Daejeon pasta restaurant lunch date with jambon cream pasta: THE MUA

On a day we wanted to enjoy something a bit more special for a date in Tanbang-dong, the two of us headed to THE MUA. Every dish here — pasta, lasagna, croquettes — has its own personality, so it was a fun kind of hard to choose. This time we ordered lobster croquettes to start, then handmade jambon cream pasta and fresh pasta hanwoo lasagna.

Where THE MUA is in Tanbang-dong, and what the room feels like

THE MUA is located at 35 Munjeong-ro 122beon-gil, 1F 101, Seo-gu, Daejeon. It's a great Western-style restaurant to visit in Tanbang-dong for a lunch, a blind date, or an anniversary date. The neatly arranged space and calm atmosphere made it comfortable to talk and eat.

Lobster croquettes, 9,900 won: THE MUA's signature starter

The first thing we tried was the lobster croquettes, two pieces for ₩9,900. As THE MUA's introduced first signature menu item, the combination of ingredients caught my eye right away — different from your usual croquette. Lobster and shrimp filling fried crisp, served with nasturtium leaves, chives, and tartar sauce. Crunchy and savory on the outside with soft seafood flavor inside — great for whetting the appetite before the meal.

Dipping the croquette in tartar sauce added freshness, and eating it with the nasturtium leaves and chives made the fried richness feel lighter. Coming as two pieces, it was easy for the two of us to split one each. If you're ordering pasta and lasagna and want to add a seafood dish, this is a good choice.

What does the 15,900 won handmade jambon cream pasta taste like?

We ordered the handmade jambon cream pasta for ₩15,900. It came generously topped with house-made jambon, so the presence of the ingredient was clear at a glance. A cream sauce made with onion, garlic, fresh cream, egg, and cheese wrapped the noodles softly, and the salty jambon anchored the overall flavor. It would suit anyone who prefers a cream pasta that's savory and umami-rich rather than too heavy.

Since it's a pasta where the jambon's flavor and the cream sauce come together, each bite naturally carried the ingredients' saltiness and savoriness. While the lasagna we ordered alongside leaned rich with tomato sauce as its core, the handmade jambon cream pasta showed off a soft, creamy charm — fun to compare the two different pasta styles side by side.

Fresh-pasta hanwoo lasagna, 19,900 won

The fresh pasta hanwoo lasagna is ₩19,900. It's made with hanwoo (Korean beef), fresh pasta sheets, tomato sauce, mozzarella, grana padano, red wine, béchamel, and basil oil. Between the layered fresh pasta sheets, hanwoo, tomato sauce, and cheese came together for a dish hearty enough on its own. The soft texture unique to fresh pasta, the savoriness of the cheese, and the bright tomato sauce balanced out, giving a rich satisfaction different from the cream pasta.

45,700 won for two: how to order at THE MUA

Ordering all three dishes together let us enjoy a varied meal, starting with the seafood croquette and moving through the cream pasta to the hanwoo lasagna. Lobster croquettes ₩9,900, handmade jambon cream pasta ₩15,900, and fresh pasta hanwoo lasagna ₩19,900 came to a total of ₩45,700. Rather than choosing just one between pasta and lasagna, this combination suited a lunch where two people wanted to share different dishes.

THE MUA hours, break time and last order

THE MUA, a pasta spot in Tanbang-dong, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a break time from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and last order listed as 8:20 p.m.

If you want to enjoy a cream pasta topped with handmade jambon alongside fresh pasta lasagna in Tanbang-dong, or you're looking for a good-atmosphere Western restaurant for a date, remember THE MUA. It was a meal where we got to enjoy different charms one after another — from the crispy lobster croquettes to the soft cream pasta to the hearty hanwoo lasagna.