Gebawi pasta and squid ink ciabatta bread in Gomo-ri: From Italy

A friend recommended this as one of the best pasta spots in Pocheon, so I finally made the trip out to Gomo-ri! It's also been listed as a Blue Ribbon restaurant every year since 2020, so I went in with even higher expectations haha.

Today's spot is From Italy's Gomo-ri main branch, a Pocheon restaurant I'd recommend to anyone hunting for good pasta — from pasta to pizza, this place delivers 🤍

Where to find From Italy's Gomo-ri branch

From Italy's Gomo-ri branch is located at 669 Jugyeopsan-ro, Sohol-eup, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.

Since it's right in the Gomo-ri area, it's a great Western food stop if you're out for a weekend drive around Gomo-ri! There are plenty of cafés and restaurants nearby, so it's a great addition to a weekend driving course.

From Italy's exterior

From Italy's upscale European-style interior really stood out!

There's a Blue Ribbon Survey certification sticker covering 2020 through 2026 posted at the entrance.

From Italy also has a beautifully landscaped outdoor garden! They told me you can't dine out there, but it looks like a lovely spot to sit and relax for a bit on a nice day... haha.

What's the atmosphere and seating like inside?

From Italy operates across two floors.

The second floor has high ceilings that give it a really open feel! I was told the second floor only opens on weekends.

The interior has an antique-style decor! The mood is calm and upscale, so it works well for a date in Pocheon's Gomo-ri or for a meal with your parents. Even though I arrived almost right at opening, there were already quite a few guests. That's basically proof this is a genuine Pocheon favorite, right? Haha. Seeing how many people were there just built up my expectations even more.

From Italy's owner chef

I learned that From Italy's menu is developed directly by the owner chef, who previously worked at a 5-star hotel in Seoul and headed menu R&D at a fine dining restaurant in Gangnam, with 26 years of experience in Italian dining. That career alone is impressive! Knowing the chef personally develops and presents every dish made me even more excited about this being a great pasta spot in Pocheon.

The menu at From Italy's Gomo-ri branch

From Italy has such a wide range of menu items!! Everything from salads to pizza, pasta, risotto, and steak is on offer.

There's even a course menu, so this could be a great pick for a special occasion in Pocheon.

The drinks menu was great too, with wine, highballs, and beer alongside coffee, other drinks, and ades. If you're a fan of Western food, the moment you open this menu you'll be stuck with some happy decisions haha.

What we ordered

I mostly ordered based on what my friend recommended.

• Half-and-half pizza ₩34,000 (blueberry + spicy pepperoni)
• Gebawi pasta ₩29,000
• Lemon ade ₩7,000
• Grapefruit ade ₩7,000

❗️Just a heads up: the gebawi pasta has a bit of a spicy kick, but if you're not into spicy food, you can ask for it non-spicy.

Honest review: the squid ink ciabatta starter bread

The first thing to arrive after we ordered was the starter bread — squid ink ciabatta! They make it in-house and let it ferment for 14 hours. The outside was light and plain while the inside was wonderfully chewy and dense 🤤

I already love that kind of dense, chewy texture, so having the starter bread already hit my exact preference nearly broke me ㅜㅜ It was also delicious dipped in the pasta sauce, so I ended up wiping the sauce clean off the plate haha. I think a place that nails the basics is a truly great restaurant, and this confirmed it — yep, this is a real Pocheon favorite, nodding along.

What exactly is gebawi pasta?

The main dish, gebawi pasta, arrived! True to its name (gebawi means