I had never even heard the name OKitchen mentioned until I went to the medicinal competition in Sancheong. The chefs representing the restaurant won one of the top prizes. After that I noticed that everyone was talking about it and telling me how great the food was, so I thought it was about time I tried it. After a little research online, I found that it was fine dining. Little did I know that I had walked past the restaurant dozens of time. We had even looked at the menu before, thought it looked good, but not ventured inside. It just goes to show that appearances can by deceptive and you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The little wooden plank clad restaurant looks more like a ski chalet in the mountains than a fine dining establishment. But once inside, the restaurant is warm, cosy, and perfect for a nice intimate dinner.

Soon after sitting we were brought  the bread basket. Four different varieties, focaccia, butter scone bread, a black sesame crisp and a walnut bread. The bread came with oil and vinegar and was refilled once we finished it. The walnut could have done with a little more salt but all in all it was a nice selection.

Niall ordered the tasting plate, which consisted of six different courses for 80,000. I’ll run through that and then discuss the a la carte dishes I ordered. The first  dish of the tasting platter was the seafood plate. A large variety of fish and seafood were on the dish, far too many to recount. A nice start to the meal if you like raw fish. I sadly did not so couldn’t comment but Niall enjoyed it and felt it was nicely balanced and the accompaniments worked well.

Next up was the polenta cake with mushrooms and a poached fertile egg. I was looking forward to my taste of this one, eggs and mushrooms are always a winning combination for me. The egg looked as though it was sous-vide rather than poached, which was not to my preference as the egg white is not as solid as if it had been poached. The egg yolk was lovely and runny though.

The starters kept on coming and next was a roasted fig with gorgonzola and poached pear. Not usually a gorgonzola fan, the cheese complimented the fig well. It was small though and quickly devoured.

Next came the pasta course. The pasta of the day was spaghetti with mackerel. The mackerel was not too strong in flavour and I was actually able to eat a little of this one. 

After the pasta course was the main of  han-woo steak. This steak was half the size of the regular option but after all those courses it would have been far too much. He ordered his steak blue which I thought was a little rare for the cut of the meat, but he enjoyed it all the same. It came with little pearls of mustard seeds, greens and roasted potatoes.

Finally on to the dessert course of warm chocolate cake with espresso ice-cream. The cake was warm with a little sauce still melting in the middle. The ice-cream was nice and creamy and the raspberry jus smeared on the plate nice and tart. A lovely nice dessert and the perfect end to the meal. Thankfully it was small or we might not have finished it!

Rather than the tasting menu I went a la carte and had the potato gnocchi with pumpkin sauce and truffle oil (23,000) This was as yummy as it sounds. The gnocchi was soft and lightly fried so the edge was crisp. The pumpkin sauce was sweet and complimentary and the delicious smell of truffles wafted through the dish.  Topped with grated parmesan and mushrooms, I will be coming back for this dish again.

On to my main of Australian lamb done two ways (45,000). Composed of a rack of lamb, perfectly cooked to medium rare.  The pan seared edge tasted of lemon and herbs and was extremely good. The second piece was slow cooked in delicious gravy like sauce, the waitress didn’t explain this dish at all but I would guess it was shoulder, served on a bed of mashed something. I have no idea what it was could have been celeriac, cauliflour, or polenta. I just don’t know. It was tasty though. The slow cooked lamb was divine it was so soft and tender it just fell apart in my mouth and melted into my tongue. It’s hard to beat a nice rack but this did it in spades. Possibly the best lamb I’ve ever eaten in Korea. I’ll be coming back for this one, too. I couldn’t be happier about my choice of dishes.

The only part about the dining experience that I think needs improving is the service. We waited longer than we should have to be given menus, and every time a dish was brought over they just left without explaining the dish. When prompted they were able to explain but it is my personal belief that during a fine dining experience it is paramount that servers explain the elements that compose the meal. The menu gives very little detail other than the two or three main ingredients. The chefs go to a lot of trouble to put together each plate and for the customer not to know what’s on seems a little redundant. The owner was kind and warm but I think he could do with training his waitresses a little better. I was also a little miffed to see no cocktails on the menu, but those who enjoy wine and beer will be happy enough.

Over all we had a great meal for a reasonable price at Okitchen and I will definitely be returning. The service could be improved but it wouldn’t stop me from visiting again or recommending it as a good place for a special dinner. I would recommend that at least one person in your party get the tasting plate if you like to try a little of everything. But also try a few other dishes on the menu too.

Okitchen is located at Itaewon-dong 168-14, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Itaewon station and come out exit 1. Walk straight for maybe 100m and you should see Okitchen in one of the little alleyways. If you get as far as ABC mart you’ve gone too far. You can call them on 02-797-6420 or check out their facebook page.

I had been a fan of Between for quite some time now. When anyone asked me for a nice restaurant to go to, for something special I always said Between. I’m not sure whether it’s the elegant decor, the lovely food or the extensive cocktail list. Either way Between was one of my favourite restaurants in Seoul and I was really looking forward to reviewing it.

I have decided to make this review a two parter as I went for Brunch last Saturday and for dinner last Thursday (I told you it’s my favourite).

Last Saturday, in the mood for something a bit more upmarket, I ventured to Between with my best gal pal for a lovely lunch and some champagne cocktails. Their brunch menu has a good amount of lunch and breakfast items ranging from Eggs Benedict, omelets,  pancakes, salads, sandwiches, and pastas. There is certainly something there for everyone.

I ordered the omelet with sun-dried tomatoes, potatoes, and grilled vegetables (14,000). The omelet was not quite what I was expecting presentation wise, it was served like a slice a of beautiful savoury cake, with all of the flavourings inside rather than on the side. It was served with a nice side salad. Although more like a tortilla than an omelet, it was very tasty and the perfect amount for a brunch prior to an afternoon of day drinking. Carbs put me off my drinking game, so this was perfect for me.

I also ordered a Bloody Mary. As you have probably heard countless times before from me, brunch is not complete without a Bloody Mary. However at 15,000 this one was rather steep.  Although it was beautifully presented and was certainly fine, it lacked the amazing flavour I would expect it to have for that price. I can make a better one at home than this one.

I was getting rather stuck into the cocktails, a Kir Royal and a berry mojito swiftly followed. But sadly for my bank balance the cocktails at Between have really been pushed up in price. They used to all be about 10,000, or 12,000 for the special ones. Now they are all at least 14,000, ranging to 17,500, which can hit you hard when you drink as many as I do.

My dining companion opted for Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon for his lunch (17,000). Two poached eggs on chorizo mashed potato cakes, served with a side salad and hollandaise sauce. Although it was good, he said the hollandaise was just too buttery. It seems to be impossible to find a tangy hollandaise in Seoul. His egg white was also a little under done, a real faux pas in my brunching book but he was fine with it (I would have sent them back). However he was pleased that they were on top of the potato rather than bread, as he currently has a “wheat intolerance” (last month it was dairy).

We went for the dinner on a Thursday night and everything started off well. We had made a reservation as it was a special occasion and were rewarded with a free cookie for our trouble. We made our choices on the menu and waited for our food to arrive.

First up was the complimentary bread basket. It had a variety of different breads, although no-one told us what they were. They were nice enough, I do enjoy free bread.

We had decided to share a pasta dish as our starter, Fusilli Al Ragu Di Agnello 21,000. A fusilli pasta with lamb ragout, scented with orange and coriander. There were several I wanted to try but we decided upon the lamb ragu . It looked great as it arrived. I was eager to try it but the lamb seemed to be lacking in flavour  I could only taste the merest hint of orange and coriander and a slight flavour from the lamb. I felt I could have made a better dish than this at home, using the lamb mince I have in my freezer. We were slightly disappointed but still looked forward to the main course ahead. The portion was also rather on the small side, fine for us as a starter to share but it’s a main dish and for 21,000 I would expect more.

No sooner was our empty plate taken away, our main dishes had arrived. We had both put our used cutlery in the empty dish but they fished it back out and gave it to us for our main dish. Niall’s was quite dirty so I really think they should have changed it. Not a huge deal, but a noticeable mistake none the less. Especially in a place that is presenting itself as fine dining.

I had ordered the Il Maiale 32,000. Slow cooked pork belly and back rib with polenta, ginger confiture and red wine sauce.  It looked spectacular on the plate however the taste failed to match the appearance.  I cut into the large piece of pork with some difficulty. A well cooked piece of belly pork should slice like butter, especially through the fat at least. I was also greeted with several bones at the bottom of the meat, which I would personally expect to have been removed. The belly pork was okay and did have some flavour but it wasn’t anything to write home about. It was just lacking . I ate belly pork for a Thanksgiving dinner and it blew this stuff out of the water even though it was just a piece of frozen meat cooked by a friend. I soldiered on and the ribs were fine. The polenta was as bland as could be, absolutely no taste whatsoever, the red cabbage too. The red wine jus was a small drizzle on the plate and I had to ask for more to disguise the tasteless accompaniments. I really wanted to send this dish back to the kitchen and ask for something else but wasn’t sure if tasteless would qualify as a good enough reason. I had really been looking forward to this dinner and I just felt let down.

Niall ordered the Agnello 41,000. A slow cooked lamb shoulder chop served with feta cheese, anchovy butter and mint sauce 41,000. He fared better than I did. He had what I thought was a generous helping of lamb chops and his potato accompaniment had more flavour than my polenta. However it did not match the steak and lamb we had enjoyed at Between 9 months ago.

Overall I left Between feeling disappointed.  We had had some amazing food there in the past and they clearly can’t seem to replicate the quality any longer. The flair of design in the food is still there but the taste has gone. It’s all style and no substance. The prices have gone up whilst the quality has gone down. Maybe it was a bad day or too many changes in the kitchen but I would urge Between to get back to their former glory. I would still probably go to Between again for drinks or lunch as it is a nice spot. But it will no longer be my go to restaurant for special occasions. There are too many restaurants in this city to pay 128,000 for dinner and feel let down.

Between is located in Itaewon at 124-7 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 140-200 . Take a train to Itaewon Station (Line 6) and come out of exit 2 and walk straight  away from the Hamilton Hotel for about 150 meters its just on your left. If you would like to make a reservation you can call them on 02-795-6164 or visit their webpage for more details.  

Last week we visited Berlin for Matt’s birthday. We were desperate for a boozy lunch and settled upon Berlin as the location. We managed to snag a great table by the open windows. Sitting on the top of the hill in the glorious sun, I felt like the queen of Itaewon. Sadly the view is not so spectacular but it’s still a nice spot all the same.

The menu is a mix of Thai and Italian with a good variety of pastas, noodles, salads, meat dishes and various appetizers. We visited on a Wednesday but on weekends they have a special brunch menu serving sandwiches and more traditional brunch fare. They also have a rather extensive cocktail list. Including the mango mint martini and a cucumber mojito, both of which I recommend. They also serve Hendricks gin which is the only gin worth drinking according to my good friend and professional lush Matt.

The birthday boy ordered the Italian platter priced at 26,000. It consisted of a capressa salad, stuffed tortellini and pesto chicken. You could certainly share this between two of you but you might want an extra side or two if you are very hungry. I could easily devour this myself. I love a capressa salad and this one looked great with real mozzarella and a delicious balsamic dressing. The sauce for the ravioli was also divine. I didn’t try the chicken but my companions said it was great. They devoured this whole plate in minutes and there was nothing left. I usually take that to be a good sign.

One of my dining companions ordered the rigatoni with avocado in cream sauce and chicken 14,000. He was gracious enough to let me try it and I was very happy he did. The pasta was cooked perfectly. I know it’s not particularly hard to cook pasta, but in a restaurant situation there always room for error if you’re focusing on other tasks. However this was just right, al dente. The cream sauce was tasty and the chicken a nice addition. I would probably order this on my next visit.

I ordered the Sirloin and avocado salad, 14,000. I was really looking forward to it, and I was very impressed with how it was presented when it arrived. However the taste didn’t quite match up the look. The salad leaves were over dressed and rather oily, and that is not usually a huge problem for me. The steak was cooked wonderfully, still a little rare in the middle but sadly it was tasteless. It lacked any flavor and needed to be seasoned or seared with something to give it a bit of oomph. The dish was ok but nothing special and I don’t think I would order it again. On a positive note I did enjoy the potato wedges.

Niall ordered the grilled salmon 18,000. Which he enjoyed immensely. If they did a chicken version of this I would be very keen to try it.  He said that the salmon was perfectly cooked and just fell apart in your mouth. It was topped with grilled cheese and served on a bed of potatoes and pak choi. The sauce was lovely and creamy. It was a great balance to the flavor of the salmon.

Our last choice was the cheese platter, 20,000. However we were a little bit disappointed that they weren’t more generous with the cheese. Although there were five types –  smoked, brie, emmental and two soft cheeses. The soft cheeses were basically just flavored cheese triangles. Not really acceptable in Europe but possibly ok for Korea. The plate came with a generous serving of crackers and olives marinated in rosemary oil, which sadly were far too salty to eat.

Overall we were all happy with our meal and vowed to return, although that could have been the gin talking. It has a great ambience and would be good spot for date. Although I think next time I will stick to the  Italian options and order more drinks.

Berlin is located just below Buddha’s Belly on the hill at the end of Itaewon overlooking the gate at 457-1 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea 140-858. From Noksapyeong Station (line 6): Go out exit 1. Cross the overpass bridge. Go right. Follow the curve around and Berlin is the first business on the right. From Itaewon Station (line 6): Go out exit 1. Walk straight about 5 minutes. Go up the alley across the street from McDonald’s (look for the yellow Money Exchange sign). Follow the curve around and Berlin is on the left. You can call them on 02-749-0903. Or check out their Facebook page  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Berlin-Cafe-Lounge/53432217650.