Gung-dong pasta restaurant, Daejeon: late dinner for two at Ciment

Ciment Chungnam National University Branch: a Gung-dong pasta place where three dishes cost only ₩30,000s

At Ciment Chungnam National University Branch (씨멘트 충남대점), I ordered pasta + risotto + pork cutlet, and it came to the ₩30,000s, which is ridiculous haha. I was craving good pasta, so I went to this great-value spot in Gung-dong, Daejeon, and the easy-on-the-wallet prices made me like it even more ♥

Where is Ciment Chungnam National University Branch, and where do you park?

Ciment is on the main road of Gung-dong Rodeo Street in Daejeon, near Chungnam National University. It is open Mon–Fri 10:40–21:40 and Sat–Sun 11:00–21:40, and takeout, reservations and delivery are all available.

There is no dedicated parking lot, but about one car fits behind the building! The area around is residential, so you can park on the white lines and walk over.

Atmosphere and seating at Ciment

Even late in the evening, Ciment was bustling with students, with the lively energy you'd expect from a university-area favorite.

The red accents make CEMENT ❤️ really charming. The open kitchen catches your eye, and it's nice to watch the cooking right there.

The inside isn't big, but there is a good mix of 2-person and 4-person tables, and every seat is already set up, which is a nice touch 🍽️ There may be a wait at lunch and dinner hours, so keep that in mind.

There is also a roomy group table that seats 6 or more, so it's a strong pick for group gatherings and club meetups!

What's at the self-serve bar?

The self-serve bar is next to the counter. Water, pickles, jalapeños and assorted sauces are all help-yourself. I got everything ready before the food arrived >.<

The pasta and risotto came out at the same time, followed right away by the pork cutlet my partner loves! I'd considered ordering just two dishes, and this was the moment I felt so glad I ordered three 😋

Chuck flap garlic oil pasta: with steak on top for ₩15,000

Ciment's chuck flap garlic oil pasta (살치갈릭오일파스타) is an oil pasta topped with chuck flap steak, and it costs ₩15,000 😭 I debated between this and the Toowoomba (a creamy spicy pasta), but as a meat lover I picked the chuck flap garlic oil. What is going on with this value 🍝🤎..

The tender chuck flap was cooked perfectly. One bite and this meat lover was pure happiness.

The pasta has peperoncino in it, so it's a little spicy, but it was so good I kept going back for more. It's a university-area spot, so the portion is totally generous, and the price is friendly too, a great Gung-dong pasta place! I slurped it all down happily 😋~

What does the bacon cream cheese risotto taste like?

Ciment's bacon cream cheese risotto (베이컨크림치즈리조또) is a rich, smooth cream risotto. Cream is the only way to go for risotto, right? 💛

Salty bacon plus cream cheese makes it deeper, and the sauce soaks moist into every grain of rice, so it's thick and creamy and dangerously delicious haha. It's been a while since I had cream risotto and it was so good 🤤

Spicy rosé pork cutlet and karaage

Ciment's spicy rosé pork cutlet (매콤로제돈까스) comes with smooth rosé sauce, a crispy cutlet and karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken). I'd ordered one oil and one cream dish, so of course rosé couldn't be left out.

Crispy outside and juicy inside, the cutlet is loaded up with rosé sauce, yum yum. The spicy-yet-smooth rosé sauce goes so well with the crunchy cutlet that my appetite totally woke up.

With crispy fried karaage added too, there's real fun in picking and choosing. Eat the karaage right when it comes out, seriously!

Would I go back to Ciment?

Ciment Chungnam National University Branch, a pasta favorite near Chungnam National University: big portions, friendly prices, and delicious. There's a reason students flock to places like this. Next time, I'm going for the pizza.