Choose-your-noodle pasta with cacio e pepe at Plate, Daejeon

Today I want to introduce a pasta place in Sunhwa-dong, Daejeon, that I recently visited with Jooyoung. It's called Plate, and if you live in Daejeon you've probably heard of it at least once!

Plate's hours and parking

• Hours: Daily 11:00a.m.–21:30p.m.
• Parking: Sunhwa-dong Public Parking Lot No. 2 (about a 1–2 minute walk), free on weekends and public holidays, and easy to use on weekdays too
• Address: 30 Jungang-ro 121beon-gil, Jung-gu, Daejeon, South Korea, 1st floor

A romantic mood from the entrance

Wine bottles filling the entrance, warm lighting, and tasteful flower decorations come together for a cozy, romantic feel even in the daytime.

Fresh or dry — you pick your own noodle

Looking at the menu, it was fun to see you could choose your pasta noodle to your taste! It's split into Fresh Pasta and Dry Pasta — fresh pasta has a soft, chewy texture, while dry pasta lets you enjoy different textures depending on the noodle shape.

You check the menu like this and write the number for the noodle style next to it, and they make it deliciously for you~

Even the pepper and salt grinders next to us had such a stylish design they looked like interior props. Under the dim lighting, that vintage water bottle on the wooden table was really pretty.

Even the bottle holding water looked nice and moody~ The whole interior had a lovely vibe, so it seemed like a great spot for a date!

Wine racks, wooden tables, and the interior

What really caught my eye was the unique wine rack made from wine bottles on the wall — it wasn't just wine on display, but styled like an interior piece, which was impressive. The lighting was soft too, giving the whole place a calm, cozy atmosphere.

Warm-toned wooden tables and classic wooden chairs are arranged in harmony~! The mix of warm and modern really caught my eye haha

The kitchen is an open kitchen, so I liked being able to see the cooking happen right in front of us! The place felt very clean and well kept~ Thanks to the delicious smell the moment we walked in, I got hungry fast..!

There was also a coat rack inside~! Nice touch that an apron was hanging on it too~~ There's even a photo zone next to the entrance~! This kind of place would be great for a proper date at the end of the year!!

How does the creamy rosé pasta taste?

We ordered the creamy rosé pasta and the bacon cacio e pepe~! (₩10,900) The creamy rosé pasta has just the right golden balance between the tanginess of tomato and the softness of cream. The sauce soaks deep into the noodles for rich flavor. The kkwari-gochu (shishito-style green peppers) had a great texture too, which made it taste even better~!

Bacon cacio e pepe, made with tagliatelle

The bacon cacio e pepe was a first for me, and we chose the unique tagliatelle noodle for it~! The sharp kick of pepper is the highlight, cutting cleanly through what could otherwise be a heavy dish. It's loaded with salty bacon, so the deep savory flavor spreads through your mouth the more you chew.

The wide noodles are deeply coated in the salty sauce and pepper aroma, leaving a rich aftertaste with just one bite~! The combination of cheese and pepper is really thick and creamy, exactly my style 🤍🤍 The noodle's texture was quite distinctive too, and it worked really well~