Suwon course restaurant with a child: squid ink pasta dinner at Hado

On a day I'd decided to have dinner with my daughter, just the two of us, I wanted somewhere a bit different from our usual spots. The idea of trying a course meal together, with dishes arriving one plate at a time, sounded fun, so we went to Hado, a well-known course-dining spot in Suwon.

I was a little worried whether my daughter could handle a course meal, but she reacted better than expected, which let me relax and enjoy the meal too.

Where is Hado, and where do you park? Gyodong Public Parking Lot

Hado sits in Suwon's Haenggung-dong neighborhood and has no dedicated parking lot of its own. We parked at the nearby Gyodong Public Parking Lot and walked over.

It's very close to Gyodong Public Parking Lot. The first 60 minutes are free, then it's ₩300 per 10 minutes — since we stayed an extra 30 minutes that day, we paid an additional ₩900.

The restaurant sits slightly set back, so I ended up wandering around trying to find the entrance the first time. Since it was nighttime and the building is black, it wasn't easy to spot.

Inside Hado: dim lighting, quiet jazz and an open kitchen

The first thing I felt on walking in was a sense of calm. One corner near the entrance was decorated with wine bottles, and I noticed couples actually dining with wine there.

Rather than bright lighting, the whole space leaned into a dim tone, and the mellow jazz playing in the background suited the mood well.

The open kitchen, where you can watch the dishes being prepared, added to Hado's particular atmosphere. If you prefer a slow, conversation-filled meal over a crowded spot, this is worth remembering as a date restaurant in Haenggung-dong.

The clean white plates and neatly arranged cutlery caught my eye first. The shell-shaped napkin holder, accented with a pearl, added a special touch even in the small details.

What we ordered at Hado: basic set plus sous vide chuck flap steak

We ordered the basic set and added a sous vide chuck flap steak. Course menu names can feel a bit unfamiliar at first, but the staff explained the ingredients and how to eat each dish as it arrived.

Starters: sweet shrimp apple tart and pea tart

The first course, the Starter, was two bite-sized tarts.

The sweet shrimp apple tart was an unusual combination — the shrimp's soft texture against the crisp apple worked better together than I expected.

The pea tart came topped with peas and edible greens.

Small in size but beautifully plated, they were a good way to build our appetite before the meal really got going.

Main pastas: squid ink pasta and vongole pasta

For the Main, two pastas arrived.

The squid ink pasta came with baby octopus, and the noodles had a springy, al dente bite.

I expected the dark color to mean a strong flavor, but it surprisingly wasn't salty — just a nutty, savory taste.

Wait, squid ink can taste this good?

My daughter tried a bite and said that, then kept going at it pretty enthusiastically.

The menu was what I'd worried about most when looking for a course-dining spot in Suwon to bring my daughter, but it turned into a chance for her to try something new. The vongole pasta, on the other hand, had a bit of spice along with the clams.

My daughter took one bite, said it was spicy, and set it down, but for me that little kick cut through the richness nicely.

My daughter's top pick at Hado: the sous vide chuck flap steak

That day, my daughter's clear favorite was the sous vide chuck flap steak.

It came out nicely seared on the outside and moist inside — cutting into it with a fork, you could really feel the tender texture and juices.

It wasn't tough at all for a kid to eat, either.

Watching my daughter dig in so eagerly that I barely had time to take photos, it was obvious which dish had won her over.

Dessert: Earl Grey ice cream

For Dessert, we got Earl Grey ice cream.

It was sweet with the distinctive Earl Grey aroma and bitterness layered in.

I'd assumed it wouldn't suit a kid's palate, but I was completely wrong — she ate more of it than I did, which surprised me more than anything. Letting her naturally experience a flavor other than the usual vanilla or chocolate felt like one of the fun parts of a course meal.

Is Hado a good course restaurant to bring a child to?

Hado isn't set up for kids the way a kids' café is. With quiet music playing and couples dining over wine, it suits kids who can sit through a meal reasonably well.

A child who enjoys trying new food, like my daughter, will probably find real enjoyment in each course arriving one after another. The staff's friendly explanations of each dish also made things easier for us as a parent-and-child visit.

So while it works well as a date restaurant for couples in Haenggung-dong, it also worked for me wanting a slightly different meal with my daughter. That said, if your child is sensitive to spice, it's worth asking staff before ordering something like the vongole pasta, which has a bit of a kick.

Our visit to Hado in Haenggung-dong, wrapped up

• No dedicated parking was a slight drawback, but Gyodong Public Parking Lot nearby made it not much of an inconvenience
• Dim lighting, jazz, and an open kitchen create a calm setting good for conversation over a meal
• Staff explained the ingredients and how to eat each course, which made things easy even with a child along
• The spicy vongole pasta is worth checking on ahead if your child is sensitive to heat

What stuck with me most was going through each dish with my daughter, asking each other 'what does this taste like?' I'd like to come back next time for another out-of-the-ordinary evening, maybe for a family occasion.

If you're looking for a course-dining spot in Suwon where the calm atmosphere matters as much as the food, Hado is worth keeping an eye on. It would also suit anyone looking for a quiet date restaurant in Haenggung-dong to share with a partner.

A place where the fun came from tasting something new dish by dish instead of the usual dinner out — an evening at Hado's course dinner made all the more memorable for sharing it with my daughter.