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?

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!

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.

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.

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!

S: With its little shops, cafes, restaurants and galleries, Samcheongdong is one of our favorite spots in Seoul. It’s just a great place to walk, sight-see and grab some snacks. Cheonjinpocha is a very small mandu shop located on the main thoroughfare in…

D: Sweetie, you wrote this a week ago- and you still haven’t finished it? You’ll have to excuse my fiance. He’s in the middle of a lot of things- not just sentences. He took the Jeopardy test yesterday, is taking the Foreign Service Officer test this morning, and has been scheduled an interview for next week. So you see, I feel that I’ll be asking questions and interpreting his responses for this entry. But thumbs up for all of his activities- yes?! Okay, but thumbs down for the steamed dumplings we had at this one place.

Steamed Dumplings

D: Actually, it’s known for its steamed dumplings- but I wasn’t the biggest fan of these. The flavor was strong. It was too mushy. There was nothing crunchy. There was not enough bread. I don’t know, a combination of things. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when the Chow Mein came along.

Chow Mein

S: Excuse you. I was planning on finishing that sentence soon.

D: Yeah. Another two weeks from now?

S: Don’t be mean. I was busy. Hmph. Time out for you. But for the rest of our audience (ahem), I was saying, before I was so abruptly cut off: it’s located on the main thoroughfare in Samcheongdong. Anyway, back to the food.

D: Okay, you can use ‘abruptly’ if you had been actively involved in something before the situation at hand was suddenly discontinued. Emphasis on ‘sudden’. But seeing as to how your stream of thought wasn’t going anywhere…

S: I said time out for you. The audience would like to know that the fried dumplings were much better than the steamed dumplings. The edges were crisp, and though the filling was the same as the steamed ones, the outside texture definitely aided the yum factor.

Fried Dumplings

S: And that we were pleased with the overall meal. Snobby Ms.-I-finished-my-TEFL-course-so-I’m-better-than-you. Do you have anything else to add?

D: Since I’m no longer bearing the dunce cap… I’ll add that we rated the place a 3.75 for a cheap and authentic meal that was worth making the trip over.

D:  We have a friend who is now attending school in Sweden.   I went to high school in Los Angeles with him, but didn’t actually meet him until nearly a decade later. Bonus- we didn’t actually hang out until a year after that in South Korea!  He’s a coffee expert and an amazing photographer.  Seung and I thought it would be fun to meet him and his girlfriend for brunch one day before he left Seoul.  We chose the Paris Grill at the Grand Hyatt.

And as soon as we were seated, a turtle shaped like bread was placed at our table. Or, maybe it was like Saint Exupery’s snake. Our server then came around to pour us some champagne.  And butter.

Baguette and Bubbly

S:  Can you tell we like butter?

D:  Ironic that I don’t keep any in my fridge.  Then again, it’s because I have like 4 different kinds of cheeses in there  and have decided to keep other saturated fats out of it for the time being.  Brie is not one of those cheeses, since I like to eat it only on the more special or social occasions.  You know, like at a buffet.  With a salad and bread.

Salad to Start

S:  Where they have unlimited amounts of bacon and omelet stations…

Omelet and Necessities

D:  With various appetizing salads and small dishes.

Raw Plate

D:  And desserts.

Self Arranged Dessert Platter

S:  You and your desserts.  My sweetie.

D:    Yeah.  But just because I like sweets doesn’t mean I’m sweet.  Well, maybe to mosquitoes.

S:  Wait, are you calling me a mosquito?

D:  No.  But I would like to point out something about our friend, Aaron.  Wait, not that he’s a mosquito either. OK. That was a bad transition. But anyway, I’ve already mentioned that he’s a coffee expert.  What I didn’t tell you was that he’s …. special.

S:  Yes.  He brought his manual coffee maker that brews two cups at a time.  It was quite good.

Tableside Coffee Brewing

D: You say that so nonchalantly. I mean, my head nearly exploded with joy as the unconventional surprise unraveled before us. Who else can attest to such an experience?

S: Oh my god. Do you plan on turning weird at the end of every entry?

D: I’m going to take that as a compliment.

S: Okay. … Okay! To tie up the review, with the exception of the grilled lamb chops which were one of the best I’ve had, the foods served at the brunch buffet weren’t all that memorable. However, out of all the hotel brunch buffets we’ve visited, which include the W Seoul and the Park Hyatt Seoul, we would give this one the highest marks. A 3.75 for the price, execution of the dishes and the beautiful setting by Namsan. Bon Appetit everyone!

D: Actually Sweetie, I really like Aria at the Westin Chosun hotel. Though it doesn’t have a nice view, natural lighting or roomier feeling, there is much more variety with the food selection. And may I not fail to mention that their dessert selection is superb.

S: Sometimes there is nothing more satisfying than a well made burger. It has everything… Juicy meat, crisp lettuce, fresh tomato and a nice soft bun to hold it all together. It’s such a complete meal and at Burger B, you get such a burger.

Mushroom Burger

S: The burgers are quite sizable here and they come with an array of toppings including Tilamook Cheddar. Darree decided to get her burger with Jarlsburg Swiss.

Chili Fries

S: The chili fries are okay but I would stick with the shoestring fries. They are crispy and delicious with ketchup or mustard.

Shoestring Fries

S: But let’s not get sidetracked here… The burger is the real highlight. The beef is char-grilled perfectly. It is very well seasoned and so juicy… seriously, watch out when you eat, the juice will start dripping. All the toppings taste fresh as is the soft bun which holds everything together very well.

Mushroom Burger Split

S: But why a 4.75? I guess I want fresh cut fries and I have yet to find a place in Seoul that does chili right. However, I still think this is the best burger place in Seoul. It beats out W burger, Smokey Saloon, and Kraze by a mile. It uses quality ingredients and prepares them perfectly. I also love the service here. The workers are very courteous and friendly. Overall, this is and will be my go to spot for a burger is Seoul.

D:  My idea of a perfect Sunday includes sleeping in with SJ, having a healthy brunch, going shopping with a bunch of really-bad-for-you-snacks every other hour, then ending the day with a light dinner and several pieces of really good dark chocolate.  Now, I wouldn’t say that Vecchia Et Nuovo only has healthy options.  It’s menu is pretty varied as it provides great desserts (which doesn’t include the pound cakes or roll cakes), a huge selection of sandwiches and salads, some brunchy items, pastas, and… did I mention really great desserts?  All I know is that they do carbs well, so we’ll start with their bread basket.

Bread Basket

S: Sadly, on the day we went, they did not have the black olive bread we liked. Still their bread basket was great served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. After going through 2 bread baskets our Nicoise salad came out.

Nicoise Salad

D: I really liked Vecchia’s take on the Nicoise. There was a generous helping of seared Ahi slices atop a bed of coarse cut spring greens. Perfectly roasted slices of fingerling potatoes and hard boiled eggs were served on the side along with a green olive tapenade type of dressing. It was one of those salads where you have to fork, knife and share it. Perfect for a Sunday brunch date.

S: It was a really good salad. The ahi was melt in your mouth tender and seasoned perfectly. The potatoes and the eggs provided a nice contrast of flavor to the pepperiness of the Tuna. YUM YUM YUM. On to the next dish which was my platter of scrambled eggs, hash browns and sausages!

I asked for sausages since Darree said I could have some of her bacon and what a good choice I made. The portion was very generous and white German style sausages served with the eggs were delicious… very mild in flavor and lean. The hash browns were properly done as well with a nice crisp crust and the eggs were nice and fluffy.

Seung's Scramble

D: I guess you like your eggs scrambled and mine poached. Actually, I much prefer them medium/ hard boiled, but asking for poached eggs at a restaurant just sounds classier. Doesn’t it? And Bacon. Oh how I have the most interesting relationship with you.

I don’t eat pork…. which sometimes genuinely translates into ‘I can’t eat pork’. It turns on the acid faucet and makes me desperately regret eating it. But there’s something about crisp bacon. Maybe, once every three or four months. On a perfectly weathered Sunday morning. And in small portions. That I can handle without hating myself.

Poached Eggs

S: Like I always say.. everything in moderation. Bacon isn’t that bad for you and plus I’ll always be here if you need me to eat your bacon. Now, to the highlight of our meal, Dessert.

First up at the plate, NY style cheesecake and it hits one out of the park (The World Series is going on as I write; so I thought I would throw in a baseball reference). I love this cheesecake. Its probably my favorite cheesecake of all time. It’s so creamy and rich; yet, it has a nice tang which allows me to eat all of it and leaves me wanting more.

Cheesecake

D: Yes, it is as genuine as it can be. And heck, it might even be better than any other cheesecake I’ve had. The texture, the balance between tart, sweet and cheesy. The melt-in-your-mouth quality. The smell and portion. It’s just so perfect. Like their Lemon Tart.

Oh geez. I guess we’re talking about all of my dysfunctional relationships today. This lemon tart is like the quintessential high school romance. I long to have it. But I know it’s bad for me because it generates back fat. We fight every time we see each other. It begs me to love it. I beg for it to give me up. But I go back for it. We embrace, and it feels like heaven for a little while. But then it’s gone. And I’m so mad that I let it win, as it lingers in my body, refusing to leave my thighs! Okay, so not really like a high school romance… but a tragic love story nevertheless.

Lemon Tarte

S:  Oh my god. What the hell, sweetie. I don’t even know what to say. I feel like I need to apologize to our viewers. In fact, I think we need to talk about this.  I speak for the both of us when I say that this visit to Vecchia received a 4.5 from us.  Now, if you’ll excuse us- we have a Sated meeting to attend.

S: Sushi made with pasta instead of rice? Using flavored foam as sauce? This sounded pretty crazy to me. But its the kind of technique used by Chef Choi Hyun Suk aka Crazy Chef Choi. After seeing and hearing about his cuisine, I was really curious to taste what it was like. So Darree and I made a trip out to Garosu-gil to dine at his establishment, Elbon the Table.

D:  Our meal started out with a bread basket which was served with two kinds of olive oil, one from Italy and the other from Greece. I want to say something about the bread.  I really do.  But, considering the fact that I don’t even remember if the bread was good or not, I’m assuming it was average.  I probably inhaled it regardless.  Didn’t I, sweetie.  ?

Bread

S:  Hehe, you did inhale it. We were pretty darn hungry that day. However, we did not ask for seconds as the bread was not what I expected from a fine dining establishment. It actually reminded me of rolls that came out of a package sold in grocery stores. There was nothing outstanding about the bread basket. In fact, I ate the bread to taste more of the olive oil, which was outstanding. On to appetizers… Do you remember the next dish?

D:  I do remember the next dish.  I remember the Parmesan hat.  I also remember the uncut romaine leaves.  And the ever so saturated dressing that was served on the side.  Twas average, I believe. I liked the Parmesan hat for visuals, though.

Caesar Salad

S:  I liked the parmesan hat as well… But I think I preferred my dish more. It was seared wagyu tataki served with soy sauce espuma on top. The soy espuma was light enough for the taste of the wagyu to come through; however, it also added a nice dimension of flavor and creaminess which compensated for the leanness of the meat.

Beef Tataki

D:  I, on the other hand, don’t remember enjoying this dish.  It just smelled like dead cow to me.  And I’m really glad that you finished it quick.  Because if you hadn’t, your next dish would have taken forever to come out.

S: Ah, yes the Gorgonzola Cappellini…

Gorgonzola Capellini

D: I’d like to state for the record that I don’t like Gorgonzola. At least, in its many and ubiquitous forms. But in this pasta, the moldy aftertaste that it usually leaves was delicate… perhaps even absent. Well. That might be pushing it. I also want to say that it was served chilled. Am I right?

S:  It sure was chilled. The sauce was quite mild too. Yet, it held the creaminess and I could still taste the pungent flavor which the gorgonzola is known for. Overall, this pasta raised my expectations for the next pasta, the pesto capellini served with caviar.

Pesto Capellini with Caviar

D:  This pasta dish was also very appetizing.  It was super light, but the pasta was cooked just right.  The somewhat mild taste of the pesto was most certainly complimented by the saltiness of the caviar. And there was just enough of the pasta for me to steal without feeling guilty that I was eating your dish. 

S: Haha, yeah. This was pretty darn good. I could’ve been happy with just eating 3 bowls of it as my meal. Actually, I don’t know about that. I think I would’ve been sad if I didn’t get to taste the steak. It was cooked perfectly to medium and served with 5 different kinds of salts. I didn’t really need the salts actually as the meat itself was so flavorful and juicy.

Tenderloin

D: I actually don’t remember that tenderloin. But, I do remember that you were very satisfied. Going so far as to say that it was comparable to the Ninth Gate Grille.

Unfortunately, my fish managed to shake the opposite reaction out of me.

Fish

D: It was overcooked and dry. It was soggy where I wanted it to be crispy. The sides were unappetizingly poured over the top of the dish.  Though the gooseberries (or whatever those red things were) added a tad bit of crisp to balance out the fishy, there was an element of extreme pungent I tend to usually avoid.  There were too many elements in this dish that felt unresolved.  The fish warrants a 2.75 from me, but that was just my opinion.  Honestly, if the fish was a little less cooked, I would have given it a 3.5… ish. What do you think, Sweetie?

S: That fish was awful… The seabass itself did not taste fresh and the sauce seemed like an effort to cover that up. A huge disappointment after such superb execution on the steak.

Truffle Creme Brulee

D: See, it’s a good thing that desserts follow a meal. If they preceded meals, I think I’d rate restaurants a whole grade down. That said, I really liked this creme brulee. The portion too. It was the perfect amount of sugar and innovation. Kind of like your equally innovative dessert.

Foie Gras Ice Cream and Injeolmi Marshmallow

S: Yeah, the foie gras ice cream was quite a concoction. It was just like eating sweet foie gras. Very rich yet pleasantly sweet. I thought the injeolmi marshmallow was more for looks. It tasted like injeolmi but it wasn’t really anything special.

In the end, I have to give Chef Choi a hand for his perfect steak and experimenting with presentation. Most of his dishes were presented in ways that I had never seen before, which made the dining experience more enjoyable. Also the service at the restaurant was quite commendable as well. Our server was very attentive as she cleaned the crumbs off the table every time a new course came out. Also, when I received my rosemary sorbet as a palate cleanser in the middle of my meal, she made sure to bring one for Darree as well. It was something very little; however, it made us feel appreciated. Overall, I will give the restaurant a 4.25. the minus .75 is for the awful fish. Your rating Mademoiselle?

Rating

D: I can’t remember if I gave the place a 4 or a 4.25. I am going to choose the 4. It was the fish that kept me from rating it higher, and the creme brulee that prevented me from rating it lower. Also, the service was pretty nice as Seung previously stated.