Dunsan-dong open-kitchen pasta spot, steak cream ragù set: Plate

It had been a while since I visited Daejeon, so I stopped by Dunsan-dong. I heard Plate Dunsan Branch had just opened there, so I went to try the steak set. Here's my honest review of the place, straight from my own visit.

Where is Plate Dunsan Branch and what are its hours?

Plate Dunsan Branch is on the 2nd floor of the Rodeo Building at 34 Dunsan-ro 31beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea, between the Daejeon Galleria Department Store and the Zara building. It's open 11:00–21:45, and parking is available but a bit tight.

• 📍Location: 34 Dunsan-ro 31beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea, 2nd floor
• 🕚Hours: 11:00 – 21:45
• 🅿️Parking: Available (limited spots)
• ✅Group seating available
• ✅Wi-Fi

Outside the restaurant

An eye-catching sign, and a menu board out front. It's on the 2nd floor of the Rodeo Building between the Daejeon Galleria Department Store and the Zara building, and there's a parking lot too, so it was easy to come by car.

Thanks to the cute mustard-colored sign, even someone as directionally challenged as me could find it easily haha!! Since it's on the 2nd floor, we headed up the stairs.

What's the atmosphere like inside Plate in Dunsan-dong?

Inside, Plate Dunsan Branch had clean interiors with soft lighting, plus a private room, window seats, and even an open kitchen. Even though it was a weekday visit, the place was packed with customers.

The place was full of customers even on a weekday, so it definitely earns its reputation as a Dunsan-dong go-to spot.

The moment I stepped in, the clean interior caught my eye!! The soft lighting and atmosphere were really charming.

And further inside there's a private room space, which is great for group dinners or gatherings.

There are also window seats where you can eat while looking out over Dunsan-dong — another reason it earns its status as a Dunsan-dong pasta go-to.

Water glasses and utensils were already set at the table.

There were baby chairs set up off to one side too.

Since the kitchen is open, it was fun watching the cooking happen right in front of us.

How do you choose your noodles at Plate Dunsan Branch?

Plate Dunsan Branch specializes in fresh pasta, and you can choose the noodle for each dish. They knead the dough themselves, and you can even choose risotto instead.

Here's the menu first.

You could choose the noodle type for each dish — here's the pasta noodle lineup. Plate Dunsan Branch is a fresh pasta specialty spot, kneading the dough by hand, and risotto is also an option instead of pasta. There was also pizza made with their own hand-kneaded dough.

There were lots of menu options and dishes, but we picked from the restaurant's best-seller section. What we ordered was the "steak set."

What's included in the steak set, and how much are upgrades?

The Plate Dunsan Branch steak set comes with pasta, flat iron steak, salad, bread, and two soups. Just a heads up — switching to premium steak costs an extra ₩15,000, and switching to signature pasta costs an extra ₩4,000.

Bread * Salad * Soup

Before the main pasta and steak arrived, bread, salad and soup came out first.

The pre-meal bread felt like a bushman-style bread, kind of like the frozen brand ones, but way tastier, and it came with a dipping sauce too.

The salad kept our blood sugar in check first, and we had the soup too.

Steak cream ragù (no.5 tagliatelle)

First the steak cream ragù came out. We like thick, flat noodles, so we chose the recommended no.5 tagliatelle.

True to the name "steak cream ragù," there was steak on top.

Because the noodles were thick, the sauce soaked in really well, and it paired beautifully with the steak — really delicious.

Flat iron steak, 220g

Next up, the 220g flat iron steak. It came with napa cabbage and cherry tomatoes as garnish alongside the steak.

At first I wondered, why napa cabbage? But once I actually ate it together with the steak, the combination worked really well.

The sauce that came with it was meant to be drizzled over the steak and cabbage, and the thoughtful touch was that it came in its own little bottle so you could add as much as you liked.

We sliced into the steak first and tried it — it wasn't tough at all, cooked to just the right doneness, and it paired amazingly well with the pasta too!!

Final thoughts

"Plate Dunsan Branch" was a place where nothing was missing — delicious food, a great atmosphere, and friendly service!!!!! In particular, as a fresh pasta spot, I loved that they serve pasta made with their own hand-kneaded fresh noodles, and that it's easy to get to since it's right in the heart of Dunsan-dong.

On top of that, the variety of dishes was all really tasty too, so I'm planning to come back again!! Why not spend a special time at "Plate Dunsan Branch"? You won't regret it!