Daejeon Access had heard of Black'smith, the new Italian restaurant in Daejeon, for some time and decided one Sunday afternoon to check them out.


We sat and looked at the menu. The prices seemed a bit high for a place offering this type of cuisine. If we had been in Seoul these prices would be commonplace, but in Daejeon? This food must be really good.

We ordered 2 pizzas and a pasta. My wife ordered the Penne Chorizo. At first glance, the portion seemed rather small, as it was dwarfed by the large bowl the pasta was placed in.



Before you look at the price, this pasta was well executed. A full range of flavor with a slight kick of heat at the end. I was impressed with the taste and flavor, but not with the price tag. It is very hard to find Italian food done well in Daejeon. If the price doesn't discourage you; this particular pasta is very delicious.

photo courtesy of blacksmith.co.kr

Earl and I ordered 2 pizzas. He the pizza primavera and I the spicy chicken pizza.


I personally am not a fan of leafy veggies on my pizza. I would assume Earl will give you his personal account on this pizza.



I really enjoy chicken on pizza. I was really anticipating a well executed pizza after tasting the Penne Chorizo.




As I stated earlier, I was really anticipating a succulent and spicy chicken pizza. I was horribly disappointed. It wasn't remotely spicy. They provided a small dish with a sweet and spicy chili sauce.

This offering didn't cut the mustard. I requested hot sauce and got the 'ol Tabasco.
Granted, Tabasco is great in a pinch, but if you have perused the various hot sauces in the western import section at stores in Daejeon and other parts of Korea, you know Tabasco is considered the table wine of hot sauce.
Better than not having any I suppose. The pizza had good flavor for a non-spicy chicken pizza; despite the huge disparity between what was advertised and what I received.

I am always weary of ordering pizza in Korea when I can make better pizzas at home.

The atmosphere was relaxing with soft easy listening music. (No K-pop when I was there) The deco was mildly rustic with an industrial feel.

No complaints with the service as they catered to our every need, exhibiting good patience when we asked about some of the dishes on the menu.

The Penne Chorizo was a well-executed dish, but the pizzas were a big disappointment. Paying nearly 16,000 won for a pizza that costs approximately 4,000 won to make. ( I make pizzas at home)
If the spicy chicken pizza had been spicy at all, it would have shown they made an effort to deliver what they advertised.
I would only recommend Black'smith to those looking for a nice expensive dinner (stick with the pasta) for a special occasion or a going away party. Otherwise, learn how to make your own dough and pizza sauce and make your own pizzas.

Located in Dunsan-dong one block before Hyundai HiTel if you are coming from the river (Safe Zone) direction. Its 2 blocks past City Hall if you are coming from the City Hall, Papa John's, Krispy Creme direction.

Its a corner restaurant with 2 floors.

Earl here:

Italian food in Daejeon. The highs and lows of this cuisine can be found everywhere.

I liked everything about black'smith except for the pizza. I love rucola pizzas; at d'Buzza (my all-time favorite pizza joint, Hannam-dong, Seoul, just behind the Audi dealership), they lay on the rucola so the pizza looks like it has a salad in the middle when you fold the slice. They also add some slices of prosciutto.

Compare the picture above with this one from d'Buzza:



Unfortunately, the black'smith pizza was not like the d'Buzza offering as you can tell from the picture. Prices were comparable but you have to note that d'Buzza only uses fresh mozzarella.

That being written, black'smith also added a honey sauce so the pizza was sweet. I had only one slice; some people can do sweet with savory but I usually don't like that combination. Apples and/or plums with pork, yes; sweet and sour sauce with some things, right on; but honey on my pizza, no.I had a slice of Todd's pizza. I don't often like chicken on pizzas and this was no exception. The chicken breast was dry (holy eucharist Batpriest!) and the whole thing was kissing through a screen door.

They have this gorgeous oven; can it not get up to temp? Notice the slightly charred crust of d'Buzza and the lack of char on the black'smith pizzas.

The pasta was almost perfect. It looked small in the ginourmous bowl but it seemed to be a standard portion, roughly 130 grams of pasta. The only flaw was that it was a bit oversauced but they like it that way in Korea (and America, for that matter). I wonder if the other pastas are as well executed. Hefty price for a bowl of pasta.

The place was good lookin'. Heavy china, silver with some heft, and nice high ceilings. Servers were attentive but not annoyingly so. Service was timely and everyone seemed to glance at all the tables they passed. The restrooms belonged to the building so the restaurant didn't really take care of them. They should maintain them at the prices they charge. Fortunately the wait stand on the way back to the table had napkins so i could snag a few to dry my hands.

If the pizza improved, I would go again.

Blacksmith Map

Todd's Rating

Atmosphere: 9
Service:9
Food: 6  
Price: 3
 

Earl's Rating

Atmosphere: 9
Service: 10
Food: pasta 9.5/ pizza 4 (at least it was better than Homeplus)
Price:$$$


Overall Rating Currently: 6.75

Check out their site HERE