3pm fire chicken shrimp pasta at Gimpo café: The Nillai

There's a large café I always think of whenever I'm headed to Gimpo — The Nillai. The first time I visited, I loved the vibe and the seating, but sadly I couldn't try the brunch menu before I left. So this time, I went back determined to actually catch brunch hours and eat it properly.

The Nillai

What kind of space is The Nillai?

The Nillai is a pretty sizable large café, and it's not just spacious for the sake of it — the whole place has a nicely developed atmosphere. The seats are generously spread out, so even with other guests around, it doesn't feel cramped, and the seating itself is comfortable enough to make you want to stay a while. Honestly, a café can be pretty, but if the seats are uncomfortable you don't go back. The Nillai somehow has that pull that makes me want to return.

Brunch starts at 3pm, and sets and risotto aren't orderable

This time, unlike before, I timed my visit to catch brunch. I arrived around 2:40pm, which turned out to be a slightly awkward time, and I was told cooking would only start from 3pm. Still, since I'd come specifically for brunch, I decided to wait a bit.

After waiting, though, when I went to order, I was told the set menus and risotto weren't available. I'd made a point of timing my visit around brunch, so having limited menu options was a little disappointing. But it felt like too much of a waste to just leave, so I picked the fire chicken shrimp pasta and truffle mushroom pizza from what was available.

How was the fire chicken shrimp pasta?

The fire chicken shrimp pasta wasn't something I'd seen on the menu posted on Naver, so I was curious what it would actually be. From the name, I thought it might have fire chicken piled on top, but it wasn't served that way at all.

Tasting it, the pasta was coated in a sauce with that distinctive spicy, rich flavor you get from buldak bokkeum-myeon (fire chicken stir-fried noodles) sauce, just like the name suggests. A gentle spiciness came through from the first bite, and as I kept eating, the familiar sweet-spicy flavor of fire chicken noodles came through more. It wasn't just spicy for spiciness's sake, either — the shrimp added a seafood umami that worked surprisingly well as pasta.

The shrimp were easy to eat in one bite, and the spicy sauce clung well to the noodles, so every twirl of the fork delivered plenty of flavor. If you like spicy flavors like fire chicken noodles, this would likely suit your taste. That said, if you're expecting a very soft, creamy brunch pasta, this might be different from what you had in mind.

Personally, thinking of it as café pasta, it was quite good. It's a solid order for when you want an actual meal instead of just coffee or a sweet drink.

Paired with the truffle mushroom pizza

The truffle mushroom pizza I ordered alongside it was also better than expected. A mushroom pizza can easily end up bland, but the aroma and clean flavor from the mushrooms blended with the cheese in a way that wasn't heavy at all. The subtle mushroom fragrance plus the savory cheese complemented the spicy pasta nicely.

Eating a slice of pizza and then going back to the spicy pasta felt like the spicy sauce cleanly reset the cheesy richness lingering in my mouth. Going the other way — from pasta to pizza — the soft, savory flavor toned down the spiciness a bit. Ordering both together was a good call.

The strawberry latte, ordered a second time

For a drink, I ordered the strawberry latte again since I'd liked it last time. The Nillai's drinks and menu are apparently made by Chef 63, and maybe that's why the drinks were consistently good overall. The strawberry latte was sweet with a subtle tartness from the strawberry, making it pleasant to drink almost like a dessert.

The smooth flavor of the milk blended well with the sweetness of the strawberry, so it wasn't overly heavy or artificially sweet-tasting. I thought it was good last time too, and ordering it again this time was just as satisfying. I don't usually reorder the same drink at the same café, but at The Nillai, I found myself reaching for the strawberry latte again.

What could be better

That said, there were a few things about the operations that left something to be desired on this visit.

I deliberately timed my visit around brunch, arriving at 2:40pm and waiting until 3pm, but when I finally went to order, the set menus and risotto weren't available. As a customer coming specifically for brunch, I wished the operating hours and the actual orderable menu had been communicated more clearly.

That day, I also saw another customer's coffee not arrive — they waited a long while before going back to ask a staff member about it. It seemed like the coffee was remade at that point. Seeing this firsthand, I felt that beyond the taste of the food and the space, the service and operational system could be a bit more organized.

Of course, during busy hours a café can have delayed or missed orders. I don't want to judge the whole service from a single incident, but if brunch hours, orderable menu items, and the drink-serving process were managed a bit more clearly, it would be much more comfortable to visit.

Still, a reason to come back

Even so, I think I'll keep coming back to The Nillai.

The biggest reason is the space. It's a large café, so it's spacious to begin with, but the comfortable seating means you can stay a long time without it feeling like a burden. It suits days when you want to sit back and chat leisurely rather than just grab a quick coffee and leave.

It's also a good spot to visit with family or a partner. That day, I spent a relaxed stretch of time there with my husband, having a meal and drinks. These days, wherever I go, I find myself looking less for a simply pretty space and more for somewhere comfortable to linger — and in that sense, The Nillai was quite satisfying.

It's a bit of a downside that you need to pay attention to timing if you want the brunch menu, but if you want to handle a meal and café visit in one stop, it's well worth recommending. The pasta and pizza were better than expected, and the drinks were good too, making it a nice spot to enjoy coffee or dessert after eating.

Above all, the biggest strength is that it's not a café you visit once and forget — it's one that comes to mind again. Last time I missed out on brunch, and this time I came back specifically timed for it. Even though I couldn't order everything I wanted, having the pasta, pizza, and strawberry latte still made for a satisfying return visit.

If you're looking for a large, atmospheric café in Gimpo, or want a spacious, comfortable place to spend some relaxed time, I'd recommend The Nillai — especially if you're after a café with comfortable seats where you can stay a while.

Next time, I'll check the brunch operating hours more carefully before visiting. I hope I can properly try the risotto and set menus I missed out on this time.

With the overall satisfaction this high — the atmosphere, the comfort, the taste of the food and drinks — if the operating hours and service side get a bit more organized, I think more people will come to see this as one of Gimpo's leading large cafés.