Region: Korea – Check Please!

East meets West at Camillo Lasagneria in Seoul

I ended up eating at Camillo Lasegneria by accident and I was intrigued by its format blending Italian and Korean elements.

The visit

On a Sunday, I reached the restaurant for a late lunch but it was still full. I had to wait 10 or 15 minutes. They had a bench in front of the restaurant for people waiting for their turn. The staff was super friendly, they even offered me a glass of water while I was outside. It was not an issue. Inside there was a long counter that accommodated most of the guests, plus a few tables. It felt to be in a kappo restaurant. The Italian owner was not there, but his staff seemed to know what they were doing.

The menu was quite simple. The main attraction was the lasagna offered in three versions: the classic, chicken, and seafood (chicken and seafood were their own creation, not something you would find in Italy). They also had some other types of pasta.

The lasagna (the classic in the picture) came in a set with some salad, rice, and pannacotta.

I was invited to add some of the lasagna sauce to the rice. This was a nice fusion touch.

I was so pleased that I ordered a second lasagna, a chicken one. This however was a disappointment. The chicken was nicely layered along the other ingredients, but it had cartilages that made it very unpleasant.

The check

The check for two portions of lasagna (one coming in a set) was 29,000 WON (24 USD). It was reasonably priced. Aside for my dislike for the chicken lasagna, the overall experience and the classic lasagna were excellent. It is certainly recommended for something different in Seoul. The owner also operates another Italian restaurant specializing in stews just around the corner.

Where in Soeul:
382-13, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu.

Eating at the most classic Seoul’s market: Gwangjang

Not all touristy locations are the same. Some are tourist traps, but some are able to retain some of their authenticity and remain an interesting destination. In my opinion Gwangjang Market falls into the latter category and it is a fun place where to try Korean street food. This is my experience of a visit at around 11am on a weekday.

The visit

My visit started from the exit 7 of the Jongno 5(o)-ga Station of the Seoul metro. From there, it was just 10 meters to enter the fray.

Eventually I sat down at the stall number 3 where an energetic lady served me some delicious kimchi dumplings.

Then I stepped inside a restaurant called Jinju Yukhoe specializing in raw meat. It was a waste, but I just had a mungbean pancake. This is a relatively crispy and thick pancake that I thoroughly enjoyed.

At the center of the complex, there was a stall specializing in knife-cut noodles made famous by a Netflix special.

The market is not just food. They are also famous for quality silk goods, linen bedding and hand-made goods. The market was formally established in 1962 as a spin-off of Dongdaemun Market.

The check

The food was very affordable and delicious. The pancake cost me just 5,000 WON and so much for the dumplings (they even gave me a little discount because I did not want the soup and they were considerably cheaper than from Bukchon Son Mandu).

This was my first visit and I played it safe with a couple of softballs like dumplings and pancakes. But I definitely would like to try the raw meat. Also, I was unable to find the stall specializing in spicy fish stew (Maeun-tang). For another time.

Where in Seoul:
88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Metro: Jongno 5(o)-ga Station (subway line 1) exit 7, roughly 15m away. Euljiro 4(sa)-ga Station (subway lines 2, 5) exit 4, roughly 150m away.
Website: www.kwangjangmarket.co.kr.

Mistakes to avoid if you plan to eat at Noryangjin fish market

Noryangjin fish market (or Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market) in Seoul recently seems to have been put on the map by foodies youtubers like Mark Wiens and Luke Martin. I decided to test it. This review is illustrative of the situation in July 2019.

The visit

Getting to Noryangjin may seem super easy as there is a metro station with the same name. WRONG! Yes, you have to get to Noryangjin station, then you might be tempted to cross the rail tracks using the pedestrian overpass pictured above. That does not work anymore.

As the pictures above show, if you take the overpass, you will end on the rooftop of the old market building where at the time of posting some vendors are still barricaded. Avoid this way for your own safety (the main problem is the trash everywhere).

Rather, go to street level and follow the track until you will encounter an underpass (above the entrance from the market) with signage indicating the market.

The first floor and part of the second floor are of course packed with vendors.

Octopus, crabs, lobsters, prawns, you name it… are on display.

Sashimi is available everywhere. I am just not sure about the freshness of the pre-assembled set of sashimi. I went during a weekday and there was really little business going on with retail buyers like me.

Eventually I bought a couple of inexpensive items from a vendor to test the restaurant system. One was the sea pineapple pictured above. Then I added some wild prawns.

Then the vendor matched me with her preferred restaurant (on the second floor). The restaurants will clean and cook the fish for you and will provide you with a comfortable environment for your feast.

They like to display messages signed by happy customers.

My prawns were quickly grilled and were very good.

The sea pineapple had a weird flavor. I left it.

I shall also mention that on the second floor there were a couple of full-fledged restaurants, but they did not seem to be particularly interesting.

The check

I spent 14,000 WON for the seafood and 13,000 WON for the cooking (see check above): around 22 USD. The cooking fee did not seem right. I have the impression they overcharged me and I have the following advice for you:

Take pictures of what you wish to eat.
Go to a restaurant or two to get a quotation for the cooking service before buying anything.
Buy what you need and go to your selected restaurant.

If I go back, I would definitely avoid the restaurants indicated by the seafood vendor. It is clear that there is collusion and part of what you pay to the restaurant goes back to the vendors’ pocket as a commission.

Where in Seoul:
674 Nodeul-ro, Noryangjin-dong, Dongjak-gu.

A BBQ in Seoul where locals are happy to queue

While in Seoul in July 2019, I found myself at walking distance from a BBQ that was particularly highly rated on Google (not that it is a guarantee, but it made me curious). If you are looking for BBQs in Seoul, also check out this other review about two famous chains.

The place is called Yukjeon Sikdang n. 1 (신설동 육전식당) and on the menu they explain the meaning of the name:

I dined in the original location in 16 Nangye-ro 30-gil, but they also have two additional locations within a close distance:

The visit

I went on a weekday at around 6pm and the place was already packed with several customers waiting for their turn on the street or upstairs in a waiting room. I got a ticket from the cashier.

They would call numbers on a speaker in Korean that could be heard in the waiting room. But when the customer was a foreigner they made the effort to use English. I waited one hour for my spot. That is a record for me. I have no idea if the other locations are less busy, for sure the waiting will be shorter after 8pm. I really went during peak time.

Finally I was accommodated in one of the tables.

As usual, side dishes and condiments arrived pretty quickly.

I had an issue ordering because there was a peculiar rule: whatever you order first, you need to order two portions. That really did not work for me since I was alone and I wanted to try at least two types of meat. I insisted for an exception playing the clueless tourist card and they gave me a pass.

My first order was a 150 grams of pork neck called Hang-jung-sal. This was not the regular neck meat (Mok-sal) but a part from the front of the neck. On the menu it was described as “a thousand layers of meat and fat”. It was a very tender and tasty piece of pork meat. The meat was cooked by a staff member and eventually cut in pieces with a pair of scissors. The restaurant apparently is famous for these neck cuts.

But the piece of resistance of the meal was 200 grams of Korean sirloin. I do not know the grade, but it was tender and juicy as some of the best local beef I had in Seoul. They only had this cut on the menu (that overall has four types of meat, this and three pork cuts).

Also of note, I was given a piece of Myeongi-namool that is usually translated into English as ramp. It was just the leaves, that were thin and marinated. I was recommended to roll it around the meat and it indeed gave it a boost.

At the end I had fried rice that was cooked on the grill in front of me mixed with vegetables and spicy sauce. It was also sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. It was a nice way to cap the meal and feel completely satisfied. According to house rules, it can only be ordered at the end of the meal after consuming some meat.

The check

Final check was 64,000 WON (53 USD). The big ticket item was the sirloin (42,000 WON for 200 grams), while the pork was 18,000 WON. The fried rice was a mere 4,000 WON.

While I would not repeat the experience of waiting for an hour, this was a solid BBQ experience in Seoul and has my recommendation.

Where in Seoul:
Name in Korean: 신설동 육전식당.
16 Nangye-ro 30-gil, Yongsin-dong, Dongdaemun-gu
Nearest metro station: Sinseol-dong (exit 10).

A great chocolate cafe in Hongdae: 17℃

In Seoul there is no shortage of cafes for dessert fanatics. 17℃ stands out as it is a real chocolaterie specializing in chocolate treats. 17℃ apparently is the perfect temperature to store and serve chocolate bonbons.

The visit

From Hongik University metro station, it was a pleasant 5-10 minute walk along Hongdae main road.

On a sunny weekend afternoon, the place was packed, but I got on of the last remaining tables inside.

I had a cup of their soft serve ice cream. As good as it gets.

I also had their seasonal drink: a cold brew with dark chocolate, Kyoto Uji matcha, and ice cream. This was the drink that convinced me that green tea and chocolate go well together.

They also sell chocolate products.

The check

The check was 12,500 Won (10.30 USD), with the drink accountimg for 8,500 Won.

Highly recommended for chocolate lovers.

Where in Seoul:
38, Donggyo-ro 29-gil, Mapo-gu.
In Korean: 서울특별시 마포구 동교로 29길 38.
Website: https://17dossi.modoo.at/ (Korean only).

French fine dining in Seoul at TocToc

TocToc is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul also included in the list of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. This is my experience in July 2019, during the week of their grand opening in a new location in Gangnam.

The meaning of the name is explained on their website: “‘Toc Toc’ is a French expression of ‘knock knock’; demonstrating chef’s determination to open up your taste through fine cuisine”.

The visit

They took my booking by email after a bit of back and forth, but at the end they also asked me to pay a deposit of 50,000 Won with an online system. I hate when restaurants do that, but I obliged. It was not explained to me, but the deposit was to be returned and not deducted from the check.

I went for dinner on a Saturday night. The dining room is very elegant. Everything was brand new. When I arrived I discovered that they had made some changes to the set menu that I had seen on their website (now it is up to date), but fine. I went for their dinner course menu.

The amuse bouche was a slice of cooked ham with a stick of grissini. That’s Italian in my books. But fine.

The welcome dish consisted of three snacks: watermelon, seabass (fermented and deep fried), beef tartare with house sauce.

Then the bread was served with some fanfare. It turns out that TocToc’s executive chef and owner also started a bakery called Sikbugwan and that’s where the bread came from. Time for a cross-promotion. But the bread was very good and best eaten while warm.

The raw dish was brown croacker sashimi with ginger dressing. I am all for sashimi, but the dressing flavor was a bit overwhelming. Something funny happened here. Since the waiter was a bit chatty, I randomly mentioned that I like to eat sashimi with chopsticks. I did not phrase it as a request or a complaint, but the guy did not like my remark and put me to my place saying “We are in French restaurant in Seoul“. You cannot argue with that. Chopsticks or not, it was a forgettable dish.

In addition to the course menu, I ordered a beef tartare with crispy lotus flowers that was excellent. They did not messed up adding too many ingredients and let the beef speak for itself.

The warm dish was a piece of abalone on mash and eggplant.

Exceptionally, because it was their opening week in the new location, they grated some French truffle from Avignone on the abalone. Truffle or not, the abalone was tender and very good.

For main I could choose between lamb, fish, or Hanu beef. It was a simple choice, I went for the local beef – striploin – that did not disappoint. Korea has some incredible beef.

More truffle on the pasta, some pappardelle with pecorino cheese. It was good, but it was a minuscule portion.

Finally I was served the seasonal dessert (a sorbet on a mango puree).

And it was nice that a cup of tea was also included.

The check

The course menu was 110,000 Won that became 120,000 because I opted for the truffle pasta that commanded 10,000 Won extra (the only pasta with no surcharge was kelp pasta… not the most attractive; they also had lobster pasta for a 15,000 won surcharge). The tartare was excellent but also not cheap at 37,000 Won. So, all in all, I spent 157,000 won (or 130 USD).

The overall experience left me unsatisfied. It was not a disappointment because overall the course menu was good, but I was expecting something more. The chef mostly played safe with traditional French high cuisine classics and some Italian dishes. I wish he had brought more of his Seoul’s upbringings into the menu.

Where in Seoul:
3F 41 Hakdong-ro 97-gil, Gangnam-gu.
In Korean: 서울특별시 강남구 학동로97길 41 3층.
Website: www.restauranttoctoc.com.

Trying Korean dumplings from Bukchon Son Mandu

Bukchon Son Mandu is a popular shop selling several types of Korean dumplings, called mandu. The Korean dumplings were once part of the Korean royal cuisine and are now a fixture in street food.

The visit

I went to the store in Insadong during my trip to Seoul in October 2018.

There is usually a little bit of queue since the seats available are very limited, but I was lucky to find a spot upon my arrival.

As you can see from the picture, all you get to sit is a stool. It is a very casual place.

I ordered the combination platter that included 3 types.

The ball mandu should be a gullin mandu (굴린만두) and contained vegetables and pork. Very easy to eat! Then there was a steamed mandu (찐만두, jjinmandu), on the right, filled with with pork and kimchi. Finally, the set had a deep fried mandu filled with pork and other condiments taken from a dish called japchae. This last dumpling was a twigim mandu (튀김만두 ).

I wish I could say that these dumplings were crazily good as so many online do, but I found them pretty bland. Yet, I would not discourage anyone from trying them!

The check

The combination dumpling platter cost 9,000 WON (or 8 USD). From what I read online, the price had recently been raised at the time of my visit (previously, for several years, the same dish was 8,000 WON).

There was also a bigger combination platter definitely meant to be shared that included a shrimp dumpling that I did not try. If you are in Insadong or you come across another of these stores, it is a nice way to taste this kind of Korean food.

Where in Seoul:
42-5, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu
In Korean: (우) 03146종로구 인사동길 42-5
Tip: it is a couple of blocks North of exit 2 of Anguk Station. Follow the signs for the Constitutional Court, pass it leaving it behind to your left, and turn right at the next major intersection. There are other outlets around town.

Encountering the Bingsu in Seoul

Bingsu (or bingsoo) is a dessert originated in Korea. It is a combination of shaved ice and other sweet ingredients. In the past, the accompanying ingredient was usually red bean paste (potbingsu), but now it can go almost with everything. Mango bingsu is one of the most popular. While this dessert has been around for decades, in recent years it has become popular outside South Korea and can be found in many Asian metropolis.

The visit

I tried my first bingsu in Seoul in an outlet of the all-popular Sulbing 설빙 Korean Dessert Cafe. There are outlets all over South Korea.

I chose their bingsu tiramisu that came in a huge bowl topped with a large piece of tiramisu cake and along with a shot of espresso coffee. The shot was provided to be added to the bowl (similarly, I noticed that the green tea bingu came with a shot of green tea… not sure if this applied to all of the available flavors).

I was extremely skeptical about this dessert. But after digging into the mountain of shaved ice covered with cacao powder I changed my mind. It was actually quite good. Nothing comparable to artisan ice cream, but a very refreshing dessert.

Below the mountain of shaved ice there was also a good amount of jelly cubes (in this case chocolate flavored).

I could not finish it all by myself.

The check

This bingsu cost 10,900 WON (9.65 USD). This is pretty much the standard price for a premium bowl. More traditional flavors can cost a little bit less. It should be noted that the bowl could be easily shared between two people and the cafe offered comfortable seating, so overall it was not a bad deal.

An unexpected tuna omakase in Seoul

Playing on Kakao Map app (in Korea Google Maps does not work on mobile devices…) I noticed a tuna restaurant not far from my hotel: Donggang Tuna (by the way, Donggang is a port town in Taiwan famous for its seafood including bluefin tuna). I needed to check it out.

The visit

I showed up at the door of the small restaurant shortly after 6pm and I was welcomed by a waitress and the chef. It looked like a one-man show. I already liked it.

They did not speak English and there was no English menu, but by looking at the pictures uploaded on Kakao Map I understood that the restaurant served primarily set menus and I was fine with that. I opted for the 70,000 WON set menu, de facto an omakase (there was one more expensive for 100,000 WON and a couple at a lower price point). I think it is also possible to order individual dishes.

I was seated at the counter, right in front of the chef that would hand me most of the dishes throughout the dinner.

I was promptly offered a welcome dish that I would describe as an Italian risotto with mushrooms (it was not quite a porridge, or maybe something in the middle).

Then the seafood started to flow… the first dish was a mix of sashimi including a piece of dried fish roe.

Then the chef started to serve sashimi from cut different parts of the tuna. I never experienced so many different cuts. For a tuna lover like me, this was amazing.

Meantime, more hot dishes were coming from the kitchen. The first was boiled abalone with a chunk of roe.

Miso soup.

Then three pieces of sushi were lined up on the serving dish: tuna was supplemented by a piece of salmon belly.

A pair of grilled items: a whitebait fish and a meaty prawn.

More exotic tuna sashimi.

A bowl of jellyfish.

One more whitebait fish, this one came full of roe. There was also a piece of eel not pictured.

Then from the kitchen they brought a piece of tuna head. The chef helped me to clean it and there was a surprising amount of meat to eat.

More tuna sashimi!

Then I was invited to taste a pleasantly refreshing piece of vegetable root (with its leaves).

The check

The final check was 70,000 WON (the fixed price) or around 62 USD. Tea was included.

This was a great meal. I loved all the dishes. Some of the tuna cuts were very rare and overall 62 USD for this kind of food is a very reasonable price point.

This is a restaurant I would not mind visiting again in the future.

Where in Seoul:
83, Yonsei-ro 2-gil, Seodaemun-gu
Look up Donggang Tuna on Kakao Map.
The restaurant has a website all in Korean.

Byeokje Galbi vs. Maple Tree House BBQ in Seoul

[Also look at this review for a third BBQ option in Seoul.]

Similarly to fried chicken, BBQ is another quintessential Korean food experience. While fried chicken is usually a very affordable eating option, BBQs can vary from cheap all you can eat joints to luxury restaurants offering hand picked meats.

In this post I will examine two BBQ chains that have various outlets in Seoul and offer real top-graded Hanwoo beef. Hanwoo is a Korean local breed that is regarded as the top of the top. In my meal at La Yeon the delicious beef was Hanwoo.

Byeokje Galbi

Byeokje Galbi is a chain of BBQ restaurants with multiple locations in Seoul. I visited the Sinchon/Ewha branch that occupies two floors in a building facing a crowded shopping street (22 Myeongmul-gil).

It is even listed in the Seoul Michelin Guide (but with no stars) where they explain:

Byeokje Galbi is a local institution that has been serving legendary barbecued beef short ribs since 1986. The restaurant’s attention to quality begins from the breeding of the cows at a local farm in Pocheon. Only the top 1%(BMS No9) are purchased…

The dining room is based on booths and every booth has its own grill embedded into the table. They use real charcoal (not gas like in cheaper restaurants).

I ordered a sirloin steak (130 grams) of marbled Korean beef, Bulogi beef (250 grams) and a bowl of cold noodle.

After ordering, I was immediately served the side dishes that included kimchi, soup kimchi, onion, sweet pumpkin, salt, fermented red paste, garlic, lettuce, and some other local vegetables.

The steak was marvelously marbled and it was cooked at the table by a staff member. They cut it into cubes with scissors (a bit brutal, but it is how they do it…).

The end result was great chewy beef bites.

The bulgogi (marinated strips of beef) were cooked with a different implement.

The bulgogi was tender, tasty and satisfying.

The restaurant only lists beef on the menu (their short ribs are particularly popular), but they also are famous for serving buckwheat cold noodles (a dish originally from North Korea). I had the spicy cold noodles that came with fermented chili paste, an egg, a slice of meat, and some vegetables. It was better than expected.

The check was substantial: 117,000 WON (103 USD). The sirloin was the big ticket item (69,000 WON and there was actually a more expensive variety for 79,000 that I passed). The service was very good with an experienced member of staff grilling the dishes for me and looking after my table in an attentive manner (even if they did not speak English).

Maple Tree House

Maple Tree House started as a popular restaurant in Itaewon in 2005 and now has three locations across Seoul (including the original one) and two international locations, in Manila and Taipei.

I visited the branch in Gangnam district, just meters outside exit 12 of Gangman metro station. It is a slick venue, in the basement of an office building. I was seated at the counter (since I was alone).

They also use charcoal to grill the meat.

They also provided the usual side dishes, a bit more boring than the ones I had in Byeokje Galbi.

But they also had a nice egg stew served hot.

I ordered their Korean Hanwoo aged sirloin (150 grams) and a cut of pork jowl from Jeju.

The meat was grilled at the table by several members of staff (in the picture above the pork). The beef was even more tender than the one at Byeokje Galbi and it was nice to have the option to order pork as well.

Total check was 55.400 WON (49 USD). The sirloin was way more affordable and reasonably priced than the one ordered at Byeokje Galbi.

In terms of value for money, Maple Tree House wins hands down. However, the service I received was terrible. It is always difficult to speak about service on the basis of a single visit, however I was appalled by their modus operandi. One member of staff would put the steak on the grill and then without a word would leave to do something else… then another member of staff would pop up and do some more grilling… this was an incredibly annoying way to proceed, especially with 50 USD of meat on the grill. I do not know whether this happened because they were understaffed, but it was unacceptable.

Where in Seoul:
Byeokje Galbi: check their website (in Korean) for locations. I visited the Sinchon branch in 22 Myeongmul-gil.
Maple Tree House: check their website (in English) for locations. I visited the Gangnam branch.