Gwangju Italian restaurant for cabbage Caesar salad: Bueokgan Suwan

Bueokgan Suwan Branch, my last Italian meal before giving birth

Here’s my record of visiting Suwan Branch a month before giving birth. Knowing that eating out with my almost-two-year-old and a newborn would be difficult,,, I picked Bueokgan for my last Italian meal before delivery.

Bueokgan Suwan Branch is tucked slightly away from the Suwan District dining alley, in a residential neighborhood. Even while following the navigation, I wondered whether this was really the right road—but it was!

I’d visited the Dongmyeong and Sangmu branches several times, but this was my first time at the Suwan branch. I always remembered leaving very satisfied and full, so I went in with high expectations again~

There are outdoor tables too, but it was still the kind of summer heat that takes your breath away when I visited, so it was hard to claim one. In autumn, with a cool breeze like now, though, brunch at an outdoor table would be lovely!

There are bar tables as well as two- and four-person tables, plus group seating inside, so I’d recommend it for a date, a blind date, family gatherings, or group meetups.

Sets and menu options

True to its reputation as a great date and family-meal spot, the Couple Sets and Family Sets are generously put together.

Living up to its reputation as a pasta favorite in Suwan District, the menu includes salads, soup, pasta, pilaf, pizza, and steak, so even a group can find something everyone enjoys!

I’ve also attached an easier-to-scan version.

My husband and I visited as a pair, so we ordered a Couple Set. Couple Set B includes a salad, a pasta or rice dish, a pizza, and two drinks.

We ordered Bueokgan’s pride and signature dish—the cabbage Caesar salad—along with truffle mushroom cream gnocchi, basil Margherita pizza, and two drinks.

The weather was so hot that we asked for the drinks before the main dishes came out. We had cold brew coffee and grapefruit juice.

Bueokgan also had a variety of alcoholic drinks, from beer to wine, that pair well with brunch. Both the red and white wines were reasonably priced, so when I come back after giving birth, I definitely want to enjoy one with my meal.

From cabbage Caesar salad to basil pizza

Here’s the full spread we ordered. The cabbage Caesar salad came first, and I cut into it before taking a photo, so it looks a little less prettyㅠㅠ

The cabbage Caesar salad was the first thing I tried at Bueokgan and fell for! The crisp bacon chips are the key, so it somehow tastes much better at the restaurant than when I make it at home.

It is piled high with nicely cooked roasted cabbage, Caesar dressing, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon chips, a poached egg, and cheese. Cut it into bite-size pieces, pop the egg yolk, and dip away—yum yum, so good~~

The cabbage keeps its crisp texture, while oven roasting gives it a gently soft texture too. It is so appealing that I always end up ordering it whenever I visit Bueokgan.

Pickles are essential at an Italian restaurant—Koreans absolutely need them,, I’m secretly disappointed when a brunch place has no pickles.

And then, the basil Margherita pizza! I am normally more of a chicken person than a pizza person, and I usually think one slice of pizza fills me up. But Bueokgan’s pizza is different, different.

As soon as it arrived at the table, the basil aroma burst out—wow,,, my mouth was watering immediately. With basil pesto and sun-dried tomatoes on a thin crust, I easily polished off three slices all by myself haha.

Chewy truffle mushroom cream gnocchi

Our last dish was the truffle mushroom cream gnocchi. It is potato gnocchi with various mushrooms, including oyster and king oyster mushrooms, plus truffle and cheese. The cream-based sauce was not cloying at all, so it went down so easily.

Especially the gnocchi! When you go around trying gnocchi, some places serve it fluffy or dry, but Bueokgan’s gnocchi had an incredibly chewy texture. Scooped up with the cream sauce, the combination was just right.

I think anyone who normally loves thick, rich cream pasta or gnocchi will be truly satisfied, so I recommend it! If you want to visit a genuinely delicious brunch spot in Gwangju, I recommend Bueokgan Suwan Branch, a Gwangju Italian restaurant, Suwan District pasta spot, and Suwan District brunch spot!