Haeundae, Busan 2-person set dipping pizza crust in pumpkin soup

While looking for a restaurant with good atmosphere near Haeundae in Busan, I ended up at Bueokgan.

Location and hours of Bueokgan Haeundae Branch

200 Dalmajgil117beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea, 2nd floor Daily 11:00–21:00 Break time 15:00–16:30 Last order 20:30

Haeundae has so many great restaurants and pretty cafés that it's hard to decide where to go, but I ended up here while looking for a place near the beach where I could eat well and enjoy the atmosphere. Overall I was happy with everything — the food, the interior, and even the parking.

Driving there and parking

If you drive, the trip itself puts you in a good mood. Since you're heading toward the Haeundae coastline, you get that distinctly Busan seaside view, so the drive to the restaurant felt like part of the trip itself. There's parking set aside for guests arriving by car, so you don't have to worry about that.

What the interior felt like

Overall the interior was decorated in an upscale way without feeling stiff or intimidating. It had a clean, sophisticated feel that suited a date, but also looked fine for a family meal or a gathering with friends.

For two people, go with the set menu instead of à la carte

Bueokgan has a wide range of menu items, from pasta to risotto to wood-fired pizza. With so many choices, it's easy to pick according to your taste, but if you want to try several dishes together, ordering the set menu is much better value than ordering each item separately. Especially for couples or two people dining together, the set is a great way to sample a variety of dishes in small portions.

We also ordered the set menu, made up of pumpkin soup + garden salad + shrimp anchovy oil pasta + basil margherita pizza + grapefruit juice + orange juice.

Pumpkin soup

The first dish to arrive was the pumpkin soup. It had that distinct sweet pumpkin flavor and a very smooth texture. The soup wasn't heavy or chalky at all, going down smoothly, so it was perfect to eat before the main dishes. Starting with the warm, sweet pumpkin soup naturally got my appetite going and made me look forward to what was coming next. If you like pumpkin, this is a dish you can enjoy without any hesitation.

All the delicious dishes came out. They looked so pretty I'd want to come back for an anniversary.

Shrimp anchovy oil pasta

Shrimp anchovy oil pasta, loaded with shrimp! Sometimes pasta disappoints because it doesn't have enough shrimp, but this dish let you enjoy plenty of shrimp along with the noodles. The distinctly salty, savory flavor of anchovy was well soaked into the noodles too. Oil pasta can sometimes taste a bit plain, but thanks to the anchovy's umami, the overall flavor was rich. The sauce coated the noodles well, so every bite had that salty punch, and it paired nicely with the shrimp. If you personally like oil pasta, this dish should satisfy you.

Garden salad with jamón

Fresh vegetables with a refreshing dressing made for an overall clean flavor. Jamón was added too, giving it more depth than a salad with just vegetables. Since we were going to eat pasta and pizza afterward, eating the salad in between helped cut through the richness, and it worked well.

Basil margherita wood-fired pizza

Being a wood-fired pizza, it had a light, clean charm quite different from regular pizza. The crust wasn't heavy at all and was light, so it went well alongside the pasta too. There was a subtle hint of basil aroma, and overall it was clean and delicious without being overpowering. Pizza can sometimes get too rich after a few slices, but this one was on the lighter side, so it worked well eaten alongside other dishes. Alternating a bite of pasta with a bite of pizza let me enjoy the contrasting flavors even more. If you like wood-fired pizza, it's worth adding one to your order.

Grapefruit juice and orange juice

For drinks we ordered grapefruit juice and orange juice. Both had a refreshing, fresh quality that went well alongside the meal. When eating pasta or pizza, you often crave something refreshing partway through, and the tartness of grapefruit and orange cleaned the palate nicely, pairing well with the food. If you're looking for something light to drink with your meal instead of coffee or soda, juice is a solid choice.

Dipping the pizza crust in pumpkin soup

To finish, dipping the pizza crust into the pumpkin soup was so good. I usually don't like eating pizza crusts, but eating it this way, I finished everything without leaving a bite.

Overall, what I took away from eating at Bueokgan this time was that it's a restaurant where you can enjoy the space and atmosphere along with the food. If you're looking for a restaurant with good atmosphere in Haeundae, or a place to eat leisurely near the beach, Bueokgan is worth a visit. It suits Busan locals looking for a comfortable place to eat, and it would also satisfy travelers wanting a slightly more atmospheric meal during their trip. Being able to enjoy delicious food along with a spacious, comfortable setting and upscale atmosphere all at once makes this a restaurant I'd want to revisit whenever I want a special meal in Haeundae.