Pohang Songdo Western restaurant after raw fish: chop steak at Plan A

After two meals in a row of nothing but raw fish, I was craving something different, and that's when I found Plan A Restaurant (플랜에이레스토랑), a Western restaurant near Songdo Beach in Pohang. It has held the same spot for over 10 years, which alone tells you it's a proven local favorite! A wide range of Western dishes, generous portions, and deep, carefully made flavors. We left very satisfied, so here's the review, go~*^^*

Plan A Restaurant hours and parking

Plan A Restaurant is open from 11:45 to 21:00, with a break from 15:30 to 17:00. It's closed every Tuesday, and you can park in the public roadside lot in front of the restaurant.

4th floor of the GS convenience store building, right in front of Songdo Beach

Plan A Restaurant, a Western restaurant in Songdo, Pohang, sits on the 4th floor of the GS convenience store building right in front of Songdo Beach. Since the Haeoreum Bridge opened, it's only 5 minutes from Yeongildae, so it's easy to reach. Whenever I visit Pohang it feels like I only ever stay around Yeongildae, but this neighborhood seems more relaxed and pleasant by comparison. ^^

You can park for free in the public roadside lots in front of and behind the restaurant. We visited around lunchtime on a weekend and there was quite a bit of space.

Plan A Restaurant's ocean-view interior: do you need a weekend reservation?

The inside of Plan A Restaurant is spacious and clean, and Songdo Beach stretches out beyond the big windows. We arrived right at opening on a weekend and more than half the seats were taken in under 30 minutes, so booking through Naver is the safe bet on weekends.

The interior is spacious and clean. We arrived right at the 11:45 opening, so we were first in line! haha. But more than half the seats filled up in less than 30 minutes, so on weekends it seems safest to book ahead through Naver.

Outside the big windows, the dazzling blue view of Songdo Beach in Pohang is right in front of you~~!! With a view like this, the food can't possibly taste bad...*^^* I never really noticed it at Yeongildae, but was Pohang's sea always this pretty? Songdo's sea is one you just keep gazing at.

It's not a room, but there is private group seating too.

Plan A chop steak: 120g or 240g?

At Plan A Restaurant you can choose the Plan A chop steak in 120g for ₩22,000 or 240g for ₩35,000. We didn't know what it would taste like, so we got 120g, took one bite and regretted it right away. Since you get double the amount, the 240g is also better value.

• Plan A chop steak 120g ₩22,000
• Beef tomato spaghetti ₩16,000
• Shrimp aglio olio ₩16,000
• Mushroom basil pesto cream risotto ₩15,000

Surprisingly, quite a few Western restaurants don't have chop steak on the menu, so when one does, I order it without hesitation!^^ At Plan A Restaurant you can choose 120g or 240g, and since we didn't know how it would taste, we went with 120g. But after one bite, instant regret. I should have just ordered the big size...ㅠㅠ The amount is double but the prices are ₩22,000 and ₩35,000, so the bigger one is better value too...ㅠㅠ

Neat plating, with salad, chop steak and french fries side by side. Wow, look at that glossy shine,,,, The meat's rich juiciness and the savory, umami-packed sauce are fantastic. And how is the meat so tender?! It's so incredibly soft that even kids who don't eat much meat would happily finish it! The seasoning is sweet and salty but not overdone, so you can clear the plate to the very end without getting tired of it.

How were the shrimp aglio olio and beef tomato spaghetti?

The shrimp aglio olio at Plan A Restaurant is a ₩16,000 pasta loaded with king prawns and peeled shrimp meat. The beef tomato spaghetti is also ₩16,000 and is packed with beef, so it was a very filling dish.

Kids love aglio olio, so it's a pasta I always order at Western restaurants! Along with the king prawns, there's plenty of peeled shrimp meat you don't have to pick out yourself, so shrimp lovers will be super happy^^

The beef tomato pasta my husband ordered. I can't believe how much beef is packed in, it's incredibly generous. The deep beef aroma blends with the tomato for a really rich, deep pasta. Even people who always feel unsatisfied after pasta would be stuffed after this beef tomato pasta.^^

Mushroom basil pesto cream risotto: too rich?

The mushroom basil pesto cream risotto at Plan A Restaurant is ₩15,000, and the portion is huge. It's cream-based, but the basil cuts the richness and the rice grains kept a nice texture.

This is the mushroom basil pesto cream risotto I ordered. For a while I wouldn't touch risotto, but maybe my tastes changed, because lately I often order it at Western restaurants. I'm the only risotto eater in my family, so I was a little worried, since the portion is seriously huge...^^

The rice grains are fluffy yet soft, and the chewy texture is so good. Cream-based risotto can get heavy, but the basil really keeps the richness in check. It wasn't mushy, and the creamy texture was just right in this risotto at Plan A Restaurant in Pohang.

Traveling to Pohang with kids: Western food instead of mul-hoe?

If you're traveling to Pohang with a child, a Western restaurant like Plan A Restaurant in front of Songdo Beach is a good option between raw fish restaurants. The chop steak was so good that I truly regret not ordering the big size.

I truly regret not ordering the big chop steak at this place, Plan A Restaurant, a Western restaurant in Songdo, Pohang. Coming to Pohang, all you think of is mul-hoe (cold raw fish soup), but with kids there's honestly not much to order at a raw fish place, so stopping at a local Western restaurant like this in between seems like a good option.^^ The Western menu is varied, and next time we visit Pohang I definitely want to come back to Plan A Restaurant.