the sign called out to me

The Gangnam station area is notorious for its abundance of overpriced restaurants.  There’s definitely a lot less cheap places to eat here than Hongdae.  When I say cheap I mean a meal that costs 4,000 or less.  Aside from bunsik and fast food joints there’s Han Sot and Kong’s Riceball.  There’s also this place that I hit up recently.

this is the touch screen menu for the ticket vending machine. unfortunately the damn machine wouldn't take my crumpled bills so I just paid at the counter

They’ve got an interesting setup here.  It’s kinda like a small cafeteria.  You actually pay for your meal via ticket-dispensing vending machine and your meal is served on one of their various brightly colored trays.  The majority of the menu items are noodle-based dishes including various versions of banquet noodles (잔치국수), kong guksu, and kalguksu.  They also have donkatsu, donkatsu donburi, and riceballs available as a side menu item.

3,000 best enjoyed with the kimchi

500 slightly smaller than the ones at Kong's Riceball

I got their basic anchovy broth noodles (멸치국수) for 3,000 as well as a kimchi riceball (김칮먹밥) on the side for 500.  The riceballs come in 3 flavors: kimchi, anchovy, and tuna mayo.  The noodles were a tad bland on their own.  It was best enjoyed with the kimchi, which I think was house-made and not prepackaged.  The noodles by themselves would’ve been a bit lacking, but the riceball did a good a job in rounding out the meal.  The riceball was pretty good.  Overall, not too shabby for 3,500.  I couldn’t find an address for this place, but here is a link to a Korean blog that has a map.

this is after I cut into it

ginseng porridge and cold kimchi soup

This is a pretty good hanjeongsik place in the Gangnam Station area.  The name of this place means yellow hanbok jacket.  This was my second visit here and honestly, I haven’t been to many hanjeongsik places.  I’ve always been more of a baekban guy since hanjeongsik tends to be really expensive, but it was a special occasion.  The food here is really good and I’m always impressed at how perfectly everything is seasoned here.

these are the starters/appetizers

japchae

i loved the seasoning on the slaw/salad on the side

We got the saedaek jeongsik, which is the cheaper set meal at 22,000 a head.  The norang jeongsik costs 38,500 a head.  The banchan and stuff that comes out vary by what’s in season.  There are also additional menu items you can order like smoked duck, eel, and seafood green onion pancakes.  They first started us off with individual ginseng porridges (인삼죽) and a refreshing chilled kimchi soup (물김치).  To share they gave us a bunch of great appetizers consisting of japchae (잠채), pork suyuk (수육), assorted fritters (전), salmon rolls, some beef dish, and a nice salad with a dressing that is made entirely out of fruit (I think).  Everything was awesome.  The fruit dressing made the salad really refreshing, the japchae was seasoned perfectly and not too oily, and I especially liked the crunchy lotus root fritters.

this is the main meal

it comes with rice and (really good) doenjang

bulgogi and fish

For the second course they give you your own individual rice and doenjang.  To share they give you assorted banchans, bulgogi, and fish.  All the banchans were seasoned beautifully.  None were too aggressive or salty.  I really liked the oyster jeotgal and this other banchan I don’t know the name of that comes with pear, radish, and some kind of fermented fish.  The bulgogi was also good, but the fish, while being cooked to perfectly, was a tad underseasoned.  It was probably the only thing there that wasn’t seasoned to perfection.  Then for dessert they give you some scorched rice soup (누룽지), a very cinnamony rice punch (식혜), and a piece of orange.

smokey scorched rice

orange and shikhye for dessert

So yeah, overall this place is pretty solid.  Even the water here is flavored with mugwort (쑥), which gives it a kinda minty aftertaste.  They also have a lunch special for 13,200 a head.  It seems to come with most of the stuff that comes with the saedaek jeongsik that we had.  The interior is pretty nice too.  This place is on the 5th floor and we had a seat by the window with a nice view.   This place closes at 10 and the kitchen closes at 8:30.  Here is their website.
Ad: 서초구 서초동 1316-29 타임빌딩 5F Tel: 02-534-5300

complimentary sides

They got a popcorn machine in the store so they give you buttered popcorn as the basic anju.  That’s definitely a plus in my book.  Moving on.  They also give you this really Koreanized salad consisting of cabbage, greens, fruit cocktail, corn, cherry tomatoes, and Korean thousand island dressing, which is basically ketchup and mayo.  Although I appreciate that they went above and beyond the typical shredded cabbage and kiwi dressing salad, I couldn’t get past that fake thousand island.  Blech.

16,000 the sauce on the right got cut off

The chicken was really good.  It was a bit oilier than your average Korean fried bird, but that’s what I liked about it.  It tasted closer to the fried chicken you’d get in the states.  The skin was really crispy and I liked how non-uniform it was in texture in that there were clumps of fried skin that had a harder crunch.  This gave it a more homemade taste.    The bird is seasoned just fine, but the sauce here is really noteworthy as well.  It’s a lot less syrupy and definitely more watery than your average chicken sauce.  It wasn’t too sweet either and it had some very nice hints of cinnamon in it.
Ad: 강남구 역삼동 619-30 Tel: 02-562-9982

these were just okay

So they first start you off with their “chips” which seem more like deep fried taco shells.  I liked the dipping sauces they provided, but the texture of chips were kinda off.  Some parts were nice and crisp, but other parts were kinda chewy like they weren’t fried long enough.  No refills on the chips.  Also, they kinda took a while to come out after we were seated.  I guess it’s because they’re fried on the spot.

9,900 these are fan-fucking-tastic. they'll probably appear in my dreams tonight

We got their kimchi carnita fries, which is their most popular menu item.  After one bite it was easy to see why.  These were absolutely fucking delicious.  By far the best french fry-based dish I’ve ever had.  I absolutely loved the charred crispiness in the pork, the sharp notes of the grilled kimchi, and the smooth cooling effect of the sour cream.  I also liked the skinny fries they used instead of the crinkle cut fries that I find at almost every other western restaurant in Seoul.  I say it’s worth the trip JUST to get this menu item.  Unfortunately, with such an explosively delicious starter, everything just kinda goes downhill from here.

6,500 galbi short rib

Next came the galbi tacos.  Basically it tasted like really good Korean bbq wrapped in a tortilla shell.  Not very much Mexican flavor in this taco, but delicious nonetheless.  The beef was very sweet and flavorful.  Reminiscent of my mom’s galbijjim.  I really wish they would’ve served these last as the strong flavor kinda ruined the progression of more subtle flavors of the following tacos.

6,000 braised carnitas

Next came the braised pork carnitas tacos.  These tasted a bit underseasoned and I definitely think it’s because we ate the galbi tacos first.  We had to dip these in the sauces provided with the chips.  Same deal with samgyeopsal tacos.  Everything just kinda got muddled because I still had that intensely sweet galbi taste in my mouth.  Maybe I should’ve gargled some water before eating these.

6,000 Korean style pork belly (comes with two)

Another gripe that I had was the size of the tacos.  These things are small!  Definitely the smallest I’ve ever had in Korea.  Two bites is all it takes to destroy one of these.  We had to order more food, so we got the chicken quesadilla.  It was pretty good and I liked how cheesy it was.  There was a nice Korean-inspired sweet seasoning on the chicken, but it definitely needed more meat as the cheese really overpowered this whole dish.  I could barely taste the Sriracha sauce they squirted on top.

9,500 chicken quesadilla

Ever since I heard about Kogi BBQ I’ve been wanting so badly to eat Korean-Mexican fusion.  In that aspect I don’t think this place really delivers that taste that truly melds together the flavors of both countries’ cuisines.  I would actually like to see a taco where they take the toppings from the kimchi carnita fries and put it into a tortilla shell.  Now THAT would be an awesome and proper Korean Mexican fusion taco.  Also, they don’t have burritos on their menu.

Price-wise this place wasn’t too bad.  The total bill came out to 37,900. It’s cheaper if you buy three tacos at a time.  We bought two at a time because we wanted to try out as much of the menu as possible.  Definitely gotta try the fish tacos and kimchi quesadilla on my next visit.  Here’s their website for the map, address, and contact info, but oddly, no menu.

this is the jeongol which has a lot more extra ingredients than the jjigae

This is a great kimchi jjigae spot near my office.  I had a few drinks there with some coworkers and we liked it so much that it has now entered our lunch rotation.  They serve a mean pot of kimchi jjigae.  They also got kimchi jeongol, which is like kimchi jjigae on steroids in that it comes with a bunch of additional items in the stew like dumplings, rice cakes, and all sorts of mushrooms in addition to the pork and tofu.  You can also order ramen noodles to throw into the pot, which I’m always a big fan of.

delicious

The broth here is outstanding.  Mouthwatering even.  It’s deliciously sour and a bit on the spicy side.  It’s the kind of broth that might make you cough, but you’ll go back for more because it’s so good.  They also give you a big mixing bowl here similar to the one found in Nanpung.  The spicy broth becomes a lot more bearable when you mix rice into it.  Another thing I love about this place is that they give you shredded laver to add into your mixing bowl.  The laver really does add another layer of flavor to this already delicious bowl of food.  We always ask for several refills of this over the course of our meal.

the shredded laver really makes a difference

They got donkatsu on the lunch menu here also.  I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks pretty good.  There’s also a lot of celebrity autographs on the wall if you’re into that kind of thing.  Upon doing some research on Naver I found that this place is actually a chain.  There’s another location in Hapjeong and the menu items are slightly different.

6,800 for the set

This is a new menu item at McD’s that came out recently.  It’s a Big Mac with 4 beef patties instead of 2.  After reading a review on this item here, which mentions that the extra patties overpower the overall taste of the burger, I did a bit of a custom order for mine.  I asked them to spread on some extra Big Mac sauce between the burger patties.  For the most part I think this did the trick of evening it out.  Same classic Big Mac taste with a significantly meatier bite.  It was like a Big Mac meets a Quarter Pounder.  Kinda pricey though for McD’s.

Chorizo taco

This was my third time visiting this place.  I did a write-up on them some time ago.  My main gripe about this place are the prices.  It costs between 4,500 to 5,500 for ONE stinking taco.  I know property value in Gangnam is ridiculous, but come on!  This is essentially a deal-breaker for my broke/cheap ass.  Also, the burritos here are REALLY small and skinny.  I could definitely see myself eating here a lot more if it was a bit cheaper.  Fortunately, someone else paid for me on this day.

Pork taco

Anyways, for this particular visit we ordered a pork taco, a chorizo taco, and the chili cheese nachos.  I ate both tacos and a good amount of the nachos as well.  The only other place I’ve had chorizo was at Los Amigos and their chorizo looked and tasted like fucking sliced hot dogs.  I’ve never had chorizo in the states and this is what I imagine proper chorizo would taste like.   It’s delicious.  It’s chewy and peppery and it doesn’t taste like any other sausage I’ve had in Korea.  I would say that this is the real reason to come here.  They make chorizo burritos and quesadillas as well.

Chili cheese nachos

The chili cheese nachos were served with a very bean-heavy chili that was light on the meat (if they used any at all).  They did totally hook it up with the cheese sauce though.  We had to ask for more chips (which were provided free of charge) to scoop up the rest.  There were also a few random slices of carrots in there, which I found to be kinda odd and out of place.

These sauces are good, but the tacos are well seasoned and taste just fine without em

11,000 pork set (also comes with drink)

So basically you choose what you want IN your curry, the level of spiciness, and what you want on TOP of your curry (optional).  With 8 different types of curry, 5 different levels of heat, and 10 different toppings, the possibilities are endless.  We just took the easy route and ordered the pork set, which comes with pork curry and a pork cutlet and the chicken set that comes with chicken curry and a chicken cutlet.  Both of these sets also come with a canned beverage.  The menu also recommends some other popular combinations for the indecisive and/or first-time diners.

10,000 chicken set (also comes with drink)

Since it was my first visit and I’m kind of a pansy when it comes to trying new spicy dishes, I ordered my pork set at level zero (recommended for kids and pregnant women).  My friend ordered her chicken set at level one, which the menu describes as being as spicy as Shin Ramyeon.  Overall, everything was tasty, with the accompanying side soup being the only weak aspect.  The curry looked and kinda tasted like brown gravy.  Eaten with the cutlets, it was slightly heavy, but the tangy house-made takuan did a great job of cutting the grease.  With the cutlet and the additional meat swimming in the actual curry, it was quite the filling meal.  They even give free refills on the rice and curry sauce.  What I should’ve tooken advantage of, but didn’t realize until later, is that green onions and garlic flakes are available as additional toppings for free.

the kkakdugi (right) were obviously prepackaged/store-bought, but the house-made takuan (left) were good

Like I mentioned above, this was my first experience with Japanese curry, so I don’t really have anything to compare it to.  I did miss the potatoes and carrots typically found in Korean curry, but this was good as well.  I tried my friend’s level 1 and found it to be manageable.  Next time I’ll order that because my level zero was a bit one-note.  If you wanna check this place out, you can visit their website to find the addresses and contact info for all their locations.

this...

...becomes this

Both Nolbu and Bong’s are at the heart of the busy and bustling Gangnam Station area and both are usually filled with young people.  This place is closer to Sinnonhyeon, further away from the crowds, and the customers were mostly ajosshis.  Unlike the other 2 places, this place is open 24 hours however smoking is prohibited, which I thought was kinda odd.  This place is also a bit on the pricey side.  They charge 8,000 per person and 2,000 for ramyeon.

yummy

Taste-wise everything was great.  The jjigae was spot on and I liked how the broth wasn’t too spicy.  Even the accompanying banchans were good.  I especially liked the kimchi.  It definitely tasted home made.  Portion-wise, this place was disappointing.  I ate with two other girls and despite eating the lion’s share I didn’t feel as stuffed as I thought I should be.  Anyways, if you wanna check this place out, it’s right outside Sinnonhyeon Station (신논현역 line 9) Exit 4.

mayo wasabi and hot spicy

Since it was our first visit, I figure I’d just order the original recipe.  With each bird you can choose two out of their five available dipping sauces.  They got honey mustard, wasabi mayo, teriyaki, hot spicy, and sweet chili.  I picked the wasabi mayo because all the other sauces are pretty commonly found in other chicken joints and my friend picked the hot spicy.

14,900 original roast

The chicken was AWESOME.  Every single piece was juicy and well seasoned including the breast meat pieces.  You can definitely enjoy this without the sauces.  The skin is crispy and paper thin.  I especially liked how meaty the pieces were.  There were no bullshit fucking neck pieces or pieces that are like 75% bone.  I was definitely digging the wasabi mayo sauce too.  Highly recommended.  Check out their website to find the location nearest you.