Daejeon Western restaurant, corkage-free Thursday gnocchi: THE MUA

Where is THE MUA in Tanbang-dong, and where do you park?

A lunch spot worth knowing in Tanbang-dong, Daejeon: THE MUA 📍35 Munjeong-ro 122beon-gil, 1F 101, Seo-gu, Daejeon 11:00 - 21:00 (break time 15:00 - 17:00) Parking available in front and beside the restaurant / street parking in the alley

I stopped by THE MUA, a Western restaurant in Tanbang-dong, Daejeon! There looked to be room for 2-3 cars to park in front and beside the shop, but we ended up parking in a nearby alley and walking over.

Private room, long table and baby chair: what is the seating like?

There was a room-style seating area, three 4-person tables, and a long table great for groups. A baby chair was also on hand, and there was actually a group with a baby at the table next to us when we visited.

Basic tableware was already set at every table.

What we ordered at THE MUA and what it cost

Here's what we ordered!

• Lobster croquettes (2 pcs) ₩9,900
• Quattro mushroom gnocchi ₩16,900
• Handmade beef lasagna ₩19,900

The menu had a lot of variety and I was curious about other dishes too, but this time we stuck mainly to the signature items.

Pre-order before 11:30am: how the lunch system works

They run a same-day pre-order reservation system aimed at office workers. If you order before 11:30am, you can sit down and eat right away with this pre-order system! It seemed really handy for people with short lunch breaks, haha.

Free corkage every Thursday at THE MUA

Every Thursday, corkage is free! Worth keeping in mind if you're planning a wine dinner.

I got an iced americano through a review event — can't pass up an event like that, haha. You could choose between ade and americano, and since I usually like pairing Western food with americano, I went with that!

Our order arrived — lobster croquettes, handmade beef lasagna, and quattro mushroom gnocchi, all at once. They say THE MUA makes even their sauces from scratch, and all three dishes looked delicious from the first glance.

Lobster croquettes (2 pcs), 9,900 won

The lobster croquettes came with crispy fried croquettes sitting on a soft sauce — like a familiar shrimp burger, but leveled up to something more upscale...! They said the lobster is boiled and picked apart by hand, and with one bite the moist lobster and crispy coating worked together nicely. It paired well with the sauce too, making it a great appetizer before the meal.

Handmade beef lasagna, 19,900 won

This is the handmade beef lasagna, baked whole in the oven. They warned us the plate was hot to be careful. I love lasagna eaten warm... 🤍

There was plenty of beef packed between the layers of cheese. Out of all the lasagna I've had, this one felt the most generously filled, and it went really well with the arugula. The tangy yet rich sauce cut through the richness, so much so that it was a shame every bite disappeared so fast, haha.

Quattro mushroom gnocchi, 16,900 won

The quattro mushroom gnocchi lived up to its name — a deep mushroom aroma came through, and the mushroom flavor was well expressed in the cream sauce too.

The gnocchi was chewy yet soft, so I kept reaching for more, and it paired really well with the rich cream sauce. Even scooping up the leftover sauce after finishing the gnocchi was delicious!

Would I go back to THE MUA? Final verdict

That was my visit to THE MUA in Tanbang-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon! Every dish felt like it was made with real care, so it felt like I finally had a proper Western meal after a long while.

Overall, from the clean and comfortable atmosphere to the food and the service, THE MUA gave me a genuinely pleasant meal (˵ ›⩊‹ ˵)