Daegu brunch café for spicy clam pasta: Otter Rabbit House

A warm brunch spot in Daegu’s Jongno

Outside

I liked the atmosphere from the moment I first saw the place. Its brick-and-wood exterior gave me a warm, calm impression rather than a flashy, overly styled one.

Even though it is right in the middle of Daegu’s Jongno, standing in front of it made me feel as if I had briefly arrived in another neighborhood. It was the kind of place that made me curious about the atmosphere inside before even going in.

I thought the exterior would photograph especially nicely on a good-weather day. The atmosphere suited stopping by on a date or coming in for brunch after walking around the Jongno area.

Inside

Once inside, the mood I had felt outside continued right on through. Warm lighting filled the brick-and-wood space, making it cozy, and the little objects placed around the room made it feel thoughtfully and charmingly decorated.

Most of all, I loved the window-side seats. The windows themselves had character, but with the outdoor view and natural light coming in together, the interior never felt closed in. I came for brunch and had fun looking around the space too.

There were eye-catching little details everywhere, so it was fun to look around while waiting for the food. It was not the atmosphere of an overly formal restaurant, yet it was not simply as casual as an ordinary café either,

so I think the best description is somewhere in the middle: an atmosphere where it is easy to enjoy both a meal and coffee.

Kiosk ordering and our brunch for three

We ordered at the kiosk by the entrance after entering our table number. There was a good range of brunch-friendly dishes, from pasta and lasagna to French toast.

With drinks and desserts available too, it is a nice place to carry on with coffee and dessert without moving to another café after your meal. We visited as three people—two adults and one elementary-school child—and ordered the following.

• Spicy clam broth pasta (₩16,000)
• Cheese bacon French toast (₩13,000)
• 1 iced chocolate latte (₩4,800)

This was a light meal for three, but the pasta portion was bigger than expected, so we did not feel particularly short on food afterward. That said, if three adults with hearty appetites are looking for a proper full meal, I would recommend adding about one more main dish.

How spicy is the clam broth pasta?

The first dish I reached for was the spicy clam broth pasta. It is a soupy pasta with broth made by simmering fresh clams and the flavor of whole garlic, and it definitely felt different from typical cream or tomato pasta.

To begin with, it had a generous amount of clams. A sip of the broth brought out the savory depth of the clams first, followed by the distinctive flavor of whole garlic and a little heat.

I liked that it was spicy enough to awaken the appetite rather than aggressively hot. Eating the noodles with the broth naturally carried its flavor along, and as I kept eating, the serving seemed more substantial than it had looked at first.

Picking out clams one by one, eating noodles, then taking another spoonful of broth—it is the sort of dish you keep reaching for. Still, since it is spicy, I would choose another dish for a child’s meal if visiting with one.

French toast with cheese and olive oil

The cheese bacon French toast was another dish that stayed with me more than I expected. It is baked with bacon, cheddar, gourmet cheese, and mozzarella, then finished with olive oil. From the name alone, I expected something very rich and heavy, but it had a slightly different charm when I tried it.

The nutty flavor of the different cheeses came through clearly, with salty bacon appearing here and there. The surprising part was the olive oil, though. As its aroma blended with the cheese, it gave off a scent that somehow reminded me of maple, and I really liked that combination.

Unlike ordinary French toast that is only sweet, this one had saltiness and the nutty richness of cheese, so it worked especially well for sharing alongside the pasta.

A bite of spicy pasta followed by a bite of rich toast was fun because the two dishes had such different characters. Since we were visiting with a child, we chose an iced chocolate latte. There was a good variety of coffee and non-coffee drinks as well as brunch, so choosing a drink with a child was not difficult. Above all, it felt more relaxing because it was the kind of place where you could linger over a drink rather than eat and leave right away.

If you are stopping for brunch in Daegu’s Jongno

• A good spot in Daegu’s Jongno for brunch and drinks in one place
• Broth pasta with plenty of clams, savory depth, and pleasant heat
• French toast memorable for its mix of cheeses and olive oil
• A cozy atmosphere that made for a comfortable stay
• Use Gyeongsanggamyeong Park Public Parking Lot, less than a five-minute walk away

If you want to have brunch in a pleasant space in Daegu’s Jongno, then slowly continue with coffee and dessert rather than searching separately for a restaurant and a café, Otter Rabbit House Jongno Branch (오터래빗하우스 종로점) could be worth a stop. Next time, I would like to try the lasagna with wine~!^^