Pocheon Italian lunch date with pen-shell scallop risotto: From Italy

The weather has been so nice lately that I've been hunting down a lot of good restaurants, and this time I went to From Italy (프롬이태리) in Pocheon! The atmosphere is spot-on enough to be a proper Pocheon date course, so let me introduce it right away.

What kind of restaurant is From Italy in Pocheon?

From Italy is an Italian restaurant in Soheul-eup, Pocheon, and it has been picked for the Blue Ribbon guide again and again. It has also been featured on TV several times.

I heard the food is cooked by a chef who came from a 5-star hotel. The prices are higher than what I usually pay, but honestly, it didn't feel like a waste at all.

I'd briefly seen an Instagram clip with Jang Do-yeon and Karina, and I never guessed it was filmed here!! Now I'm genuinely curious about the jewelry-box steak too, haha.

Is parking easy at From Italy?

The parking lot is big. I went at lunchtime and there were quite a few people, but parking was still easy.

What is the 1st floor of From Italy like?

The 1st floor of this Pocheon pasta spot has European-style interior under soft lighting, so it feels like you're in a restaurant abroad. The mood is just crazy good, seriously!! It suits anyone looking for a Pocheon date spot or an anniversary restaurant.

It's not over-the-top flashy either. It's elegant and comfortable, so it looked perfect for a date. With a mood this nice, there was a female guest who looked so stylish... seeing her I actually thought, 'Ah, I should've dressed up a bit too..' lol. That's how good a Pocheon pasta place this is, mood-wise...

From Italy's 2nd floor opens on weekends only

From Italy runs a 2nd floor as well, but I heard it only opens on weekends!

The 2nd floor has a special mood too, and the interior is really nicely done. It's been a while since I found a restaurant with this much atmosphere, and it put me in a good mood. The taste is great, but the atmosphere is a real draw as well, so you can see why so many people come back.

From Italy menu and prices: what we ordered

Even the menu names at From Italy are super unique, haha. Reading the menu, I kept wondering what would actually come out. Here's what we ordered.

• Gebawi pasta (crab-rock pasta) ₩29,000
• Scallop basil risotto ₩28,000
• Grapefruit ade ₩7,000
• Green grape ade ₩7,000

From Italy's 14-hour aged bread

Even the bread before the meal was unique. It was a squid-ink ciabatta, I think.. haha... Anyway, they make it in-house after aging it for 14 hours, and it's seriously chewy. There are cranberries inside, so it never gets boring.

What does From Italy's gebawi (crab rock) pasta taste like?

The gebawi pasta (게바위파스타, "crab rock" pasta) has a giant puffed hollow bread (gongal-ppang) standing in for the rock, with baby crabs sitting on top. The moment it came out I was like, wow... the looks were insane.

With a name like that, I naturally assumed it was a pasta made with blue crab or snow crab, but it wasn't.

It was a look I'd never seen, so I happily took a ton of photos, hahaha. But the taste was even more surprising. It's not a dish that's all show, it's really delicious.

It has an aglio e olio-like base, but you also feel the softness of cream, a unique pasta flavor.

Even though it was a taste I'd never had, it didn't feel off at all, and the popping flying fish roe gives it great texture. A combination with nothing to complain about.

The puffed bread acting as the rock, you break up with scissors. It was a bit hard at first, but once it melts into the cream sauce it softens and gets easy to eat.

Is the gebawi pasta at From Italy very spicy?

The gebawi pasta has just a mild spiciness that cuts the richness. The menu says 'can be made not spicy', so I worried it might be very hot, but it was so tasty that my hand kept going back for more... It's also generously packed with seafood like mussels and squid, so it's fun to eat. If you're looking for a pasta place in Pocheon, I really recommend From Italy.

How was the scallop basil risotto served in a pen shell?

The scallop basil risotto at From Italy comes not on a normal plate but on a huge pen shell (키조개) shell, with a big scallop on top. After three bites of the gebawi pasta, this was the dish I was looking forward to just as much, and its looks were also something else.

The slightly mild risotto with the sweetish scallop was a really good match.

Scallop basil risotto: the basil can be hit-or-miss

The basil aroma in the scallop basil risotto is quite strong, so if you don't usually like basil, it could be a bit hit-or-miss. I like basil, though, so I enjoyed it: the fragrance and nuttiness really came through, and it was hardly rich at all.

I saw a big pen shell plate on the next table and thought 'what's that, so cool,' and it turned out to be the dish I ordered, hahaha. Places with pretty plating often only care about looks and the food isn't good, but From Italy, maybe because the chef came from a 5-star hotel, nails both looks and taste, so eating here is a joy.

Green grape ade and grapefruit ade at From Italy

We hit it with some cold ades too, and the green grape ade at From Italy is sweet and cold enough to blow the heat away. Totally refreshing...!

Can you eat in From Italy's outdoor garden?

From Italy has an outdoor garden too, but I was told you can't dine there. It seems to be just for looking at and calming the mind...!!

Is From Italy in Pocheon worth a return visit?

If you're looking for a good restaurant in Pocheon, From Italy is a must-visit you could go back to N times. The prices are a bit higher than an ordinary pasta place, but once the food arrives and you taste it, you understand why people return.

After one taste of the pasta, I wanted to stop by again on my next Pocheon trip, and I was still thinking about it after getting home. Above all, the elegant European-style space was great for a special-day date and looks perfect for an anniversary meal. Looks, taste and atmosphere were all perfect at this Pocheon pasta spot, From Italy! I really recommend it! Go go!!

From Italy location and opening hours

• Address: 669 Jugyeopsan-ro, Soheul-eup, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi, South Korea (Jik-dong-ri 165-35, Soheul-eup)
• Location: between Gomori Reservoir and Gwangneung Arboretum (2 minutes from Gomori Reservoir, 5 minutes from Gwangneung Arboretum)
• Closed: every Monday and Tuesday
• Weekdays: 11:30–20:40, break time 15:30–17:00, last order 20:00
• Weekends: 11:00–20:40, last order 20:00
• Highchairs available, wheelchair accessible