Italian food is rarely my first choice. My husband, on the other hand, loves it, so lately I’ve been trying to give it more of a chance.

I came to Take a Table, a popular Italian restaurant in Yeonnam, Seoul, hoping I might find a place to bring him later as a surprise.

At Take a Table, I liked the atmosphere before I even tried the food. The small Italian restaurant has dark wood furniture, antique-style lamps, a piano and green plants around the dining room. With warm lighting and small wooden tables, it reminded me of a cozy restaurant somewhere in Europe. It’s a nice place for a romantic dinner or when you want somewhere warm and stylish without feeling too formal.

The menu includes pasta, lasagna, gnocchi, steak and salads. I ordered the braised pork lasagna and cream gnocchi with steak. The braised pork lasagna surprised me the most. Somehow, I liked it even more than the lasagna I tried in Italy. It came in a spicy tomato sauce with a large piece of grilled romaine lettuce on top. Inside were layers of fresh pasta, cheese and plenty of tender pork. The top was slightly crisp while everything underneath stayed soft and rich.

The grilled romaine was what made the dish especially interesting to me. The cheese and braised pork could be a bit heavy for me after a few bites, but the lettuce kept the richness in check without taking away from the lasagna. Eating the pork with the grilled greens also felt familiar, reminding me of the Korean habit of pairing grilled meat with leafy vegetables.

The tomato sauce, which brought some heat, also helped cut through the richness even further. My favorite bite had a little pasta, pork, cheese and romaine together, dipped into the sauce.

The steak cream gnocchi was completely different. The browned gnocchi came in a thick cream sauce with sliced steak on the side. The gnocchi were soft and chewy inside with a slightly firmer outside. The cream sauce coated both the gnocchi and steak well and a little salt on the steak brought out more of the flavor.

If I had to pick one, I’d order the lasagna again first. But the two dishes were good to share because the flavors balanced each other; one came with spicy tomato sauce while the other was creamy and mild.

Take a Table also serves mushroom cream pasta, ragu pasta, other gnocchi and lasagna dishes, salads and steak. Soups and ravioli are available as sides. Other popular choices include the tiger prawn gnocchi and Iberico pork collar steak. Both are on my list for next time.

Wine is available by the glass or bottle with red, white and sparkling options. Beer, soda and sparkling water are also on the menu. Corkage is 10,000 won per bottle.

The dining room is small and cozy, and it can fill up quickly. There was no line when I went for lunch, but if you’re planning to come for dinner or on a weekend, booking ahead is safer.

USAG Yongsan

Camp Casey

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• Check out Yeonnam in Seoul, just off Hongdae