Weeknight pasta set for two, ₩26,400, at Three Pasta Ansan ERICA

On a tired weekday evening, torn between wanting to cook a home meal for my husband and my body feeling like it weighed a ton, I was having a little internal battle over whether to cook or eat out — when my husband noticed how wiped out I was and suggested we just grab something simple to eat before heading home. I said yes without a second thought.

Wanting something simple but good value, we headed to Three Pasta Hanyang University ERICA branch (쓰리파스타 한양대에리카점), a pasta spot in Ansan. If you're ever caught between exhaustion and home cooking like I was, stop overthinking it and come try this pasta place — filling, and easy on the wallet.

Location and hours at Three Pasta ERICA branch

Location: 84-1 Seongan-gil, Sangnok-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1F / Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 / Parking: Free parking

Inside, tables were split left and right from the entrance. I liked how clean and yet hip the vibe was.

The ₩26,400 two-person set — make sure you check both drinks

You order directly at the table via kiosk, and pay at the counter on your way out. We ordered the two-person set plus 4 cheese sticks. The set comes with 2 mains, a mini salad, a side, and 2 drinks — all for ₩26,400, which felt like really good value.

But looking back now, I notice we only selected one drink? It let us pick one and move on so I assumed that was it, and no one said anything either — turns out we should've gotten two colas, haha, ugh. Make sure you double-check that you've selected two drinks!!!

I snapped a partial shot of the menu just to show the price range — both the main dishes and the sides were all reasonably priced. This place seems great for a casual meal out with kids or a date, no pressure on the wallet.

There's also a review event where you can get mini fries or a drink, so that might be worth joining in on.

The set arrives course by course, starting with the mini salad

The mini salad came out first — assorted vegetables drizzled with oriental sauce and mayonnaise. For a mini salad, the portion felt just right.

After the salad, the dishes came out almost back to back. The garlic pepper oil pasta had a pretty generous portion — genuinely great value!!!

The cheese sticks made me laugh the moment they arrived, thanks to the cute cheyonnaise (cheese + mayonnaise face) drawn on the plate — the cheese sticks themselves were fried a nice golden brown and looked delicious.

The kimchi bacon pilaf reminded me of kimchi fried rice. I thought what was drizzled on top was mayonnaise, but it was actually stretchy melted cheese — I was surprised they piped it on in such thin lines.

The big garlic baguette really lived up to its name — huge. Stacked together, the pieces even looked like a heart!!!

We gathered up all the dishes for a group shot first. In person we didn't notice, but looking at the photo now, the checkered tablecloth is making me a little dizzy, haha.

The big garlic baguette — that 'pizza cheese' was actually garlic sauce

Seeing the white topping on the baguette, I naturally assumed it was pizza cheese and took a bite — but it wasn't cheese at all, it was a soft, sweet garlic sauce, which caught me off guard for a second. Then I remembered, oh right, this is the BIG GARLIC baguette, haha. The crunchy baguette paired really well with the soft, sweet garlic sauce. Piling the mini salad on top made it taste fresh and delicious, almost like eating a sandwich.

4 cheese sticks for ₩3,900

I unintentionally turned the little cheyonnaise face into a one-eyed pirate with the cheese stick, haha. Not on purpose, but I feel a little bad!!! The cheese didn't stretch dramatically like you might hope — it just broke off cleanly — but it was crispy and savory and tasty. Four sticks for ₩3,900 felt like great value.

How the garlic pepper oil pasta tastes

The garlic pepper oil pasta had a spicy, lightly salty, clean flavor. The noodles had a nice bite, making for a satisfying chew.

How the kimchi bacon pilaf tastes

The kimchi bacon pilaf had a mild kimchi fried rice flavor, slightly spicy and savory. It was loaded with corn, bacon, kimchi, and mushrooms, which made for fun texture with every bite.

My husband suddenly handed me a piece saying it was squid — turned out to be king oyster mushroom, haha. Still, I'll give him credit for the thought of sharing something 'delicious' with me!!!

A dash of hot sauce brings out even more umami

Toward the end of the kimchi bacon pilaf, I drizzled on some of the hot sauce left on the table for a change of flavor — its tangy, spicy kick really boosted the umami in the pilaf, which was satisfying. If you like hot sauce, give it a try!!!

If you're looking for a budget-friendly date spot or a place to meet up with friends, I'd recommend Three Pasta Hanyang University ERICA branch!!!