Sangmu, Gwangju pasta restaurant: ₩55,000 menu-swap Couple Set B

Pasta and pizza in one set at Bueokgan Sangmu Branch, Gwangju

This is my honest review of Couple Set B at Bueokgan Sangmu Branch, a pasta spot in Sangmu district. While looking for somewhere in Sangmu that served pasta and pizza together, I went to Bueokgan Sangmu Branch on Seogwangju-ro in Seo-gu, Gwangju.

Rather than just ordering one pasta or risotto dish, I wanted to eat a bit of everything — salad, a main, pizza and drinks — so this time I went with Couple Set B.

Bueokgan Sangmu Branch address: 25 Seogwangju-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju

Couple Set B price and swap fees: ₩51,000 plus ₩4,000 = ₩55,000

We ordered Couple Set B. The base price is ₩51,000, and we ended up paying more after swapping a couple of menu items.

• Garden salad
• Abalone cream risotto upgrade +₩2,000
• Basil margherita pizza upgrade +₩2,000
• Iced batch brew coffee
• Single grapefruit

The total order came to ₩55,000. With salad, a main, pizza and drinks all included, I thought this was a pretty solid set for two people who want to try a variety of dishes together.

First course: the garden salad

The first dish out was the garden salad. It was a light way to wake up the palate before digging into the risotto and pizza, and it paired well with a rich dish like cream risotto.

Since the salad was already part of the set, the whole meal felt more well-rounded than if we'd just eaten mains from start to finish.

Main swapped to abalone cream risotto (+₩2,000)

For the main, we paid extra to swap in abalone cream risotto. Abalone added to the soft, nutty cream sauce made this feel a bit more special than an ordinary cream risotto.

The cream sauce was evenly mixed through the rice, and every bite had a soft, rich flavor. Cream dishes can get heavy if you're not careful, but alternating with the salad and pizza kept it from feeling too much.

If you're in the mood for risotto instead of pasta, or you like nutty, soft dishes, the abalone cream risotto is a good pick.

Pizza swapped to basil margherita (+₩2,000)

For the pizza, we swapped to basil margherita pizza. The familiar combination of tomato sauce and cheese, with the fragrant touch of basil on top, made it clean and easy to eat.

If the cream risotto was soft and rich, the basil margherita pizza brought a fresh brightness from the tomato sauce, and the two paired well together. Being able to alternate between the nutty risotto and the fresh pizza rather than sticking to one flavor made me glad we picked this combination.

The pizza was also easy to share among a few people, and ordering it alongside the risotto made the meal quite filling.

The two drinks: iced batch brew coffee and single grapefruit

For drinks, we chose iced batch brew coffee and single grapefruit. It was convenient not having to order a cold drink separately after the meal, since both were already part of the set.

Coffee lovers can go with the iced batch brew, while anyone who wants something refreshing instead of coffee can pick the single grapefruit — a nice option when two people have different tastes.

Is Couple Set B enough for two at Bueokgan Sangmu Branch?

Couple Set B let us cover salad, risotto, pizza and drinks all in one order, which made it a great choice for two people dining together. In particular, I loved how the abalone cream risotto and basil margherita pizza combination let us enjoy both nutty richness and freshness.

If you're unsure what to order when picking dishes separately, it might be worth checking out the set menus first and then adjusting them to your taste.

If you're looking for a good Western restaurant for a date in Sangmu, or want to try a range of pasta, pizza and risotto, Bueokgan Sangmu Branch is worth a visit. Next time, I'd like to try other kinds of pasta too.