It’s very rare that you will find inexpensive and well cooked European food in Seoul, but that’s exactly what we found at Amigo Bienvenido in Hapjeong. I’ve known the head chef Manuel for some time now after visiting some of the other restaurants he has worked at over the years like Mi Casa and Alma Restaurante. So when he made a change and moved to the newly opened Amigo Bienvenido, I couldn’t wait to give it a try.
When done right, Spanish food has always been one of my most beloved European cuisines. However despite the fact that traditional Korean food is often made up of small plates of food to share, tapas hasn’t really caught on in the way that other European cuisines have. So when Chef Manuel, previously of Mi Casa, invited me to come and try out the food at his new restaurant I quite frankly jumped at the chance.
Last week I learned it’s not always wise to judge a first impression. I was invited to go back and try Mi Casa again after the owner read my last review. Since my visit over a year ago, the chef has changed and the menu revamped. With Spanish chef Manuel at the helm, the manager assured me that things have improved greatly since my last visit and I would not leave disappointed.
The menu is chocked full of all the classic Spanish dishes. As well as all the tapas you could ask for they also have a burgeoning selection of wine and cocktails. I had to, of course, start with a sangria (13,000).
After the complementary bread and aioli. The first dish we tried was the Gambas al ajillo (19,000) King prawns fried in olive oil and garlic. They arrived on a plate that was sizzling! The king prawns were plump and juicy and the garlic was well cooked without being overpowering. A nice start to the meal.
Next up was the Patatas Bravas (15,000). This was the dish that I had the most problems with last time. Patatas Bravas is simple and classic dish and any Spanish restaurant worth it’s salt should get this right. However the first time I was presented with potato chips and a dipping sauce. However all my fears were washed away when this fabulous plate was put in front of us. It was exceptional. In fact this was the best patatas bravas I have ever eaten. Every element was perfect. The potatoes were crisp on the outside and soft and full of flavour in the middle. The tomato and white sauces were delicious. We devoured this plate in about a minute. It was so good I would have licked the plate clean. And if we didn’t have a paella coming I would have ordered another.
We also had to have a try of the Calamari Frito (18,000). Deep fried baby squid with saffron. The calamari rings and tentacles were lightly seasoned and crisp. There were also a few pieces which were battered that we really enjoyed. The citrus oil that accompanied them was nice, but we would have preferred some more of their amazing aioli.
Berenjenas Relleras (18,000) Eggplants filled with meat, tomatoes and cheese. I love egg plant so this dish just popped right off the menu. The the meat balls inside were good, the egg plant was juicy and the sauce delicious.
If you are anything like me, you can’t go to a Spanish restaurant without trying the paella. At Mi Casa they have a variety of different types but we ordered the Arroz Del Monte (39,000) Saffron chicken, chorizo and pork paella. This was a meat feast of a dish filled to the brim with thick slices of choirizo, plump pieces of pork, and chunks of juicy chicken thighs
As you can see we really enjoyed it.
Things have definitely changed for the better since my last visit and I left a very happy customer. The prices may seem expensive to some but the quality of the dishes demands it. Mi Casa is the perfect mid-range priced restaurant thats perfect for a date or a special evening with friends. The atmosphere is elegant and classy and they have a fab lounge upstairs for you to drink the night away in.
Mi Casa is located in the alleyway behind the Hamilton Hotel right opposite, My Thai China (see my review here) 119-21 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea. Call them on 02-790-0063 or check out their facebook page.
I was very excited about eating some spanish cuisine as it’s something I rarely cook myself. I used to work in a Spanish restaurant when I lived in Sydney and they always kept me very well fed. We managed to secure a table in the busy restaurant on short notice. Sadly I left feeling rather disappointed and little hungry. There wasn’t anything majorly wrong it was just a few bad points that added up to a less than perfect night. Our total bill was 78,000, not astronomical but I don’t want to spend that much on dinner then feel the need to go and buy a kebab because I’m still hungry. You might feel I’m being picky but one thing that annoyed me is that they told us the kitchen closed at 10, which was fine, we had plans later that evening anyway but they brought out all four of our dishes before we got our drinks. It was a Friday night and I was looking forward to having a nice drink with some dinner but by the time it finally showed up I had lost the desire for it. It wasn’t a fancy cocktail, just a sangria and a beer, but to have it come at the end of the meal was disappointing. It’s service 101 that you get your drinks before your food. Otherwise everything else was fine.
The meal started off well with the Albondigas en tomate (spanish meatballs), 10,000 for the small portion. They were good and came with a trio of sauces and fresh bread.
Next up was was the Montaditos (bread topped with salmon and ham) 7,000 for 2 this was my boyfriends choice I didn’t eat them but he said the salmon topped with capers was great with a delightful mustard dressing and the one topped with parma ham was nice but not as good as the salmon.
Then came the Patatas Bravas, which was my biggest disappointment. Having worked in a spanish restaurant and visited Spain several times I knew what patatas bravas should be and sadly these were not the delicious little chunks of potato I was expecting. They were hand cooked crisps. Had this been specified on the menu, I wouldn’t have ordered them. I nearly sent them back and wish I had now, as crisps they were nice and the accompanying sauce was ok, but not what I was expecting. I would not be willing to pay 12,000 for a few potato chips, which is what they were. You could have two kebabs for that.
The saving grace of this meal was the Panceta A La Plancha (pork belly) 26,000. The pork belly itself was very good and cooked to perfection, especially the fat, although the balsamic onions were slighty too acidic and overpowered the taste of the pork, this dish was good, but small, a bigger portion would have been better for the price.
They served Paella here which I really would have liked to have tried but it was rather expensive, although I think I would have left with a full belly had I chosen it. The girls at the next table had barely touched theirs and I was very tempted to ask if I could some but thankfully didn’t. The wine list was very extensive and the bar upstairs seemed to be thriving, perhaps that was why our own drinks took so long. I personally wouldn’t return to Mi Casa as I think my money could be better spent elsewhere. However if you have deep pockets and enjoy wine this could be the place for you.
Mi Casa is located in the allyway behind the Hamilton Hotel right opposite, My Thai China (see my review here) 119-21 Itaewon-dong, Yongsam-gu, seoul, Korea. Call them on 02-790-0063 or check out their website for a full details and a menu. http://www.micasa.kr/en/index.html