Location: Jongno
Cuisine: Asian
Price:$$
Reservations: Accepted
Suggested Items: Crab Cakes, Sichuan Chicken
Pan-Asian places tend to be disappointments when they’re not tied to a specific chef showing off his style. So I was naturally skeptical of Touch of Spice, which seemed like a generic corporate power lunch stop. Yes, there are some elements that make it [...]
Location: Seoul, Gwanghwamun
Cuisine: Korean
Price: $
Reservations: None
Suggested Items: Kimchi jjigae 김치 찌개, Gyeran mari 계란마리 (rolled omelet)
I’m always on the hunt for the secret holes-in-the-wall that locals know about. Gwanghwamun Jip is one such place. Tucked in a closet-sized space in a back alley, this place serves a great pot of pork [...]
Location: Seoul, Seoul National University
Cuisine: Italian
Price: $$
Reservations: Optional
Suggested Items: Lasagna, Spaghetti Bolognese, Tiramisu
This Italian restaurant is the real deal. No sugared garlic bread or cream of spaghetti soup. Jina and Franco are partners from Olivo at the JW Marriott who decided to go into business together. Jina is a sommelier, [...]
Location: Seoul, Hannam-dong
Cuisine: Modern
Price: $$
Reservations: Optional
Suggested Items: Any of the tasting menus
Celebrity chef Edward Kwon is trying to show Korea that fine dining doesn’t need a steep price tag. Inspired by a trip to Tokyo, where he ate at famous restaurants for less than 5,000 yen, Kwon wants to help [...]
Reviewed by The Stumbler and Tuttle
Location: Seoul, Gangseo-gu
Cuisine: Korean
Price: $
Reservations: Optional (takes reservations but not needed)
Suggested Items: Galbi-sal (갈비살)
This is the third review from the Stumbler/Tuttle team from Southwest Seoul. This review is based on our second visit to this restaurant, which was much like [...]
Cuisine: Spanish
Price:$$$
Reservations: Optional
Suggested Items: Paella, White Anchovies in Vinegar, Jamon, Cheese Platter
It’s hard to find Spanish cuisine in Korea. This tapas bar in trendy Garosu-gil is an import from Japan. You’ll actually hear a good bit of Japanese behind the bar. The entrance displays two legs of jamon, and you can order [...]
Cuisine: Korean, Barbecue
Price:$$
Reservations: No
Suggested Items: Mixed Grill (Modeum Gui 모듬 구이)
I’m a big fan of all Korean barbecue, particularly the wood smoked kind. There’s a popular stop in Anyang that smoked their “Q” in a choo-choo-train-shaped smoker. Ordering the mixed grill brings a load of protein, including duck, pork [...]
Cuisine: Pub Grub
Price:$$
Reservations: Not necessary
Suggested Items: Breakfast Burrito, Meatloaf, Burgers
The Holy Grill is a sacred pilgrimage site to any expat living in Daegu. The quality of this place would compete well with the best burger ‘n’ beer joints in Itaewon. Yet they don’t rest on their laurels. The Holy Grill consists of [...]
Reviewed by The Stumbler and Tuttle
Cuisine: Korean
Price: $$$
Reservations: Optional (takes reservations but not needed)
Suggested Items: Steamed Beef Ribs followed by Fried Rice
This is the second review from the Stumbler/Tuttle team from Southwest Seoul. This week our plan was to eat Galbi-jjim at a restaurant named 안의갈비 (An-ui [...]
Cuisine: Korean bunshik
Location: Hongdae, Seoul
Price: $
Reservations: Don’t even think about it
Suggested Items: Fried stuff, Ddeokbokki
Sak is bunshik. It’s college street food. What makes it stand out is that it does subtle things to make it different and special. There is rosemary in the deep frying batter. There are fresh [...]
It’s finally here!
Seoul is one of the most restaurant crazy towns in the world, but it’s so hard to find where the good restaurants are. ZenKimchi Dining is making it easier by publishing information and quick reviews on restaurants, giving a better window into the constantly evolving Korean dining scene.
In each blog post, we tell [...]
Location: Jongno
Cuisine: Asian
Price:$$
Reservations: Accepted
Suggested Items: Crab Cakes, Sichuan Chicken
Pan-Asian places tend to be disappointments when they’re not tied to a specific chef showing off his style. So I was naturally skeptical of Touch of Spice, which seemed like a generic corporate power lunch stop. Yes, there are some elements that make it [...]
Location: Seoul, Gwanghwamun
Cuisine: Korean
Price: $
Reservations: None
Suggested Items: Kimchi jjigae 김치 찌개, Gyeran mari 계란마리 (rolled omelet)
I’m always on the hunt for the secret holes-in-the-wall that locals know about. Gwanghwamun Jip is one such place. Tucked in a closet-sized space in a back alley, this place serves a great pot of pork [...]
Location: Seoul, Seoul National University
Cuisine: Italian
Price: $$
Reservations: Optional
Suggested Items: Lasagna, Spaghetti Bolognese, Tiramisu
This Italian restaurant is the real deal. No sugared garlic bread or cream of spaghetti soup. Jina and Franco are partners from Olivo at the JW Marriott who decided to go into business together. Jina is a sommelier, [...]
Location: Seoul, Hannam-dong
Cuisine: Modern
Price: $$
Reservations: Optional
Suggested Items: Any of the tasting menus
Celebrity chef Edward Kwon is trying to show Korea that fine dining doesn’t need a steep price tag. Inspired by a trip to Tokyo, where he ate at famous restaurants for less than 5,000 yen, Kwon wants to help [...]
Reviewed by The Stumbler and Tuttle
Location: Seoul, Gangseo-gu
Cuisine: Korean
Price: $
Reservations: Optional (takes reservations but not needed)
Suggested Items: Galbi-sal (갈비살)
This is the third review from the Stumbler/Tuttle team from Southwest Seoul. This review is based on our second visit to this restaurant, which was much like [...]
Cuisine: Spanish
Price:$$$
Reservations: Optional
Suggested Items: Paella, White Anchovies in Vinegar, Jamon, Cheese Platter
It’s hard to find Spanish cuisine in Korea. This tapas bar in trendy Garosu-gil is an import from Japan. You’ll actually hear a good bit of Japanese behind the bar. The entrance displays two legs of jamon, and you can order [...]
Cuisine: Korean, Barbecue
Price:$$
Reservations: No
Suggested Items: Mixed Grill (Modeum Gui 모듬 구이)
I’m a big fan of all Korean barbecue, particularly the wood smoked kind. There’s a popular stop in Anyang that smoked their “Q” in a choo-choo-train-shaped smoker. Ordering the mixed grill brings a load of protein, including duck, pork [...]
Cuisine: Pub Grub
Price:$$
Reservations: Not necessary
Suggested Items: Breakfast Burrito, Meatloaf, Burgers
The Holy Grill is a sacred pilgrimage site to any expat living in Daegu. The quality of this place would compete well with the best burger ‘n’ beer joints in Itaewon. Yet they don’t rest on their laurels. The Holy Grill consists of [...]
Reviewed by The Stumbler and Tuttle
Cuisine: Korean
Price: $$$
Reservations: Optional (takes reservations but not needed)
Suggested Items: Steamed Beef Ribs followed by Fried Rice
This is the second review from the Stumbler/Tuttle team from Southwest Seoul. This week our plan was to eat Galbi-jjim at a restaurant named 안의갈비 (An-ui [...]
Cuisine: Korean bunshik
Location: Hongdae, Seoul
Price: $
Reservations: Don’t even think about it
Suggested Items: Fried stuff, Ddeokbokki
Sak is bunshik. It’s college street food. What makes it stand out is that it does subtle things to make it different and special. There is rosemary in the deep frying batter. There are fresh [...]
