Beautiful Lunch at Jung Sik Dang

I would like to end my South Korea entries with the memory of the beautiful plates of food served at Jung Sik Dang.

From its website: 

Jungsik offers a modern and unique understanding of contemporary Korean cuisine – innovative chef Yim has christened it as New Korean. The name for the restaurant, Jungsik, was a play on words. In the Korean language Jung Sik is a formal dinner and it is also the name of our chef.

From NY Mag:

 The dining room is modern and subdued, with white tablecloths and leather chairs. There is just a handful of tables, so be sure to make a reservation.

Crispy Bread

Amuse Bouche

Yogurt Salad

Yogurt foam, various vegetables, curry chip

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Grilled zucchini, tomato foam, parsley puree, gruyere

Crispy Salad

Lettuce, lavander vinaigrette, salmon roe, mussel, various vegetables

Korean Green Pepper Cream Noodle

Korean green pepper, cream, clam, Korean style noodles

Sea Urchin Bibimbap

Rice, sea urchin eggs. kimchi, onion, fried millet

Dubai Bibimbap

Basmati rice, pork, lamb, cucumber, Korean yogurt sauce

Juksingdang Samgyetang

Chicken breast, chicken soup with ginseng, pear, fried sweet rice, chestnut

Lamb Loin

Green pumpkin, pickled mustard seed, black garlic puree, Korean soy sauce

Five Senses Satisfaction Pork Belly

Confit pork belly, potato puree, pickled onion puree, pickled chili

Raspberry Cremeux w/ Reach Sorbet

Raspberry sauce, cinnamon cookies

Jungsikdang Soo Jung Gwa

Cinnamon pepper jelly, ginger cream, asian pear sorbet, cake crumb

Makgeolli & Cake

Makeolli granite, cake with sugary vanilla syrup, apple with caramel

Tisane

Coffee

Tea

Bravo Jung Sik!!!

Jung Sik Dang is located at 3F, Acros B/D, 649-7 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu. For more information, click here.  It also has a branch in New York

Long Lines at Myeongdong Kyoja

Myeongdong Kyoja is an old Seoul tradition having been in the noodle business for over 40 years.

So popular is Myeongdong Kyoja that hungry customers are willing to give up their personal space just to get a table.

Some might not get what the fuss is all about though as it only has four items in its menu:

Mandu 

Tasty and filling. Reminded me of xiao long bao because of the little drops of soup I had in every bite.

Bibim Guksu

Cold noodles with vegetables and red hot pepper paste. Basically tasted like the red paste Koreans love to pair with just about everything.

Kongguksu

The cold noodles in soy milk broth was too exotic for my taste. Felt like I was eating paste. 

Kalguksu 

The most popular item in the menu is this knife-cut, handmade meat and vegetables noodles which has a deep and flavorful broth. It didn't disappoint and is the perfect way to combat Seoul's cold weather.

Myeongdong Kyoja is located at 29 Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul.

Dinner at Bulgogi Brothers

When my friends and I visited South Korea, Bulgogi Brothers has just opened in Manila so we were eager to give it a try on its home turf.

The Verdict?

Well, let's just say that I have no plans to visit the Manila branch soon.

Bulgogi Bothers has many locations in South Korea.  For more information click here.

Cafes in South Korea

South Korea has a lively cafe culture with cafes in just about every corner to fit any personality.

New York Hotdog & Coffee is ideal for those who are on-the-go. While the hotdogs are not spectacular, it will do for a quick fix during a busy day.

For a leisurely afternoon with friends, go to Per Se where the cakes are good. While there, I observed that  Per Se seemed to draw the more sophisticated and mature crowd. 

With its dreamy whimsical theme, hopeless romantics will surely fall in love Ann House. What I liked about Ann House is that it offers privacy with each party ushered into their very own private room.

Finally, the Hello Kitty Cafe is definitely aimed at the young at heart. It was already closing when we got there, so we only managed to take pictures of the Hello Kitty overload.