Daejeon QR-order Western restaurant: quattro mushroom gnocchi, THE MUA

THE MUA, a Western restaurant in Tanbang-dong, Daejeon

I was looking for somewhere to eat lunch in Tanbang-dong and ended up at THE MUA, a Western restaurant. It's a place where you can enjoy everything from pasta to gnocchi, steak, and wine, and what caught my eye was how much of the ingredients and dishes are made in-house. The owner chef apparently studied in Australia and worked with local chefs there, and now serves a menu developed from that experience.

How to find THE MUA in the Tanbang-dong alleys

THE MUA has a black exterior with a white THE MUA sign, so it's easy to spot once you're nearby. Cross the street from the main gate of Hanyang Apartment, walk right, then turn into the alley on your left and go straight for about a minute. Parking is available on both sides of the restaurant and in nearby spaces too, so it was fine to visit by car.

Inside THE MUA: a calm, warmly lit dining room

Step inside and the mood is completely different from the exterior. Wood-toned tables with soft lighting give the whole space a calm, warm feel.

Wine bottles and glasses show up as decor in a few spots, and large mirrors and posters fit in without feeling overdone.

The spacing between tables felt comfortable too, not cramped.

There's also a room in the back with two tables in one space, which seems good for larger groups or a slightly more private meal.

Baby chairs were on hand too.

Table setting and how QR code ordering works

The basic tableware and water glasses were set neatly, and with the table lighting added the mood was pretty nice. They also brought out pickles to go alongside the meal.

You check the menu and order through the QR code on the table, which made it easy to take our time browsing.

What we ordered at THE MUA and what it cost

• Lobster croquette ₩9,900
• House jambon cream pasta ₩15,900
• Quattro mushroom gnocchi ₩16,900

THE MUA's signature lobster croquette, 9,900 won

First out was the lobster croquette, said to be THE MUA's original signature dish. They boil the lobster themselves, pick the meat, and mix it with lobster, shrimp, nasturtium leaves, and chives to make the croquette.

The outside was fried crisp, and cutting it in half showed a fairly generous filling. Paired with tartar sauce it was soft and savory — a nice light bite before the mains arrived.

House jambon (cured ham) cream pasta, 15,900 won

The house jambon cream pasta looked the part from the start, with house-made jambon (ham) piled generously on top of the pasta.

The base is cream made with onion, garlic, fresh cream, egg, and cheese, so overall it was smooth and rich.

Rolling the jambon in with the noodles, the salty flavor paired really well with the cream sauce. There was plenty of jambon too, enough to keep eating together with the pasta right to the end.

Quattro mushroom gnocchi with roasted ricotta, 16,900 won

Personally, the quattro mushroom gnocchi looked the most appetizing of the three.

The ricotta gnocchi is roasted until golden, with a proper color built up on the surface. The dish uses mushroom duxelles, brown enoki mushrooms, milk and cream, grana padano, and garlic oil.

Load up a piece of gnocchi with plenty of sauce and you get the soft gnocchi together with a deep mushroom flavor.

It's a different kind of savory from the cream pasta, so ordering both to share worked well.

THE MUA hours, parking and closed days

• Address: 35 Munjeong-ro122beon-gil, 1F 101, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea (Tanbang-dong 899)
• About 944m from Tanbang Station Exit 4
• Hours: Daily 11:00-21:00
• Break time 15:00-17:00 / Last order 20:20
• Closed September 24-26
• Parking available / free — beside the restaurant and nearby

Is THE MUA in Tanbang-dong worth a visit?

What stuck with me was that, unlike a typical Western restaurant just serving pasta or gnocchi, THE MUA has its own signature dishes like the house-made jambon and lobster croquette. The atmosphere is calm and clean too, so it seems like a good spot not just for Tanbang-dong lunch but for a date or group gathering. With a good range of wines available, it also seems like a nice place to enjoy pasta or steak with wine in the evening. Worth a visit if you're looking for a Western restaurant with a good atmosphere, or pasta and gnocchi, in Tanbang-dong.