Before going on vacation, we tend to plan fairly detailed itineraries. Our pre-trip process includes scoping out neighbourhoods to explore, identifying places and activities of interest, as well as scouting for local restaurants and eateries.
Our recent trip to Seoul was no exception, with a 10 day programme that focused on enjoying various K-foods, visiting local markets and admiring the architecture of traditional buildings.
Despite extensive pre-planning, we still end up changing things on-the-fly after we land at our destination. It helps that we adopt a very relaxed pace and don’t pack our days with back-to-back-to-back activities.
One example was during the second day of our trip, when we were supposed to have dinner at Tosokchon after spending an entire day wandering the jinjja yeppeuda alleys of Ikseondong.
The famous samgyetang restaurant was located a few stops away, near the Gyeongbokgung Palace. But our plans were hijacked after we walked past Banjoo Iksun while exploring Ikseondong.
Like many of the quaint restaurants that dotted the neighbourhood, it was housed in a restored traditional hanok, with the signature roof and heavy wooden doors.
What caught our attention was its large selection of makgeollis and a small menu of intriguing dishes like the Korean/Italian fusion “Perilla leaf cream gnocchi”. And just in case that wasn’t enough to lure in customers, it strategically exhibited enticing food photos along an adjoining wall.
Photos that featured beautifully-plated dishes like:
- Pulpo Carpaccio: perilla oil, sea weed, lime vinaigrette, smoked kimchi
- Spaghetti Vongole: green garlic puree, squid ink spaghetti, fresh clam, green pumpkin
- Pork Jowl: brined and fried pork jowl, “jang-ajji” beurre blanc, seasonal vegetables
- Mushroom Risotto: five kinds of mushroom, truffle paste, black sesame powder, poached egg
- Oyster Fried: oyster from “goheung”, fried shepherd’s purse, aioli, sea mustard powder
- Gnocchi: perilla leaf, pea cream sauce, potato gnocchi and bacon, shallot pickle, herbs
And just like that, I was hooked.
Any previous thoughts of comforting bowls of ginseng chicken soup quietly faded away as we stepped through the doorway, and into a bright and airy inner courtyard.
But first, makgeolli.
Since we were obviously foreigners, our waiter helpfully passed us both Korean and English menus. The drinks list featured various types of alcoholic beverages, but we quickly zoomed into the makgeolli section.
Of the 11 bottles offered, we eliminated the bigger ones and focused on those that were 500ml and below. After some to-ing and fro-ing with our waiter, we settled on the DOK Makgeolli with its advertised “sweet taste of fruit”.
Instead of traditional Korean aluminum drinking bowls, our bottle arrived with two ochokos, more commonly used for Japanese sakes. Their way, perhaps, of indicating that they weren’t your typical drinking place.
After some gently swirling to incorporate the rice sediment, I filled up our cups and took a sip. It was definitely not the usual makgeolli that we’ve been drinking. It was creamier and fruitier with just a light hint of acidity. Kind of like a nigori sake, but with more body and less alcohol.
Given the shorter food menu, I thought it would have been easier for us to choose our dishes. Every item sounded tasty but we had limited stomach capacity and could practically only pick two out of the nine.
After agonising over the options, we eventually decided on the Octopus Carpaccio (perilla oil vinaigrette, kimchi) and the Gnocchi (perilla leaf cream, bacon, shallot pickle). Our order was relayed to the open kitchen staffed with a young crew, and they quickly got down to preparing our meal.
From the way they worked, it was obvious that they were a close-knit team that enjoyed each others’ company. Chances were good that they would be putting out good food.
As we sipped on our drinks, I was thoroughly enjoying the 80s music that was playing in the restaurant. The hit songs from Queen, Spandau Ballet, The Police and others were right up my alley.
The Octopus Carpaccio was served first, with bite-sized tentacle slices sitting on pieces of washed aged kimchi, generously coated with a dark-coloured, bordering on black, dressing.
While it didn’t look particularly appetising, the combination of the chewy octopus, sour kimchi and nutty perilla oil vinaigrette made for a great appetiser. The robust and bright flavours opened up our palates, and were a great match with the DOK Makgeolli.
Since the restaurant was still relatively empty, our Gnocchi arrived soon after. Appearance-wise, it was the polar opposite of the carpaccio. Beautifully browned potato dumplings and generous chunks of smoky bacon floated on a pool of vibrantly green perilla leaf cream, topped with pickled shallots, dill and pea shoots.
Each piece of gnocchi was pillowy soft on the inside, with barely-there crunchiness on the outside. On their own, they were already quite flavourful. But when coupled with the bacon and the perilla cream, they were simply magical.
The herbs and pickled shallots were a nice touch, and served to cut through the richness of the main ingredients. They provided a bright counterpoint to the oily pork and rich sauce, helping to reset our palates and allowing us to continue savouring bite after bite.
It’s not common to find Korean fusion food, and the only other time we’ve encountered it was at Jungsik, a fine dining restaurant in the upmarket Gangnam-gu neighbourhood.
We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch then, just as we thoroughly enjoyed our totally unplanned and completely unexpected dinner at Banjoo Iksun.
