Dal (2nd Entry by D)

29Oct10

Name: Dal
Genre: Indian
Price Range: 3,000 – 50,000 KRW
Rating: N/A
Our Menu: 2 Orders of the Set B Menu
Total: 80,000 ish KRW
Reservations:  Recommended
Memorable Item(s): … The Palak Paneer?

D:  Sweetie, so… I took Soo to Dal… Are you mad?  Because, I would totally understand if you were.  I mean… you took me there for our anniversary last time… and I mean.. I don’t know.

We started with the mushroom soup.

Why?  Well, I had to do something different from what we usually do.  We never get mushroom soup here.  And, I think I discovered the reason why.  It was soothing, but so very much out of character.  Which… strikingly contrasts our next dish:

Tandoori chicken kebabs!  They were quite good from what I remember.

As was the Palak Paneer which you know I always love.  I’m pretty sure I inhaled this one all by myself.  We ordered other curries as well:

But, considering the fact that most of them were tomato based, I mainly stuck with the Palak Paneer.  Ah, yes.  I knew there was another reason why I ate most of that myself.  Along with the garlic naan.

But, you probably already predicted that I’d inhale the naan as well.  Didn’t you?  Did you also predict that I would order Basmati rice with saffron?

You did?

Filed under: Indian   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: Dal, Indian, Samcheongdong, Samchungdong, Sated, Seoul

The Spice (2nd Entry by D)

17Oct10

Name: The Spice
Genre: French Fusion
Price Range: 36,000 – 80,000 KRW
Rating: N/A
Our Menu: 2 Prestige Courses (Lunch)
Total: 70,000 ish KRW
Reservations: Yes
Memorable Item(s): The meal?

D: Sweetie, I have to tell you something. I mean, I don’t even know how to organize my thoughts. I mean, It just kind of happened. And, it’s been so long- do I even have to tell you about it? I know we have a full disclosure policy, so… here it goes. I went to The Spice without you. Okay, I spit it out. Not that I wanted to. I mean, it was SO good! Claire and I had such a wonderful time. There. I said it. And with that disclosure policy, I’ll have to show you some pictures.

Here’s the bread. Just as you remember it, probably.

This is the appetizer I got. I couldn’t have the Caprese that was supposed to have come out instead, so I asked for the salmon substitution. They were quite nice about it, actually. It wasn’t the best salmon I ever had… but the Mascarpone mousse was .. yum.  Claire stuck with the Caprese salad, so I photographed it for you.

Doesn’t it look really good?  I was definitely jealous- but you already know about my intolerance to tomatoes.  So I stuck with the milder and less acidic things.  Like their sweet potato bisque.

It was quite soothing.  Creamy.  Soft.  Comforting and warm.   Which was followed by a fish that was perfectly cooked.

There’s all that espuma that he likes to work with.  But… that’s fine.  Necessary distractions.  Unlike…

I mean… what the hell was the pastry chef thinking?!  This looks like an obstacle course for a family of ants!   But… the chocolate.. sour cherries and raspberry jellies were flavorfully well combined. Looks can deceive.  Quite well.

I didn’t have the heart to rate the place without you…양심은그레도나마있읍니다! so I snapped a shot of the tea we had instead.

I hope you’re not too angry about all of this.

But, all I have to say? A girl’s gotta eat, even when her man is 6K miles away!

Filed under: French, Fusion   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: Edward Kwon, French, Fusion, Hannamdong, Sated, Seoul, The Spice

Sushi Cho (2nd Entry)

03Jul10

Name: Sushi Cho

Genre: Japanese, Sushi

Price Range: 36,000 – 210,000 KRW

Rating: 5!

Our Menu: 2 Courses at the Dai

Total: 355,000 ish KRW

Reservations: Yes

Memorable Item(s): The meal?

S: Two words, Ethereal sushi. That’s how this place had been described on the blogosphere. D and I experienced the dining room at Sushi Cho and thought it was quite excellent. So how much better was sitting at the chef’s table aka Dai? Well, we decided to find out for my birthday dinner! From the menu, I opted for a course which consisted of mainly sashimi and sushi while D chose a course which included handmade soba noodles.

D: Wait.  Ethereal sushi?  Are you kidding me?

Chawanmushi (ちゃ-わんむし)

S: Hey, if you get to have a mid-entry weird crisis, I get to have a little fun in the beginning. Hmph.  As I was saying, our meal started with chawanmushi. Usually D does not like this dish. However, I remember her liking this version as it was simple and did not contain gingko nuts. The egg custard was seasoned with superb bonito broth and contained shrimp and crab meat with a touch of yuzu zest on top. The soothing egg custard was a thoughtful way to prepare our stomachs for what was to come next. wouldn’t you agree D?

Our Chef! (いたまえ)

D: I do agree, but it may be because there was entertainment to distract us. Our chef, Lee Jin Wook is very thoughtful, skilled and entertaining.  He told us that he goes to Japan often to purchase ingredients, and also to take training courses.  He also was telling us about his upcoming trip to the States as his brother lives there.  See, I remember interpersonal details, but for some reason, my memory of taste is dangerously temporary.  Because- I can’t even remember seeing, much less taking a photograph, of the following … um…

Suzuki Arai (すずきあらい)

S:  Suzuki Arai.

D:  Are you kidding?  How do you remember that? And what the hell does it mean?

S:  I guess I have a good memory when it comes to food… Arai refers to the technique of dipping raw fish in ice cold water to make the fish firmer. Your dish used suzuki(농어), a very expensive sea bass.

Assorted Sashimi (さしみ)

D: Did our sushi chef tell you that, or did you just know? I can’t seem to remember this information.

S: … Sweetie, why don’t you sit this entry out.

D: ?! HMPH! (pause) Wait, does that mean… I have to wear the dunce cap again?

S:  (Ignoring D) I started off with a course of assorted sashimi. It included hirame (fluke) and sashimi from different sections of the bluefin tuna. From the left, toro, chu toro, akami. It decreased in fattiness from left to right. I don’t have much to say other than DELICIOUS!

Tai (たい)

S: After my sashimi course came the sushi. We started off with Tai (snapper), with lightly torched skin. The rice perfectly seasoned and was firm enough for me to hold but fell apart perfectly once it hit my tongue.

Hirame (ひらめ)

S: Then came the hirame (fluke). This is the fish that made me see how good sushi could be. It was firm yet buttery which made it a perfect complement to the vinegary rice. On to the next piece!

Uni and Toro over Rice with Onions and Wasabi (うに とろ どん)

S: This was one of the most memorable dishes of our entire meal. Toro + Uni = how could it be bad? The Hokkaido uni, the toro and the rice just melted away. The little bowl of rice disappeared too fast for our liking. We actually returned to Sushi Cho at the end of July and we made sure to ask for this dish again.

Red Mullet (アカムツ)

S: Grilled fish intermission…

Maguro Akami (まぐろ あかみ)

S:  Most would consider the next few pieces as the highlight of a sushi experience. The akami was quite exceptional. Even though it lacked the fattiness of the other parts, it still just melted away in my mouth.

Toro (とろ)

S: The toro… need I say more? I think the picture tells you more than enough. I am pretty sure I had 5 or so more pieces of sushi but the photos were taken from D’s plate setting. However, I am sure you can imagine what the other pieces looked like as well.

Anago (あなご)

S:  If people asked me to choose between unagi (freshwater eel) and anago (saltwater eel), I would probably choose the latter. I love the spongy, light texture of the anago. It’s not as oily as unagi and it has a much more delicate flavor. Sadly, although it is delicious, the anago usually signals the end of a sushi experience. In our meal, it was followed by gyoko or a piece of sweetened egg. For D, a small basket of handmade soba followed.

Soba Noodles (そば)

S: Of course I stole a lot of her soba since I am a noodle monster. It was very well done. The noodles still carried a strong aroma of the buckwheat which was appreciated with every bite.

Monaka (もなか)

S: Monaka from the Monaka master! A monaka is a delicate, crisp pastry shell filled usually with red bean paste. In this case, it also contained green tea ice cream. The chef actually commented that he doesn’t like the monaka because his sushi sometimes gets overshadowed by the tasty treat. Of course we assured him that it wouldn’t.

Yuzu Sorbet (シトロン ソルベ)

S: For D, a refreshing ending of a citron sorbet.

D: Yep, and indeed it was refreshing (runs away).

S: Hey! I told you to sit this one out. Hey! Come back here.

Chasing ensues.

Filed under: Japanese, Sushi   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: Japanese, Myeongdong, Seoul, Sushi, Sushi Cho, The Westin Chosun Hotel

Hong Yuan

20Jun10

Name: Hong Yuan

Genre: Chinese

Price Range: 12,000 – 200,000 KRW

Rating: 4.75 out of 5

Our Menu: 2 Weekend special lunch course

Total: 140,000 KRW

Reservations: Recommended

Memorable Item(s): Dimsum, Everything, really.

D:  I’m pretty sure you all know this.  In fact, if you know us at all… I don’t even have to mention it.  But I will, because it’s the only introduction I can think of to start with.

Seung and I LOVE the Westin Chosun hotel.  We’d been to every other restaurant except for Hong Yuan, so we decided to try it out.  Plus, they had a great deal that weekend, and I was craving Dimsum.  Sweetie, why is it that I’m always the one who is craving something?

Dimsum

S:  I’m not sure… but I do know why you were craving dimsum here!  It was so great!!! The har gao were steamed to perfection. The skins of the dumplings were not dry or overly saturated with water. The shrimp inside the translucent skin were sweet and juicy. Also, the chives gave off a nice garlicky flavor without overpowering the delicate taste of the shrimp. I think what I liked about the dim sum and the entire meal was the balance and harmony of flavors. The chefs let the ingredients speak for themselves by doing more with less. Most of the dishes contained few main ingredients which were cooked in a simple manner with basic seasonings. Kind of like our next dish which consisted of abalone, sea cucumber, large prawns and Matsutake mushrooms alongside beautifully scored cuttlefish.

전가복 (Stir-fried abalone, squid, sea cucumber with Matsutake mushrooms)

S: The dish was expertly cooked. The prawns in the dish were the best I’ve had since Gary Danko in San Francisco, the fresh squid was nice and tender and the Matsutake mushrooms gave the dish a nice woodsy scent which I thoroughly enjoyed. I think you enjoyed this dish too, right Sweetie?

D:  Actually, I’m not sure if I disliked any of their dishes…  because they all kind of tasted alike.  This one kind of tasted like our next dish… the shrimp with asparagus.

Prawns with crispy asparagus

D:  Aside from the gingko nuts, I mean.

S:  Well the two dishes were very similar. Even the waiter told us that before we ordered it. The first one just contained the other varieties of seafood and Matsutake mushrooms. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this one as well since I love perfectly done prawns! Also, I wouldn’t say that all the dishes tasted the same. Our next one was totally different. It had a little crunch, spice and saltiness to it that the previous two dishes lacked.

Sichuan style crispy chicken

D:  Fine.  You win. It was a nice change of pace from all of the wok tossed mushy exteriors and crunchy centers of the previous dishes… to the crispy exteriors of the chicken pieces and its soft and tender interiors.   But the next dish?  Well, It was… an interesting blend of textures altogether.

Stuffed eggplant with tofu

S: It was indeed a nice blend of textures. The tofu was slightly fried to give a crusty texture to the dish while the eggplant provided the soft smooth texture. Like most of the other dishes, both the flavors and texture of the ingredients were well balanced. The next dish also illustrated balance perfectly.

XO stir-fried lobster

D:  I actually really liked this one.  Lettuce wraps are one of my favorite things to eat.  I enjoy the playful, interactive feel of finger foods.  It’s a nice break from all of the formalities and offensive attacks that you need to make with chopsticks and forks.

S:  Actually Sweetie, you did not like this dish at all. In fact I ate your lettuce wrap since you don’t like lobster. I guess this is why we should write our reviews right after we eat, not over a year after the dining experience. Anyway, as with the shrimp, the lobster was very tender and as D stated previously, it was a nice break from chopsticks as well.

Beef tenderloin and Matsutake mushrooms with black bean sauce

D:  Hey!  I have a really bad memory.  We already know this. But, I do remember that the meat was quite tender in this next dish.  It made for a nice chewing experience, especially with the crunchy aspect that the bokchoy brought, as well as the soft chewy nature of the mushrooms.  You know… I think I really focused on texture during this dining experience because the flavors really were all very similar.

S: Actually Sweetie, you didn’t like this dish either because of the piny taste of the Matsutake mushrooms which I actually love… The meat was very tender though and the black bean sauce actually enhanced the meaty taste of the beef.

D: Oh… heh heh. .. .. I think I’ll sign off right about now. Call me when you get to the dessert, because I definitely remember those.

Sweet and Sour Beef (Tang Soo Yook)

S: Okay… Now on to the Tang soo yook and jjajangmyeon!

Noodles with Black Bean Sauce (Jja Jang Myun)

S: Classic combination in Korean-Chinese food. The sweet and sour beef seemed to be battered with sweet rice flour, giving it a crispy yet mochi like texture which was quite pleasing and also the sauce was not overly sweet. It was an excellent rendition of a classic. The jajangmyeon was quite nicely done as well. The chewy noodles were paired with a luxurious jjajang sauce containing a good amount of seafood and onions. Overall, one of my favorite jjajangmyeons of all time!

Noodles with Black Bean Sauce (Jja Jang Myun)

D:  I can’t give you too much flack here… because I admit that I stole a good portion of your precious jjajangmyun.  It was actually quite good.  But, you know me.  A natural dessert mongrel.  And oh, how convenient.  Here come the sweets!

Tofu Dessert with Lychee

S:  Did you like it?

D: YES!  I like sweet tofu.  I like lychee.  I like sweet tofu and lychee.

S:  Oh.  I see.  You had your mid entry weird crisis and saved your caveman speak for the end?

Mango Custard with Sago

D:  I like Mango custard.  I like Sago.  I like mango custard and sago!

S:  Um.  Sweetie.  What did I say in our meeting?  Focus!

Rating

D:  Whoa.  What happened?

S:  Well, sugar to you is like what a Death eater does to Harry.

D:  Correction!  Quality sugar to me is like….

S:  A 4.75 from us.

Filed under: Chinese   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: Dimsum, Hong Yuan, Jjajangmyeon, Myeongdong, Sated, Seoul, The Westin Chosun Hotel

Donburi

19Jun10

Name: Donburi
Genre: Japanese
Price Range: 6,000 – 10,000 KRW
Rating: 4 out of 5
Our Menu: 1 Order of the Unagi don, 1 Order of Gakiake don
Total: 18,000 KRW
Reservations: None
Memorable Item(s): The Unagi

S: Hello all! Seung here. It has been a while since D and I have written on this blog. I do apologize for the break. We hope to update the site with some more entries from our past dining experiences. Also, you can look forward to reviews of restaurants in Richmond, VA, my hometown and other East Coast cities when D comes here in August. Now to the review!

S: I believe D was craving Unagi so after shopping in Myeongdong, we headed over to Donburi, a small restaurant that started in Hongdae specializing in dons (Japanese style rice bowls). It is a very popular place so we had to wait outside on a hot day. D was not happy about this but her frown turned upside down when she got her don!

(D: my ‘frown turned upside down’? I … I’m not sure how to even edit that.)

Unagi Donburi

S: The unagi was tender and moist. The sauce was not too sweet and the rice was perfectly cooked. She was one satisfied customer.

Seung's

S: On the other hand, my don which was topped with small pieces of tempura shrimp and onion was not as satisfying. I did not taste much shrimp and the onions were not fried too well as they tasted rather grease logged.

S: Overall, I still give the place at least a 4. The wait may be long sometimes but the dishes are quite tasty and filling. Also with new locations in Garosugil, Gangnam station, Shinchon, and Jongro, Japanese home cooking is now even more accessible. Douzo meshiagare!

Filed under: Japanese, Other   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: Donburi, Japanese, Myeongdong, Sated, Seoul