Daegu café for spicy spinach shrimp pasta: Otter Rabbit House

After seeing a movie at Manggyeonggwan, it was late for lunch, so I was looking for somewhere easy to eat and found Otter Rabbit House Jongno Branch. It is right in front of the rear entrance of Megabox Premium Manggyeonggwan, and on the way to Daegu Modern History Museum, so you have probably spotted this brunch café while passing by.

Otter Rabbit House Jongno Branch exterior and location

Otter Rabbit House Jongno Branch is a popular brunch spot in Jung-gu, Daegu. From outside, it looks like something out of a storybook, as if a rabbit might hop right out. Inside, it is a café and brunch café that people of all ages can enjoy.

I ordered an Americano for ₩3,800, a grapefruit ade for ₩6,000, and spinach shrimp oil pasta for ₩16,000.

• Otter Rabbit House Jongno Branch
• 57 Jong-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea
• In front of the rear entrance of Megabox Premium Manggyeonggwan, on the route from Gwak Hospital to Daegu Modern History Museum
• 340 m from Jungangno Station
• Hours: 11:00–22:00

It is on the long stretch leading to Gyeongsanggamyeong Park and Donga Shopping, making it easy to head into Jongno Food Alley. True to a Daegu Jongno brunch café, it had a varied menu of pasta, sandwiches, coffee, and more—and the atmosphere was a perfect 100.

When I was on my way to Daegu Modern History Museum last time, it was so hot that I wanted to buy the cherry bingsu (shaved ice dessert). But I had takeaway coffee that day, so I thought I would return someday—and then I came by after the movie.

The cherry bingsu is ₩23,000. One bowl looks like it would blow all the heat away, right? The menu is posted at the entrance too, so you can look it over before going in.

Storybook-like interior and photo spots

Inside the café

Inside Otter Rabbit House Jongno Branch, a brunch café in Jung-gu, Daegu, the brick walls are painted white. There is a subtly natural, storybook-like feel to the space, and it is genuinely calming.

I liked how efficiently the uncluttered space was used.

Some people apparently come here specifically to take photos. The interior is pretty, with plenty of photo spots.

It is also nice for having coffee alone, since there are lots of tables for two. It is small but charming, and a great place to enjoy brunch.

Spinach shrimp oil pasta and plum ade

There were so many pasta choices at this brunch café in Jung-gu, Daegu, that I deliberated for quite a while. Since lunch had run late, I wondered what to have—should I go for toast? But the pasta looked so good that I ordered the spinach shrimp olive pasta. It is cooked to order, and as delicious smells filled the café, an absolutely incredible pasta arrived.

They also sell wine—perhaps a glass in the evening? I do not know much about alcohol, so I only read the list with my eyes, haha.

The coffee and plum ade came out first. The plum still had real bits in it, so it was wonderfully refreshing, and I loved its deep plum flavor.

When you stir it with the little teaspoon, chopped plum pieces come rushing up. It was so refreshing too. Otter Rabbit House Jongno Branch was such a good choice for drinks.

Then the pasta arrived. Oh... it seemed lightly spicy, and the portion was quite generous too. For a ₩16,000 pasta, I was very satisfied.

There were two plump shrimp on top, and lots of whole garlic cloves—exactly to my taste.

Pasta can usually be rich, so it comes with pickles, but this spinach shrimp oil pasta was spicy enough that it did not need pickles or anything else.

The spinach had been blanched and added on top, and it was seasoned, making this a brunch dish that went well with coffee.

The seasoning had soaked right into the shrimp, even to the center, and it felt quite refined. I could taste a smoky wok flavor too; it seemed stir-fried in one pan, and it was an unbelievably delicious pasta.

Brunch after a movie and a walk around Jongno

As you would expect from a Daegu Jongno brunch favorite, brownies and sandwiches to enjoy with coffee are popular too. You can also enjoy brunch with pasta, like I did. This area connects all the way through Gyeongsanggamyeong Park, the Modern History Museum, the handmade shoe alley, and Jongno, so it is a great place for a date as well.

I watched a movie, had a meal... and had a lovely time. I would visit again.