"Kofta,: or minced meat balls with tomato sauce served with an egg, at Moroccan restaurant La Vie, Itaewon.
/ Korea Times Photo by Cathy Rose A. Garcia |
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Morocco, especially Casablanca, is one of those exotic places that most people dream of visiting some day. But the reality is that it's far away, and expensive to get there.
People interested in discovering the taste of Moroccan cuisine don't have to hop on a plane to the North African country; they just need to head over to Itaewon.
La Vie, which opened last December, serves authentic Moroccan food, such as "tagine," "couscous" and "bastilla." The restaurant's owner Abdellah Bjaoui raved about his country's unique cuisine, describing the flavorful stews, steamed vegetables and, of course, couscous.
``You can't imagine any Moroccan who does not eat couscous,'' Bjaoui told The Korea Times.
Couscous, a dish with steamed wheat granules, looks easy enough to cook but many restaurants serve it as gritty and sticky.
At La Vie, the couscous is cooked to perfection. The wheat grains were surprisingly light and did not stick to each other, which Bjaoui attributes to a ``secret'' ingredient. Couscous Royal is served with potatoes, carrots, peas, olives, beans, onions, cabbage, turnips and lamb (8,000 won for a small portion, 13,000 won for a large). The couscous went very well with the different kinds of vegetables.
Tagine, a slow-cooked stew, is another famous Moroccan dish. Diners have a choice of lamb, chicken, dried fruits or minced meat tagine. The lamb in the tagine with potatoes, carrots, peas, olives, beans and onions was very soft and tender. The sauce looked a tad oily, but it was very good and flavored with different spices.
The vegetables, especially the carrots and potatoes, have a beautiful color when served with the tagine and couscous. Bjaoui attributed this to the saffron from Morocco.
Another stand-out dish at La Vie is the "kofta, or minced meat balls with tomato sauce served with an egg (9,000 won for small, 12,000 for large). It might look like ordinary meatballs, except it has a distinct, well-spiced flavor. The addictive sweet-spicy tomato sauce is excellent for being sopped up with the freshly made bread. The kofta was an instant favorite.
With its exotic interior and music filling the air, La Vie transports diners to the world of Moroccan food. The dishes are served in colorfully designed traditional Moroccan pots, adding to the restaurant's charm.
La Vie's menu is fairly extensive, and we would love to go back to try the bastilla, or dumplings, and the ``harrira,'' or hearty soup with meat, chickpeas, lentils and macaroni.
Call (070) 8159-4924 or visit http://blog.naver.com/abho2000. To get there, get off at Itaewon Station line 6 exit 4, immediately turn left and go straight. Turn right at the first corner, and walk about 100 meters, and you'll find La Vie on the second floor of the building next to Irish bar Wolfhound.
cathy@koreatimes.co.kr
| The SteakHouse Boasts It Has 'No.1 Steaks' in City |
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Chopped steak with pasta / Korea Times Photo by Han Sang-hee |
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
When new restaurant The SteakHouse recently opened, its advertisements proclaimed ``No. 1 steaks in the city, grilled to perfection."
Our interest was definitely piqued by The SteakHouse's bold ads. So we headed to the restaurant to see if it can actually live up to its claims.
The SteakHouse is located on the fourth floor of The Place building in front of Cheonggye Stream, downtown Seoul. Don't be dissuaded by the crowds on the ground floor of The Place, which is quite popular for its pasta, pizza and waffles at affordable prices. Since it is relatively new, The SteakHouse does not have much of a dinner crowd, at least not yet.
Diners can choose to sit inside the restaurant or the roof garden. Regardless of where you sit, there's a good, unobstructed view of Cheonggye Stream. Inside the restaurant, the dim lighting and candles give a nice romantic ambience, which makes it perfect for dates.
The dinner menu was only limited to steaks, a handful of salads and starters like shrimp cakes and calamari. There's Rib-eye steak, New York Strip, Porterhouse Steak, Steak and Grilled Shrimp and Chopped Steak with Pasta. Except for the Tenderloin Steak, all the beef is from Australia.
While waiting for our order, we were given hot flat bread topped with Parmesan cheese. It was served on a stone plate, which kept the bread nice and toasty.
The Chopped Steak with Pasta (22,000 won) contained slices of steak and mushrooms in a thick, creamy white sauce. There were not a lot of fettuccini noodles in the dish, and they were slightly dry.
The Rib-eye Steak itself was sizeable, but it only came with three pieces of grilled vegetables. The grilled beef was juicy and tender. It was better than most steaks we've had in Seoul, but we're not quite convinced it is the best in the city.
The prices at The SteakHouse did seem a tad expensive, especially since the steak didn't come with any side dishes. The Rib-eye steak was 34,000 won for 280 grams and 42,000 won for 350 grams, while the Tenderloin Steak was 34,000 won for 180 grams. Side dishes such as mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables should be ordered separately.
The restaurant does serve more affordable options during lunch, such as the Steakhouse Original Burger, Spicy Salsa Burger, Steak Panini and Steak Pasta.
To get there, get off Jonggak Station line 1, exit 4. Go straight and turn left before Cheonggye Stream. Go straight and you'll find The Place at the first corner. It is open for lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and dinner 5:30 p.m. to11 p.m. For reservations, call (02) 734-1244.
cathy@koreatimes.co.kr |
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| Japanese Curry Udon at Maru |
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The chicken curry udon at Maru / Korea Times Photo by Han Sang-hee |
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Japanese curry rice is already a quite popular dish at many restaurants in Seoul. But finding curry udon noodles in restaurants is not as easy.
We were glad to find Maru, a restaurant specializing in curry udon and rice, located near Myeongdong Cathedral. We went to the restaurant just a few minutes after noon, but the lunch crowd was in full force. It was not surprising that the restaurant was full, considering that it could fit only around 25-30 people.
The menu, posted on the wall, offers pork cutlet curry, fried shrimp curry, chicken curry, vegetable curry and boiled egg curry. Customers can choose if they want the curry and toppings with rice or udon noodles.
Since it was busy during lunchtime, our order for fried shrimp curry udon and chicken curry udon took more than 10 minutes to arrive.
The fried shrimp curry udon (8,500 won) was served in a bowl, filled with a generous serving of thick, brown curry. Underneath the layer of sauce, you'll find the succulent, fat white noodles. While there was a lot of noodles and curry, there were only three pieces of shrimp. The fried shrimp was crunchy, although the size of the shrimp was somewhat small.
The chicken curry udon had a surprisingly big serving of chicken. The steamed chicken already had an excellent flavor in itself, but coupled with the curry and noodles, it was a satisfying dish.
The curry had a good, hearty flavor but it was not too spicy. This might disappoint some people who like their curry hot with a strong flavor and smell. The curry mixed well with the thick wheat-flour noodles. The dish was well complemented by a side dish of pickled vegetables.
We also tried the raw egg with rice (2,000 won), which provided a break from all the noodles. If you want more shrimp or chicken in your dish, you can order more toppings for an additional 4,000 won or 3,000 won.
Maru's interiors are bright and modern, with blonde wood tables and chairs. Unlike other restaurants, Maru has an open kitchen which shows everything is clean and orderly when it comes to food preparation.
Maru is located on the fourth floor of the building in front of Seoul Royal Hotel (a Leonidas shop is located on the ground floor). Open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Go early to avoid the lunch and dinner crowds. Call (02) 3789-8161.
cathy@koreatimes.co.kr
| Sweet Chicken at Manna Teriyaki |
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This teriyaki chicken and shrimp combination set is served with stir-fried vegetables and rice at Manna Teriyaki. / Korea Times Photo by Han Sang-hee |
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Teriyaki is often associated with Japanese cuisine, but the technique of grilling dishes in a sweet soy sauce has become popular everywhere.
At the Manna Teriyaki restaurant in Haebangchon, Itaewon, the recipe for the sweet teriyaki sauce is not from Japan. It's actually from a popular chicken teriyaki chain based in Seattle, Washington.
The restaurant has a fairly extensive menu of different teriyaki dishes. You can sample teriyaki-style chicken, beef, spicy chicken, chicken salad, pork, chicken katsu, beef short rib, tofu, tuna and shrimp.
Since we wanted to try different dishes, we opted for the combination meal menu. We chose the chicken and shrimp (8,900 won) and chicken and egg roll sets (8,900 won). Each dish comes with rice, salad and pickled radish.
The chicken teriyaki and shrimp dish was served with a sizable serving of sliced chicken strips, a skewer of grilled shrimp, two scoops of rice and vegetables.
The chicken was tasty and flavorful, helped by the sweet teriyaki sauce, which is drizzled liberally on the chicken strips. If you need something spicier, you can pay an additional 500 won to get a spicy sauce.
While the chicken was juicy, the grilled shrimp turned out to be a tad too dry. We were also expecting a fresh salad (as seen in the huge photos on the wall) to accompany the dish, but instead stir-fried vegetables were served. But the vegetables were warm and provided a good contrast to the sweet teriyaki sauce.
As for the other combination, the chicken teriyaki and egg rolls complemented each other well. The egg rolls were crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. But it would have helped if they offered a different sauce for the egg rolls.
The menu also includes yakisoba and various side dishes like egg rolls, gyoza, spring rolls, french fries, chicken nuggets, chicken wings, hash browns and fried shrimps. We tried the gyoza (2,000 won for five pieces), which turned out to be too greasy for our taste.
Manna Teriyaki has nice, clean and bright interiors, decorated with a handful of framed images of Seattle. Overall, the restaurant offers good value for money since the teriyaki dishes are fairly sizable for the price. Service is fast and efficient.
The restaurant is open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Call (02) 749-9297. To get there, leave exit 1 or 2, Noksapyeong Station, subway line 6. Cross the road using the overhead footbridge. Turn left and walk straight for about 100 meters, and you'll find Manna Teriyaki on your right.
cathy@koreatimes.co.kr |
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| Chili King Reigns in Itaewon |
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The Jalapeno Ranch burger at Chili King |
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Anyone with a craving for authentic honest-to-goodness chili knows how hard it is to find it in town. So when we heard about a new restaurant in Itaewon called Chili King, we just had to go and try it.
Finding Chili King can be a bit tricky, even with a map and detailed instructions, but it was a good thing that you can call up chef and owner Kevin Cyr if you're lost like we were.
The place itself is small and can seat only about a dozen people, but it has a cozy atmosphere. Cyr cheerfully greeted the diners, and helped us out with choosing what to order.
The menu features a selection of burgers (cheeseburgers, chili burgers, bacon cheddar burgers, chili hot dogs), sandwiches, chili cheese fries (7,900 won) and a bowl of chili (5,900 won). But we found ourselves intrigued by the ``Big Kev" burger.
As Cyr kindly explained, the Big Kev burger is humongous, with two juicy beef patties, provolone and cheddar cheese, bacon, onions, tomatoes, pickles and lettuce.
With that warning, we opted to skip the big burger and instead tried the popular Jalapeno Ranch burger (8,900). It turned out to be a good choice. The burger is a beef patty, topped with gooey cheese, grilled jalapenos, and a savory ranch dressing. We should make mention of the lovely burger buns, which were really good and freshly baked.
We also tried the Donair (7,900 won), described as an East Coast Canada classic made with 100 percent beef and a mix of secret herbs and spices. The sauce is sweet and garlicky, and the beef is served on a pita.
Of course, special mention should be made of the chili cheese fries. The criss-cut fries are served with a generous serving of chili and melted cheese on top. The chili is meaty and flavorful. It's Cyr's own personal recipe, so the taste is unique but will satisfy anyone's craving for chili.
All sandwiches and burgers are served with fries and homemade coleslaw. For an extra 2,000 won, the fries can be upgraded to chili cheese fries. And if the chili is not enough on your cheese dog and burger, you can always add 1,000 won for more chili.
Chili King is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., but closed on Tuesday.
To get there, get off Itaewon Station Line 6 Exit 1. Turn right at the fourth alley. Go straight around 200 meters up the hill, and you'll find Chili King on your left. If you get lost (like this reporter), you can always call the shop (02) 795-1303.
cathy@koreatimes.co.kr |
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| Tasty Rice Bowl Dishes at Donburi |
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Ebi katsudon |
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
The Hongik University area, better known as Hongdae, is full of pleasant surprises, many of them culinary. Among the numerous tasty and attractive restaurants scattered along the streets of the area is a small Japanese place where many line up without hesitation: ``Donburi.''
Donburi is a Japanese rice bowl dish in which fish, meat, vegetables and other ingredients are simmered together and served over steamy rice. The toppings and sauce are what makes the dish special ― people can choose their favorite ingredients.
The restaurant is far from spacious, with only three tables and small chairs lined up where you can eat and watch your food being cooked.
Fit for about 20 guests, and with the owner and cooks shouting out ``hello'' and ``thank you'' from time to time, you will easily feel right at home.
The menu consists of various donburi dishes, including katsudon (deep fried pork cutlets, onion and egg on rice, 6,000 won), tendon (tempura shrimp and vegetables on rice, 8,000 won), unadon (grilled eel on rice, 8,000 won) and sakedon (salmon sashimi on rice, 8,000 won).
We ordered the ebi katsudon (deep fried prawns, onion and egg on rice), the salmon belly donburi (10,000 won) and the roasted salmon head (9,000 won). The ebi katsudon comes in two sizes and prices (7,000 and 6,000 won), depending on the size of the prawns. We ordered the bigger one.
The first dish was a treat, with three large deep-fried prawns covering the steamy rice and caramelized onions. The sweet soy sauce was delicious, harmonizing the rice and onions and also the egg that was placed over the dish. The prawns were steamy and juicy, not the small, thin and dry kind offered at ordinary donburi restaurants.
The salmon belly dish was apparently a popular one and it was easy to see why as soon as we took a bite. The salmon was tender and so soft that it felt like it was melting. With a generous portion of pink salmon sashimi placed on top of the steaming rice, the dish was scrumptious and satisfying in almost every way.
The roasted salmon head was a surprise. Considering the price of salmon in markets these days, devouring a full sized salmon's head would seem to cost a lot, but at Donburi it was offered in the same delicious, yet affordable manner. Quite hard to believe that the dish only cost 9,000 won, the roasted salmon was both satisfying in quantity and quality. As the ancient Chinese saying goes, the tastiest part of the fish is the head, and the roasted salmon indeed met our expectations.
The salmon was sweet and tender, and with the bowl of white rice it only took minutes to finish.
This particular dish is neither on the menu nor is it offered every day ― it is only served when it is available ― so it would be a good idea to call and ask if they have the dish ready for those who want to try it out.
Aside from the famous donburi dishes, the restaurant also offers other noodle and side dishes as well, including croquette and udon.
To get to Donburi, leave from exit 5 at the Hongik University station on subway line 2. Walk toward KT Sangsang Madang and turn right when you find the Su Noraebang ahead on your left. Then turn left on the first corner, where you will find Bongchu Jjimdak. Donburi is right next to the Bongchu restaurant.
Opening hours are 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The last orders should be made at 9:40 p.m. It is closed on Mondays. For more information, visit www.katsudon.co.kr.
sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr |
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