Stone-pot latte risotto at a Pocheon Italian restaurant: From Italy

Where is From Italy on a fall drive to Gomori Reservoir?

From Italy (프롬이태리) is a Western-style restaurant near Gomori Reservoir in Pocheon, right next to the Starbucks Gwangneung Arboretum branch. So it's also easy to have a meal at From Italy and then go for a coffee~

On the weekend my husband and I finally took a drive out toward Gomori Reservoir and ate out! We wanted to walk around Gwangneung Arboretum in Pocheon too, and I had already bookmarked From Italy because I heard there was a nice Western restaurant nearby. The autumn weather was just perfect, and I felt refreshed the whole ride~

The pretty building catches your eye as you pull in, so it's easy to find! The outdoor area at From Italy isn't for dining, but it's nice for resting after a meal, and the view of the park from inside the restaurant looked so calm and quiet, haha. So green!

Is parking easy at From Italy?

From Italy has a lot of parking spaces!

And so many Blue Ribbons too!! Consistently since 2020!!

From Italy's interior and atmosphere

Inside, From Italy feels totally like being in Europe!! The staff greeted us kindly from the moment we walked in. There was a photo of a ribbon, so of course I snapped it again, haha. From every light fixture to the way up the stairs it's full of European style, and I loved the plates displayed here and there. So my style!

The soft lighting and the wood-toned furniture go together nicely, so the whole place feels steady and warm.

There were stairs up to the second floor, so I took a quick look. Upstairs at From Italy you can eat while looking at the scenery through floor-to-ceiling windows! One side is a space decorated only with paintings, and with the lighting throughout it looked like the perfect mood for a glass of wine in the evening!! Even the tissues and scented candle were set up so prettily, haha.

I could feel the staff paying careful attention to every step, from showing us to our seats to handing over the menu and serving water~

What we ordered at From Italy

The two of us ordered the zucca dolce pasta, the stone-pot latte risotto, a half blueberry / half margherita pizza, and 2 lemonades. It's a Pocheon restaurant where a chef from a 5-star hotel cooks himself, so I was really curious about the signature gebawi pasta (crab-shell-rock pasta) and the scallop basil risotto too!!! But I was craving a spicy, smooth sauce, so I chose the zucca dolce pasta, one of the top recommendations, the stone-pot latte risotto as a specialty, and a half-and-half pizza to taste two flavors at once.

We ordered two lemonades and they go well with the food!!

Complimentary cranberry ciabatta

The ciabatta served as the starter bread at From Italy is round like a rice cake.

They said it's aged 14 hours, and it really is chewy, and the cranberries inside are a treat, haha.

Zucca dolce pasta: sweet-and-spicy tomato pasta served in a kabocha pumpkin

The zucca dolce pasta is very unusual just to look at, since it uses a whole pumpkin (단호박, sweet kabocha squash)!

Inside the well-cooked pumpkin is tomato sauce pasta that's sweet and a little spicy, with seafood all around it!! Eaten with the homemade pickles it feels very refreshing, haha. The slightly spicy tomato sauce was so good that I kept scooping it up with a spoon!

The bacon and seafood inside didn't skimp either: the squid, shrimp and the rest were really plump and substantial to chew!!

What does From Italy's stone-pot latte risotto taste like?

The stone-pot latte risotto at From Italy really comes in a stone pot, so it stays warm the whole time you eat. I'd wondered how it would arrive, given the name, and I really liked this, haha.

It has a creamy base that's nutty and smooth, like drinking a real cappuccino, and the cream melted so softly! It was packed with seafood, so it was fun to chew, and cream can get heavy, but it's made spicy so the seasoning was just right, and it was nutty and smooth without being greasy!!

Half blueberry, half margherita pizza

It's a combination of a blueberry pizza and a margherita pizza!

The dough of the half-and-half pizza at From Italy isn't thick, and it's crisp yet chewy, so I could enjoy it right to the edge of the crust, haha.

The margherita had a clean, classic flavor of fresh tomato sauce, nutty cheese and fragrant basil, and the blueberry pizza, with its sweet and tangy blueberry sauce together with the cheese, was like a sweet-and-salty gorgonzola pizza, haha.

Having a slice of pizza in between bites of pasta and risotto went together really well!! Such soft pizza, haha.

True to a Gwangneung Arboretum favorite, the food at From Italy overall isn't too salty and brings out the natural taste of the ingredients, so my stomach felt fine even after eating!

Is From Italy good for family and group gatherings?

From Italy is spacious and has group seating for 10 or more. Looking around, besides dates there were lots of families who had brought their parents and people having get-togethers! I thought it would be a great place for a year-end party, a New Year gathering, or any kind of meetup!

If you're driving out to Pocheon or Gomori, or visiting Gwangneung Arboretum, and looking for a nearby place with a nice atmosphere and reliably good food, I recommend From Italy!! ❤️