Yangjae Spanish restaurant birthday dinner: Comedor 16

For my husband’s birthday, I had dinner at Comedor 16 (꼬메도르16) with my parents and older brother. Since our family often eats Korean food together, we chose Spanish food for a change. We made a reservation in advance and shared five dishes.

How long does it take from Yangjae Citizen’s Forest Station, and how was parking?

Comedor 16 is about a 15-minute walk from Exit 2 of Yangjae Citizen’s Forest Station. It was also a reasonable place to visit while taking a walk along the Yangjaecheon stream.

About one car can park in front of the restaurant, and they say that you need to use a nearby public parking lot if it is full. We brought two cars, but luckily found space on the roadside near the restaurant, parked there, and walked over.

The navigation system directed us to the front of the building, but the actual restaurant was in the shopping area behind it. When arriving by car, it was easier to find by turning in near the corner one block before the restaurant.

What was the atmosphere like for a family birthday dinner?

The restaurant had a cozy, warm atmosphere. The seating worked well for small groups, and our party of five, booked for 6 p.m., was shown to the group table in the center of the restaurant.

The red wallpaper went well with the soft lighting, while details such as the water bottle added orange and yellow accents. I thought the atmosphere was pleasant during dinner and felt it would also suit a date or a gathering for handing out wedding invitations.

What facilities were available for visiting with a child?

A child came with us as well. There was no high chair, but the staff prepared child tableware. The restroom was a shared restroom outside the restaurant.

What dishes did five people share?

Since it was my husband’s birthday, we looked over the menu as a family and chose mostly dishes he wanted to eat.

• Brandada
• Spanish meat pie
• Signature paella
• Eight-hour confit pulpo steak
• Sirloin cream mafaldine pasta

We prepared our spoons and chopsticks at the table with pickles and chatted while the dishes came out one by one. One person handled the cooking, and the food arrived faster than expected.

What did the brandada taste like, and what did you eat it with?

We ordered the brandada, which was a new menu item at the time of our visit. It is made by gently mashing salted cod and potatoes with olive oil and baking them.

It was smoother than I expected, with a subtle aroma distinctive to cod. Eating it with hogaza, a Spanish homestyle bread, and pickles was a good combination. My husband, who likes mild food, liked the brandada best that day.

What did I like most about the meat pie?

The Spanish meat pie is made by filling thin pastry with cocido, a stew, and baking it in the oven. The contrast in texture was nice: crisp on the outside and soft inside. The meat and sauce inside were familiar, somewhat like ragù, but mild, letting the ingredients’ flavors come through rather than relying on strong seasoning.

This was my favorite dish that day. With five people sharing it, it disappeared quickly.

How were the seasoning and rice texture of the signature paella?

The signature paella was not heavily seasoned, so it went well with the other dishes. The rice was not soft and fully cooked; it had a slightly firm, pleasantly chewy texture.

A staff member told us it tasted better to eat the egg on top as it was rather than break it and mix it in. We followed that suggestion, and my father especially enjoyed it.

How were the texture and portion of the pulpo steak?

The eight-hour confit pulpo steak was memorable because it let us eat octopus, which we do not often have, in a steak-like format. The outside was lightly seared and the inside was tender. It stayed pleasantly chewy without being tough.

The portion was a little disappointing, though. It was fine for sharing with several other dishes as we did, but I felt it might be slightly insufficient as one person’s main dish.

What did the sirloin cream mafaldine pasta taste like?

Mafaldine is a wide pasta with wavy edges. It was the first time anyone in our family had tried it, so we found it interesting. The cream sauce was fairly rich, and the sirloin made it filling.

I like cream pasta, so I enjoyed it. My mother especially liked it and even finished the cream sauce left at the end.

What stood out from the family birthday dinner?

Sharing several dishes among five people let us try a range of Spanish food. I liked the meat pie best, my husband preferred the brandada, and my mother liked the mafaldine pasta, so each of us remembered a different dish most fondly.

Although the pulpo steak portion was disappointing, its doneness and texture were good. Being able to share food that was different from our usual meals in a warm atmosphere made it a memorable family birthday dinner.