Gwangalli salmon and beef tartare restaurant: Salmon Brothers

A hidden second-floor restaurant near Gwangalli Beach

It’s a five-minute walk from Exit 3 of Gwangan Station, and even closer from the beach.

Every time I came to Gwangalli with a friend, we went to Xiaomara, and it was on the second floor of this building?! You can’t even tell there’s a restaurant here from outside, so it has that slightly hidden-gem kind of feel ㅜ

Just follow the stairs up to the second floor. There was a cute poster up too.

There was also a menu right in front of the entrance. I love places with a menu before you go in, since I tend to choose restaurants on the spur of the moment... haha

An interior made for dates and blind dates

I was honestly taken aback by how pretty the interior was. I barely eat raw fish, so maybe that’s why I didn’t know about places like this?? But I have no idea why it isn’t more famous. It would be great not only for dates, but blind dates too. Maybe the interior was redone recently—it was so clean and beautifully put together.

I don’t know whether it was only certain tables, but mine even had lighting like that, and it was subtly atmospheric and lovely. Maybe it was all in my head, but the food looked twice as delicious too,, You can order from the kiosk at your table.

I usually don’t include bathroom photos in restaurant reviews, but I couldn’t leave this one out—they’d prepared everything with so much care!! They clearly paid close attention to smells, and they had mouthwash and even a hair straightener,, ♥ Sea wind can really wreck your hair, but they even had setting spray, so it was perfect for fixing it up.

Half salmon, half beef tartare with aglio e olio

• Half salmon / half beef tartare, 300 g ₩35,000
• Aglio e olio ₩15,000
• Busan soju ₩5,000

Isn’t this the ultimate girls’ night combo,, With salmon and beef tartare right there, how are you meant to resist soju? The visuals are insane, so it’s an absolute must for a girls’ night. The interior is pretty too, so photos come out great ㅠ I didn’t even know Busan soju existed, but it was there, so I ordered one. If you’re visiting Gwangalli, try Busan soju, hehe.

Do not skip the black sesame sauce beef tartare

Sorry to say this, but it was absolutely crazy good!!!! The beef tartare is seriously unreal. No lie, it might be the best beef tartare I’ve had recently. Dip it in the black sesame sauce they serve with it and you need nothing else. One bottle of soju disappears in a flash. Wrapping it in gamtae (sweet seaweed) was such a treat too. It may be Salmon Brothers, but you have to get the beef tartare. It was so good that writing this makes me want it again..

Salmon even a seafood-hater ate

The salmon’s color was absolutely insane too. Such a pretty orange, almost like food coloring had been added. There’s definitely a reason salmon is their main thing. I really don’t eat seafood because of the fishy smell, but this salmon had absolutely none—as if it had been raised in the mountains, not the sea. The slices were so thick and big that every bite filled your mouth..! Maybe because I’ve never bought salmon with my own money before, but it really was delicious haha.

Aglio e olio that wasn’t greasy

I don’t know why I’m such a picky eater, but I don’t usually buy aglio e olio with my own money either. Here, though, the slightly flat noodles alone showed they totally get it. Maybe it’s just me, but when I think of aglio e olio, I first picture something soaked in oil(?)—but this was nothing like that, which I loved.

I don’t even eat shrimp or shiitake mushrooms, so I gave them all to my friend, and she kept saying they were so good while happily finishing them lol. The shrimp were plump and looked very fresh too. The seasoning was just right, and it was the most delicious pasta I’d had in a while. I usually enjoy most things well enough, but this place crossed the threshold into genuinely, truly delicious. I’m secretly quite picky about good restaurants, you know. And the fact that I was this satisfied with dishes I don’t even like!!!!!

Check before visiting late, before ingredients run out

Busan soju looks a little like sake, but I think it tastes similar to Good Day soju. Honestly, soju is mostly much of a muchness. Still, if Busan soju is available, I think I’d choose Busan.

I haven’t been drinking much lately, so recently my friend and I would share about one bottle, but the food here was so good;;; we ended up drinking three bottles between us for the first time in ages. I visited around 6 p.m. on a Sunday, and they closed around 9 p.m. that day because they’d run out of ingredients. If you’re going late, I recommend asking about their hours before you visit!!

I did visit through a Highton sponsorship, but it was so delicious that I’m 10,000% willing to come back and pay for it myself next time. If you’re looking for a great drinking-snack spot in Gwangalli, I highly recommend Salmon Brothers!! The pasta is delicious too, so please, please go.. 😭