste both the sweetness of the corn and the freshness of the cherry tomatoes. The dressing wasn't heavy or sharp either, which opened up our appetite nicely before the real meal started.

Since both the steak and cream pasta are rich dishes, having the salad alongside cut the heaviness and made the whole meal feel more balanced. It was nice that the salad was already included in the set, so we didn't need to order a separate side.

House-made corn soup at Plate for 1,500 won

Next, warm house-made corn soup came out, one bowl per person. It's only ₩1,500 à la carte, which made me think "is that really the price these days?" — but the set includes two bowls, so we each got our own comfortably.

The soup wasn't thin and runny but thick and smooth. It had a gentle, distinct corn sweetness and a nutty flavor, and being warm, it settled the stomach nicely.

Granola and nuts on top added a fun crunchy texture against the smooth soup.

The granola-on-soup combination felt a little unusual at first, but it actually worked really well together. The crunch added to what could have been just a smooth soup, and we emptied our bowls quickly.

The portion wasn't overwhelming, so it was perfect as a light bite before the mains arrived.

Warm bread served before the main courses

Bread came out along with the soup. A long loaf was served on a wooden tray with soft cream alongside. The brown crust was dusted with small grain toppings that looked nutty just from the appearance.

Cutting the bread into bite-sized pieces and spreading on plenty of cream gave a light, soft flavor. It was good plain, but dipping it lightly into the corn soup added extra moisture and nuttiness — a different kind of charm.

My friend and I said "we can't fill up on bread before the mains arrive!" and then kept grabbing another piece anyway — that part's our secret, haha.

Steak cream ragù: fresh spaghetti loaded with meat and cream

The steak cream ragù pasta we'd been waiting for finally arrived. A big white plate was generously filled with cream sauce, topped with finely chopped meat, chopped scallions, and crispy toppings.

The portion was even more generous in person than in photos — it looked filling the moment it landed on the table.

The fresh spaghetti we chose was softer than regular dried noodles but still had a chewy bite. The more you chewed it, the more you could feel the elasticity and moisture unique to fresh pasta — a clearly different experience from regular spaghetti.

The cream sauce was rich and savory but not overwhelmingly heavy. Since it was a ragù with meat flavor added in, it had more depth and heartiness than a typical cream pasta.

The finely chopped meat mixed through the noodles came up naturally every time we twirled a forkful. It was nice being able to enjoy meat and cream sauce evenly in every bite without having to hunt for it separately.

The generous scallions on top paired with the cream sauce better than expected. Their fragrant, fresh taste balanced the richness of the cream, and the crispy topping added a fun crunch and extra nuttiness.

My friend took one bite and said, "this is way less heavy than I expected, and it's really good!" and kept the fork moving nonstop.

The fresh noodles held onto the cream sauce well, so it stayed moist until the last bite, and dipping bread into the leftover sauce was delicious too.

220g hanging tender steak, juicy with a smoky char

The hanging tender steak that came with the pasta looked just as good. The large steak had clear grill marks and a glistening, moist surface that made your mouth water just looking at it.

Grilled napa cabbage, tomato, and smooth potato purée were served alongside, along with a small cup of steak sauce on the side. Rather than just a slab of meat, the whole plate was neatly composed with sides, making it fun just to look at.

Cutting the steak into bite-sized pieces, the inside still had visible, juicy moisture.

One bite had a gentle smoky char and nutty flavor on the outside, while the inside was tender and chewy without being tough. The characteristic bite of hanging tender was present but not unpleasantly chewy, and my friend and I enjoyed sharing it.

Eaten plain, you could taste the clean, natural flavor of the meat itself, and dipping it lightly in the accompanying sauce deepened the savoriness. Dipping it sparingly rather than drowning it kept the steak's own flavor intact while adding richness.

The grilled napa cabbage was a quiet standout too. Charred over flame, it had softened nicely and brought out a natural sweetness that paired well with the steak. The potato purée was warm and soft, making each bite with the meat feel even more comforting.

Is the Plate steak set enough for two people?

Plate's steak set at the Sunhwa branch was a great fit for two people who want both pasta and steak.

A single plate of fresh pasta would already be filling on its own, but with hanging tender steak, salad, bread, and soup added, the meal felt much more substantial.

Being able to choose the pasta noodle yourself was especially fun, and next time I'd like to try wide pappardelle or chewy picci.

The price is reasonable too, making it a good option for a meal with friends, a date with a partner, or just to dress up a special day a little.

Final thoughts on Plate, a Sunhwa-dong pasta restaurant in Daejeon

Plate's Sunhwa branch let us enjoy the chewy texture of house-made fresh pasta, a rich cream ragù, and a juicy hanging tender steak all in one sitting — a satisfying visit.

It's close to the main Sungsimdang bakery, so it's easy to add as a meal stop before or after a bakery pilgrimage, and the cozy, calm atmosphere makes it a good date spot in Sunhwa-dong, Daejeon.

Catching up with a friend over good food, chatting away, and eating well through pasta and steak made for a genuinely great day.

If you're looking for an affordable fresh-pasta restaurant in Sunhwa-dong, Daejeon, or a good-value set that lets you enjoy pasta and steak together, give Plate's Sunhwa branch a try.

Next time I'll pick a different noodle with my friend and try a new combination. This time it was spaghetti, so next up: pappardelle, to really soak up the sauce, haha!