brunch

Bon et Beau Attracts Brunch-Lovers

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter French bistro Bon et Beau has been attracting attention among Koreans restaurant goers as evidenced by the amount of blog activity on the venue since it opened this year. Rave reviews, photographs of this chic Itaewon restaurant and its delightful dishes have been popping up on Korean blogs. When you enter the restaurant, you're immediately struck by the sophisticated yet edgy interior. There are metal decorations on the wall, white curtains, sleek reflective black walls on one side, and wide windows on the other. For a French bistro, we were expecting more than just pasta and brunch staples like eggs benedict, pancakes and French toast on the lunch menu. We decided to try out the Gravlax salmon blini, lemon cream chicken pasta and tomato with mussels pasta. Warm, herb-flavored bread buns were served before the main course arrived. The Gravlax salmon blini (20,000 won) is served with a small fresh salad, a sausage, fried egg and a glass of mixed vegetable juice. Pieces of the salmon, which have been marinated in dill, are placed on top of a mashed potato cake and blini (buckwheat Russian pancakes). The salmon blini is quite tasty, but the serving was smaller than we expected. The lemon cream chicken pasta (16,000 won) was a pleasant surprise, with a smattering of olives, capers and chunky pieces of twice-grilled chicken breast. Unlike other cream-based pasta dishes where the sauce is too thick, the lemon cream sauce has the right consistency and tanginess. On the other hand, the tomato pasta with mussel (16,000 won) had an almost overwhelming spicy, peppery flavor. The fresh mussels helped with the spiciness of the tomato sauce. While there is an extensive wine list, there is no dessert menu. They only offered dessert of the day, which was apple pie a la mode. While it was delicious, the apple pie seemed more like apple bread, since there was no crust. The warm bread is topped with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream. During lunch, Bon et Beau attracts mostly young women and middle-aged ladies. In the evenings, Bon et Beau attracts office workers and couples who come to unwind with wine and good food. Dinner sets are available. To get there, get off at Itaewon Station Subway Line 6, Exit 3. Walk several hundred meters until you reach Cheil Worldwide building. Turn right, and you'll find a fork in the road. Go to the left and walk a few meters, you'll find Bon et Beau on the right. Restaurant hours are 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Tuesday to Saturday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Closed on Mondays. Weekend brunch is at 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call (02) 3785-3330. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr