Gastronauts and gastroladies, word on the street and in the press seem to suggest that an official Bahrain delegation will be making their way to Seoul, South Korea, this week to get down to some serious talks, meet with some big shots and perhaps do a bit of some culinary sightseeing (we’d hope!).
So in light of this we thought we’d share our recommendations on places to hit up when you’re next in Seoul.
DOORE, Insadong area
After much research, we loved the look of this little hole in the wall. Serving up an authentic Korean feast and all things Kimchi this looked like a place we’d definitely want to visit. With nearly 20 varieties of kimchi to choose from (including year-old-kimchi) and a number of delicious mains including steamed short ribs!
ELBON the Table
Next up is this little hotspot and it’s Korea’s answer to Heston Blumenthal. Headed by the ‘crazy chef’ Hyun Seok Choi, this place will be sure to intrigue. With plenty of innovative dishes to choose from such as the sea urchin soul with coffee and milk caviar, why not try the chef’s set dinner to sample a wider variety during your visit? Note: it does come with a near hefty price-tag though.
CONGDU
Keeping up with the same theme of Neo-Korean cuisine, we thought the next place we would recommend is Congdu. A place which prides itself on using 100% local Korean ingredients of which a majority is organic is certainly exceptional and worth a shot in our books especially when they use Korean and French molecular techniques to create Korean cuisine with a twist. See: sillky potato noodles in a green soybean milk broth.
YETCHATJIP (Old Teahouse), Insadong
Now this is a place that intrigues us and one which must be visited. The old teahouse is a legendary teahouse that has come to be known as a great stopover for a traditional cup of Korean tea. Alternatively, on a hot summer’s day, why not try the traditional summer treat patbingsu?
TANI NEXT DOOR
It is commonly known in Korea that if you’re out to impress someone or take someone out for a business dinner, go Japanese. For that reason, we thought that the next recommendation must be a Japanese and what better than this intriguing zen-meets-tribal rooftop restaurant. With trees growing in te main dining areaand an outdoor terrace offering an alternative option, this place is sure to impress.
And there you have our top recommendations in Seoul. We hope our fellow Bahrainis have a successful trip to South Korea and hope that they get the chance to sample some of our recommendations.
