Anniversary course dinner in Pangyo: eel donburi with truffle, Kkweda

Looking for a stamina-boosting seasonal course for an anniversary dinner in Pangyo, I visited Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch.

I'd been feeling run down lately with a lot going on, so I went looking for something a bit special to build up my energy — here's my review of Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch!

Where is Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch, and its hours and parking

Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch is at 25 Dongpangyo-ro 177beon-gil, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do — 1st floor #143, Pangyo Hoban Summit Place. It's open 11:30 to 21:30, and you can use the Avenue France parking lot.

What Kkweda looks like from outside

Kkweda's exterior felt quite different from a typical restaurant — the restrained, minimal design made the space feel a bit more special. Out front you could check which course was currently running, and that day's theme was the 'Kkweda Summer Course.'

Bar table or private room at Kkweda — which seat is better?

Seating at Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch is split between a long bar table wrapped around the open kitchen and two rooms, one small and one large. I'd recommend the bar table for 1–2 people so you can watch the cooking, and a room for groups.

The first thing that caught my eye was the long bar table — seats are arranged around the open kitchen, so you get a front-row view of the chefs prepping and plating. With a course meal, the food matters, of course, but watching one dish come together while the next is being prepped is half the fun, so I booked this bar table.

Inside there were also two rooms, one small and one large. The spaces themselves were minimal and upscale, making them nice for a special occasion, and since they're set up for groups they'd also work well for a work dinner. The vibe was more relaxed than an overly formal fine-dining setting, letting you focus on the food.

Kkweda Summer Stamina Course: price and what it includes

Kkweda prepares its course menu around seasonal ingredients, and right now it's running the Summer Stamina Course at ₩75,000 per person.

The table I booked had the course lineup laid out, with the ingredients used in each dish listed too, so it was fun comparing as I ate. There was a separate drinks menu with a wide range of options, from non-alcoholic drinks and cocktails to sake and wine.

Kkweda course review, dish by dish

Kombucha and mojito

A shot of this because the logo was so unique and pretty 🤭 We'd driven, so we ordered non-alcoholic cocktails — kombucha and a mojito, one each. Both were refreshing with a pleasant bitterness that paired really well with the course overall.

Watermelon gazpacho

The first dish, which screamed summer just by looking at it, was a watermelon gazpacho — cold and red, topped with herbs and edible flowers for a really pretty, fresh look. The watermelon's coolness hit first, then the crunch of Korean melon and the chewy texture of squid came through, which was fun. It set the 'summer' theme clearly right from the start of the course.

Grilled vegetable salad

The sweetness and nuttiness that grilling brings out in the vegetables anchored this dish. It was noticeably deeper in flavor than a salad made only with raw vegetables! The bright, smooth sauce, the mellow sweetness of the vegetables and the saltiness of the ham came together into a rich, layered taste.

Chodang sweet corn custard

Every dish so far had been something I'd genuinely never eaten before, so my anticipation for the next course kept building. This dish was no exception — a surprising chodang corn custard. Soft custard was topped with chodang sweet corn and scallop, and the corn's popping texture, the scallop's chewiness, and the corn's sweet, nutty flavor were all wonderfully in balance.

Charcoal-grilled Iberico pork

Now the course started to get properly hearty — the moment the bite-sized grilled Iberico pork arrived, a faint charcoal aroma drifted up. It came with chimichurri sauce and grilled potatoes.

The Iberico pork had a strong, nutty richness and plenty of juice inside, and adding the chimichurri sauce brought a lovely exotic savoriness. It served as a proper turning point, transitioning from the vegetable- and corn-centered dishes into the meat-centered main section.

Korean beef uni maki (10,000 won add-on)

Beyond the set course, you can add the Korean beef uni maki for ₩10,000 — make sure you order this! It's a genuinely delicious hidden menu item worth well more than the price. Each piece was so big you had to eat it in two bites — such generous portions! The richness from the beef's fat and the creaminess of the uni went together beautifully, and it really stood out in the middle of the course.

Sea bass karaage

The sea bass karaage was made from a large fillet of fried sea bass, served with sauce, grated radish and vegetables. This dish really let the fish's clean flavor shine. Inside the thin, crispy batter, the sea bass was moist, thick and surprisingly sweet — eating it, I genuinely felt like I was getting a proper seasonal stamina meal.

Eel donburi with fresh truffle slices (10,000 won add-on)

The eel donburi was seasoned rice topped with eel and pickled Korean melon — unlike the usual eel rice bowl, topping it with pickled seasonal melon was a fun, unusual touch. The eel carried a hint of charcoal aroma through its sweet glaze while staying tender and beautifully grilled, and it paired wonderfully with the sweetly seasoned rice.

This is the basic eel donburi with a ₩10,000 add-on of fresh truffle slices piled on top. Even at that price, the truffle is genuinely generous, so I'd recommend adding it if you can! Once truffle aroma is layered onto the base eel rice bowl, it transforms into a completely different dish — you get the eel's deep savoriness mingling with the truffle's distinctive scent for a dense, layered flavor.

There were truly as many truffle slices as there were pieces of eel, so it was a real chance to eat plenty of truffle. And that pickled Korean melon left an impression — thanks to it, this felt like the best eel rice bowl I've had. As the main dish of the meal, satisfaction was extremely high.

Neungi mushroom duck soup

Finally, a warm soup dish arrived — neungi mushroom duck soup. Inside a clear brown broth were duck meat, bean sprouts and chives, all foods that are genuinely great for stamina, piled generously in. The deep flavor drawn from the duck served as a base, with the neungi mushroom's distinctive aroma spreading subtly through it, leaving a far deeper impression than a simple clear soup. The flavor alone made me feel my energy coming back!

The sous-vide duck was genuinely tender and clean-tasting, and the savory, slightly rich broth paired wonderfully with the crunch of bean sprouts and chives. True to its name, it was a dish that evoked classic summer stamina food, so for my health's sake, I drank the broth straight from the bowl before leaving 😋

Yogurt sorbet

The final dessert of the course was yogurt sorbet — a white sorbet topped with rich berries, served alongside butter crumble. The yogurt's tang met the sorbet's coolness for a perfectly clean finish, making it the ideal way to end the course.

Is Kkweda worth it for an anniversary dinner in Pangyo?

The Summer Stamina Course at Kkweda Pangyo Avenue France Branch felt less about simply serving many dishes and more focused on how a single season could be woven through the whole course. Getting to try classic seasonal stamina ingredients like chodang corn, watermelon and sea bass in new ways made for an enjoyable meal.

With upscale interiors and well-executed food, this is a place worth visiting at least once if you're looking for a Japanese-style anniversary omakase in Pangyo.

What to know before visiting Kkweda

• The course lineup can change by season, so check what's currently running before you visit
• For 1–2 people, I'd recommend the bar table
• The Korean beef uni maki and the truffle slice add-on are real highlights, so I'd recommend adding both