Songdo brunch and pasta spot: chicken cream risotto at Paninaro

What kind of place is Paninaro in Songdo?

A hidden gem in Songdo, touched by a Le Cordon Bleu chef: "Paninaro"

Paninaro (파니나로) is a brunch and pasta restaurant in the Jiwell Prugio City shopping arcade in Songdo. Against Songdo's sleek cityscape, I wondered: where to go today? Isn't there somewhere that just stops you in your tracks? I searched and searched and finally found it. The reviews were good, so I paid a visit.

Just hearing that the chef trained at Le Cordon Bleu is enough to build up expectations. Food made with real care, beyond just a meal. I'm recording the charm of Paninaro, which I visited during a quiet stretch of May.

Getting to Paninaro: easy access

Paninaro is at 144 Hamoni-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, in Songdo Jiwell Prugio City Building A, 1st floor, Unit 114. It's near Time Space, one of Songdo's landmarks, so it's easy to find.

And what a convenient spot! It's on a main road, so even those on foot won't get lost. The bus stop is right in front of the shop, which is top-notch access for walkers.

Inside Paninaro: modern and cozy together

The interior is smaller than I expected, but it's put together in a clean, no-fuss black tone. Instead of feeling cold, warm, soft lighting wraps the whole place. Maybe because it was evening? There was even a small Marshall speaker.

Baby chairs are available for families visiting with kids. Tables for two and four are arranged efficiently, so it's great for a chat with friends too.

Paninaro's menu and prices: true to the basics, yet showy

The signature dish many people point to is the volcano hamburg omurice (omelet rice) at ₩19,000. It's handmade daily and sold in limited quantity, they say. Just hearing the name makes my mouth water.

There's also the familiar garlic & shrimp pasta (₩18,000). Fresh shrimp meets pungent garlic, so it must be a bestseller, right? And there's the onsen egg carbonara (₩18,000), a slight twist. Hehe. How rich must Japanese hot spring egg be when it meets cream sauce?

There's a brunch set (₩15,000) where you pick omelet, pancakes or French toast, a sous vide steak (₩30,000–35,000) for meat lovers, and a panini (₩14,500) and arugula cheese salad (₩15,000) that let you cast a little "this is healthy" spell on yourself. Browsing the menu is fun.

So what did we order? This right here!

• 1 lemonade ₩6,000
• 1 shrimp & avocado panini ₩15,000
• 1 potato soup ₩7,000
• 1 chicken cream risotto ₩18,000

First out: Paninaro's potato soup (₩7,000)

I ordered the potato soup as a starter to whet the appetite before the mains. It's a savory potato soup that signals a gentle start.

It came in a white ceramic bowl, a neat first impression. You can almost smell the potato rising with the warm steam. The garnishes on top stand out: green scallion and yellow bits that look like cheddar cheese contrast cutely with the creamy soup. Coarsely ground pepper adds a fragrant kick to a cream base that could otherwise be flat. I scooped a big spoonful: the texture was neither too thin nor too thick, just the right consistency.

It comes with baguette. Dip a piece into the warm soup and take a bite, and the soup soaks in softly. Delicious.

How was the shrimp & avocado panini (₩15,000)?

The shrimp & avocado panini is shrimp and avocado in ciabatta grilled crisp outside and soft inside. The melted cheese and fillings go well together. The shrimp keeps a springy bite. The ripe avocado goes in as a spread, filling your mouth with a soft flavor. Salty shrimp, nutty avocado. What can I say. And with fresh vegetables alongside, every bite washes the guilt away.

Next to the panini comes a generous serving of fusilli pasta. It's fun to pick up one piece at a time. Rich tomato sauce, well, that's always good. And the crisp, fresh vegetables make you feel healthy.

Paninaro's chicken cream risotto (₩18,000): how thick is it?

The chicken cream risotto is the thick, rich style, with a dense cream sauce hugging every grain of rice. Can you see how dense the cream sauce is? That signature risotto thickness had me excited before I even ate.

The moment I put in the first big spoonful, there was the rich creaminess and a subtle chicken flavor spreading out. A pleasant jolt. The rice grains aren't mushy but have a bite, and they're great with the soft cream sauce. The chicken in the risotto is tender too.

Is Paninaro's lemonade (₩6,000) very sweet?

The lemonade tasted of fresh lemon acidity more than artificial syrup sweetness. Layers of fresh lemon slices stacked in a clear glass, with carbonation bubbles pushing up between them, make your mouth water just looking at them... even now, looking at it, I'm drooling...

First sip, I was startled. That sharp yet pleasant acidity of fresh lemon swirled around my whole mouth. It's different from the overly sweet lemonades you see everywhere. I loved the natural freshness of lemon and the zing of the fizz. Of all the lemonades I've had lately, I drank this one down to the last drop.

Today again, I cleaned my plates out like this.

Paninaro in Songdo: a place I can feel I'll come back to

I enjoyed my time at Paninaro on a late lunch, in the quiet of an afternoon somewhere between a holiday and a weekday. Today was good. It was beyond my expectations. The food quality, of course, but also the coziness of the space, and the convenient parking: I was satisfied with all of it.

Everything I ate today was delicious, so next time I'll try other pastas and dishes. They say you can reserve at Paninaro too, so how about visiting this week? Ready, go?