417-2 Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu
tel. 02/529-8248
HOURS: Tues.-Sun. 4 p.m.-midnight
COST: Entrées more than ₩25,000
SUBWAY: Maebong (Line 3)
Though it’s well outside the more fashionable Gangnam axis, new trends are being set nightly at this restaurant and bar, where an adventurous, globe-trotting owner/chef exercises his talents.
The menu leaps across national borders, incorporating the various flavors and cuisines the proprietor has encountered and loved throughout his career. Among his choice creations are a heaping salad incorporating marinated Korean beef and parmesan-sprinkled greens (a mushroom version is available for vegetarians), whole fresh fish fried and dressed with cilantro and a zingy Thai-inspired sauce, and a rich, cognac-marinated take on Korea’s beloved pork belly.
It’s highly original and a whole lot of fun, thanks in no small part to the place’s come-as-you-are character and selection of fine drinks.
Reservations are virtually mandatory, particularly on weekend evenings.