Dongseong-ro Italian restaurant for creamy gnocchi: Palette Hannam

A stylish fusion Italian restaurant in Daegu’s Dongseong-ro

Not long ago, I visited Palette Hannam Daegu Dongseong-ro Branch, a popular pasta spot in Daegu’s Dongseong-ro. I had wanted to try this restaurant because it was known as a pretty Italian place with a lovely atmosphere, so I stopped in for lunch on a day when I had errands downtown.

It is on the second floor of the building next to Hollys. It is a five-minute walk from Exit 2 of Jungangno Station on Line 1 and six minutes from Exit 10 of Banwoldang Station on Line 2, so it was wonderfully accessible by public transportation.

• Daily 11:30–21:00
• Weekday break time: 15:30–17:00
• Last order: 20:35
• Takeout available

Walk up the stairs to the second floor and this bright pink exterior immediately catches your eye.

An interior of picture windows and pastel tones

As soon as I stepped inside, the white-and-pastel palette drew my attention. The decor had such a charming, feminine feel that it was fun simply to look around.

The window seats in particular were set beside floor-to-ceiling windows, making the space feel open. A light rain happened to be falling that day, and looking down at the view outside gave it such a lovely mood.

The dining room was furnished with spacious four-person tables, with enough seating to accommodate plenty of people at once.

Being right in the center of the downtown shopping district, it felt like a comfortable choice for dates, get-togethers with friends, family meals, or larger work dinners.

Fusion Italian dishes and the two dishes I ordered

Palette Hannam Daegu Dongseong-ro Branch is a Daegu pasta restaurant where you can find fusion-style Italian dishes with a character all their own.

The menu has a varied selection of dishes that are a little unusual but still suited to popular tastes, including omurice, sizzling don tomahawk, pizza, hambak steak, kimchi katsu-don, and beef brisket salad.

I did not get to try it this time because I ordered other things, but I normally love pizza. They had lots of varieties, including shrimp rosé, beef brisket and scallion bulgogi, and garlic, so I promised myself I would try one next time.

After debating what to have, I wanted to choose dishes that lots of people order at an Italian restaurant, so I went with Palette Pasta and cream cheese gnocchi.

The plating looked like a work of art, and the appetizing presentation was more than enough to catch my eye before I even ate. I simply could not skip taking photos of this, so I clicked away enthusiastically.

I started with the baguette bread I had ordered to eat before the meal, almost like an appetizer.

Cream cheese gnocchi with a 72-hour-aged sauce

The cream cheese gnocchi had such round shapes that they looked a bit like scallops or meatballs, so I was curious about the taste. The combination with its 72-hour-aged sauce was absolutely perfect.

Gnocchi is an Italian dish made with potatoes and flour, and perhaps because it was prepared to suit Korean tastes, it suited mine perfectly too.

It was crisp on the outside and chewy inside, with a texture a little like potato rice cake. Dipped generously in the creamy sauce, it was wonderfully rich, and I cleared every last piece.

Palette Pasta with special spices

I hesitated because the sauces on my two dishes overlapped a little, but in the end I was so glad I ordered this classic pasta. Worthy of a signature dish at a Daegu Dongseong-ro pasta restaurant, its creamy flavor was deepened with special spices.

The pasta was cooked just right. It was great as a meal, but I also thought it would pair nicely with beer or wine.

I also picked out and ate the garlic scapes mixed through it, and they worked surprisingly well with the Western-style dish.

With its pretty, atmospheric decor fitting for a stylish Italian restaurant, Palette Hannam Daegu Dongseong-ro Branch was a Daegu Dongseong-ro pasta spot worth visiting when I wanted familiar yet distinctive flavors.