Non-spicy gebawi pasta at a Pocheon Italian restaurant: From Italy

To make the most of the weekend, I went for a drive and finally visited From Italy's Gomo-ri branch, a Pocheon restaurant famous for its pasta that I'd been wanting to try for ages! I got a nice opportunity to go, and since Gomo Reservoir and Gwangneung Arboretum are nearby, it turned out to be a great date or family outing course too. Let me share a vivid review of the space and the main recommended dishes I tried!

From ITALY

Where is From Italy Gomo-ri main branch, and is there parking?

From Italy, famous for Italian food, is located just 3 minutes by car from Gomo Lake Park, which explains why so many couples come here for dates. Since the weather was nice, we came as a family outing too and felt great about it. With its red brick and orange roof, the place has an exotic, European-villa-like atmosphere.

Parking was a relief — there's a large private lot both in front of and beside the restaurant, so even though it was a weekend, we didn't have to worry about finding a spot.

Even before stepping through the entrance, I was greeted by Blue Ribbon awards! Selected consistently for seven years since opening in 2019, it immediately boosted my trust in the food before I even tasted anything. Right by the entrance there was also material from a TV broadcast — apparently celebrities I like have visited this genuine Pocheon pasta spot. Since I'd watched that show, it felt like a pilgrimage to a place my favorite celebrity had visited, haha.

Second floor open on weekends: gallery-like interior and outdoor seats

The interior of From Italy's Gomo-ri branch feels like a mix of an art gallery and a European restaurant. The antique wooden furniture and grand chandeliers make you feel like you're being treated at an upscale restaurant, and with paintings scattered throughout, I almost thought I'd walked into a museum.

On weekends the second floor is also open, so we went up, and it was just as gorgeous as the first floor. There were lots of pretty objects to look at, which was fun in itself.

It was so surprising to find such a pretty photo zone in what's mainly an Italian restaurant. That's exactly why I recommend it as a date spot — there are so many good photo spots!

There's also a well-arranged outdoor space, great for coming with kids. Mountains surround the area, and the tables have parasols so you can rest in the shade while looking at the green scenery. The weather was clear and sunny, and since no one else was around, my kid ran around happily exploring the area.

Naver review prize draw: wine for 1st, chop steak for 2nd

We got a seat by the window, and even the tissue box was so antique and pretty. There was a piece of paper tucked in it — a Naver review event notice. If you participate in the review event, you get to play a nostalgic gacha game at the counter: 1st prize was a bottle of wine, 2nd prize was chop steak. You get a little gift and a bit of fun too, so give it a try.

What to order at From Italy in Pocheon

Apparently the menu was developed directly by the owner-chef, who previously led fine dining at a five-star hotel, so everything seemed like it would be delicious, making it really hard to choose. So I looked for the recommendation marks next to the menu names and picked mostly signature dishes. For anyone else who feels like everything looks delicious, I recommend following the recommendations, haha.

First came my kid's juice (Minute Maid, ₩5,000), lemon syrup ade (₩7,000), and the complimentary house-made pickles. Unlike regular lemonade, the lemon syrup ade had actual lemon syrup in it, so the sweetness wasn't overwhelming — it was tangy and refreshing. The house-made pickles had a balanced sour-sweet flavor, great alongside the pasta or pizza.

Starter bread: the 14-hour squid ink ciabatta

The starter bread was squid ink ciabatta, which apparently takes 14 hours to make. Knowing that much time and care went into it built up my expectations before I even took a bite. The bread had little raisin-like bits studded throughout, giving it a subtle sweet-and-sour flavor that kept it from being boring. My kid, who normally doesn't eat plain bread, ate two pieces on their own, saying it was delicious.

Gebawi pasta 29,000 won, ordered non-spicy for the child

The signature dish of this Pocheon pasta restaurant, gebawi pasta (crab rock pasta, ₩29,000), is loaded with baby crab full of flying fish roe and house-made puff bread, with mussels and various seafood below, all mingling in a savory cream sauce. The sauce is normally spicy, but since we had a kid with us, we ordered it mild. (The menu notes that it can be ordered without spice!)

Of all the pastas I've had recently, this one seemed generously loaded with the widest variety of seafood. The visual alone was striking, and the aroma and flavor of the seafood made the taste feel even more layered.

Cut the puff bread with scissors and dip it thoroughly into the thick cream sauce — it's even better that way. The sauce itself is rich and thick, and mingled with the seafood it turns savory and full of umami. You can really taste why this place is known as the go-to pasta restaurant in Gomo-ri.

Half-and-half pizza 34,000 won: blueberry and spicy pepperoni

We also ordered pizza, since you can't skip pizza when it comes to Italy. What was really great was that there were so many pizza varieties, it felt a shame to only try one — and there was a half-and-half option! You can try two flavors together. So we ordered the half-and-half pizza (₩34,000) with blueberry and spicy pepperoni. The visuals passed with flying colors — a thin crust piled high with cheese and toppings.

The blueberry pizza combined a sweet blueberry sauce with savory cheese and soft cream, giving it a mild, creamy feel. Blueberry pizza itself was new to me, so the novel flavor was intriguing, and the blueberry sweetness made it good to eat almost like a dessert. The spicy pepperoni pizza had salty pepperoni topped with spicy jalapeño, giving it a sharp yet clean kick. Personally, I loved the combo of the blueberry pizza and spicy pepperoni together — sweet, salty, spicy, and sweet all at once.

Even my picky kid, who was trying seafood pasta for the first time, really enjoyed both the pasta and the pizza. I was glad we went with the recommended menu after all. On the way out, they even gave us jelly as a gift, so it stayed a delicious and happy place for my kid right to the end.

From Italy's Gomo-ri branch had a gorgeous atmosphere, but also great food, convenient parking, and good service all in one. If you're looking to enjoy a nice meal near Gwangneung Arboretum or Gomo Lake Park, or searching for a good pasta restaurant in Pocheon, I recommend this place.

From Italy