1: Osteria Langhe
Location: Itaewon
Osteria Langhe is a stand-out star on my list. I ate here with my girl Gemma of @fatgirlsfoodguide and our buddy Scott. We ordered a ton of amazing dishes and drank this really tasty red wine called Natural Wine, a 2016 Eric Texier St Julien en St Alban (77,000 won, $68.50 US). I have since gone back twice and have not been disappointed with the food. They do need to work on their availability of the wines on the wine list though as the few times I went there they didn't have the wines I selected and had to go with a different choice. They were however very nice and gave us a complimentary dessert and appetizer so I was very happy with the customer service.
The Cannelloni Pasta (18,000 won, $16.16 US ), Cacio De Pepe (22,000 won, around $20.00 US) (translates to "cheese & pepper") and the "Fungi" Mushroom Pizza (22,000 won, around $20.00 US) are my absolute go-to's now. The sauce of the Cannelloni Pasta wasn't changed for the Korean taste as some things are, it was a true Italian sauce bursting with flavor and really great ricotta cheese. I also liked the way it was baked and then re-plated in a beautiful dish so it wasn't too hot and yet tasted perfectly done. I really enjoyed the Cacio De Pepe as well and how they added extra pepper for flavor and display. After mixing it around it wasn't overbearing at all and just added to the flavor. It reminded me of the Cacio De Pepe Travis and I had in Rome last year. It's actually the only time since being in Seoul where I have seen Cannelloni Pasta or Cacio De Pepe on a menu but if anyone has any other suggestions please let me know in the comments. The crust on the Mushroom Pizza is really fantastic as its brick oven and the dough is superb. Gemma and Scott made a note that they wish the onions had been sautéed instead of fresh which I would have to agree with because I love the sweet taste of caramelized onions but overall I really liked it. Also it having truffle oil on it added to the overall taste although it was very light and not overpowering in a good way. The Carrot cake was the perfect ending to a great meal and tasted moist and homemade. There are many options to choose from here but these particular dishes were the ones that stood out the most to me. Also, this restaurant being located so close to where I live and in the ex-pat area of Seoul (Itaweon) makes it that much more enjoyable! This restaurant is located right above Namsan Chemistry so if your looking to have a drink after your meal, Namsan Chemistry is a great social place. On the weekends they even serve pizza from upstairs if you ask nicely! If your googling the restaurant there are two ways it is listed Langhe Osteria and Osteria Langhe so just be aware it is the same spot and for an even more in-depth review, check out my girls post at: Fatgirlsfoodguide
CANNELLONI PASTA, CARROT CAKE, SCALLOPS
FUNGI PIZZA
A SCOUP OF CANNELLONI
Osteria Langhe is located right above Namsan Chemistry
but was unable to find on google maps.
Map Of Osteria Langhe
2: Scuro Location: Sinsa
TRUFFLE PASTA
I am a huge fan of Truffle which I am sure you may have figured out from the above review. So it is no surprise this is one of my favorite dishes at Scuro the Truffle Pasta. It is in a sort of cheese based sauce as well which plays to my other constant craving of cheese I am unsure if the pasta is homemade but it is of high quality and I thoroughly have enjoyed it each time. They have a very large wine menu which is great if your looking for something in a specific region and know a bit about wine. The setting of this restaurant has more of a wine bar feel. In nice weather they open the entire front window so it is to the open air which gives you that outside dining feel. It is located in a nice section of town in Sina surrounded by a ton of other really great restaurants and close to a cool shopping area as well. They change their Burrata Salad to feature whatever fruit or vegetable is in season at the time. The first time I went there, there were these absolutely fantastic tomatoes and I almost went back just for them! I believe they said they were imported from Italy but they were out of season the second time I went. When we went for the second time it was summer and the featured fruit was peach which was also quite nice. They have traditional dishes such as Spaghetti Bolognese and Lasagne which are meat based and I am told they were also quite tasty. The atmosphere is very romantic with low lighting and is great for a date, couples night out or even with friends. They have a really great cheese plate I would like to try next time with a another bottle of wine from there vast selection. Oh and maybe fit in a bit of shopping over there. One thing to make note of is when your searching this place online it says on google maps that the name is Seukulo but is is the Scuro, the same place.
Bourgogne- Pinot Nior, Buratta Salad, Spaghetti Bolognese
Map Of Scuro
3:The KitcheN
Salvatore Cuomo Location: Apgujeong
CHEESE PLATE
So I went here on a double date and at night so I was unable to really take a ton of pictures myself. I did take one snap of this super fantastic Cheese Plate (28,000 won, around $25.00 US) that was quite filling and everyone at the table really enjoyed. I also liked that really nice bread and bread stickers were provided with the meal as I always tend to run out of my bread pairings with the cheese. We ordered the Brick Oven Margarita Pizza (20,000 won, around $18.00 US) as well which had great crust, cheese and sauce. There are pictures on the menus even though this is a high end place which can be helpful to us Westerners when it comes to choosing what to get but they do have an English menu so not to worry. The setting of this restaurant is really nice too and in a high end area of town so your constantly seeing Lamborghinis and Maseratis buzzing around on these little back streets. They apparently also have a Lunch Buffet that I heard is quite good. Time 11: 30 ~ 15: 00 (Mon-Fri Lunch Buffet Operation)
Map Of The Kitchen
4: MagnUMLocation: Gangnam
So I really need to go back here, take some photos and have a full sit down meal as the two times I went I only had cocktails and light apps. The owners of the restaurant a father and son duo were true Italian- Sicilian and mentioned that a lot of the recipes were handed down by their grandmother from Italy! The two times I went I really just loved the atmosphere and its great for birthdays, groups or even dates. We had cocktails and tasted the Vegetable Crudités and Meatballs. The dip for the crudités was out of this world good! I didn't even know someone could make dip taste that good! I also had a tiny taste of the meatball just to taste test it and it was also great. I am vegetarian but really wanted to know how these tasted and it brought me back to when my own Italian grandmother who would make me meatballs growing up. Being vegetarian, I very rarely will have a taste of something but I did make an exception for these due to my upbringing and they did not disappoint.
The cocktails are a bit on the expensive side but maybe because its a hot spot right now. Apparently they started at a lower price point so maybe they will go back down. Fingers crossed. They have a Jazz band that plays every night which I also find incredible and the two times I went just for cocktails the bands were great this could also have something to do with the price of cocktails maybe offsets hiring the band. I am excited to go back and try the full meal out to give you all a real review but this place is defiantly worth swinging by in my book even from the little tastes I've had.
Map Of Magnum
5: SeCTION A
Location: Itaewon
I went to this beautiful restaurant the other day with my girl Gemma and had such a great time. I love how when the weather is pleasant that they open the windows which line the entire front of the space. The interior design is has a very modern, industrial, natural and trendy look to it. Its located in the center of Itaweon which makes it incredibly convenient for the perfect night out and from here you can move on to a fun lounge, bar or nightclub that is just steps away. I was even more excited when I found out that the food was on-par with the decor!
INSIDE SECTION A
We ordered the Insalata Di Burrata (24,000 won, $21.50 US) to start and it consisted of creamy burrata cheese, rucola, prosciutto & truffle paste. The burrata was very creamy and tasty and I loved the shaved black truffles on the top. Gemma ate the prosciutto and mentioned she really liked it. We also ordered the Controfiletto (41,000 won, $36.80 US) which was described as Prime USDA sirloin steak (260g) with chef ’s daily selection of side dishes. The side dish was grilled vegetables that were very fresh and crisp! I am thinking of going back there and having Travis order the steak and eating the vegetables myself as they were healthy and tasty. We also ordered the Bocconi Al Tartufo. (32,000 won around $28.75 US) (Another thing to remember about dining in Seoul is there is no tip and tax is included in the price listed.) This dish was fresh, homemade gnocchi pasta stuffed with parmesan fondue and truffle cream finished with sliced truffle. The description alone says it all. It was incredible and I can't wait to go back and try it again! They were doing a truffle night last night that they may do again so it seems they run different types of specials and promotions. We also tried the cocktails and I was very impressed. I had a Sangria and Raspberry Bellini. The Sangria had a fresh stick of cinnamon which was so pleasant to smell and taste and the Raspberry Bellini had an actual scoop of Sorbet! To finish we were given the most beautiful and fresh tasty cookies which were compliments of the chef. We learned you can buy these cookies but only to go for around 6,000 won. I can't wait to go back and the fact that it is super close to home makes it even more fun!
INSALATA DI BURRATA
creamy burrata cheese, rucola, prosciutto & truffle paste
CONTROFILETTO
41.0 Prime USDA sirloin steak (260g) with chef ’s daily selection of side dishes
BOCCONI AL TARTUFO
gnocchi stuff ed with parmesan fondue & truffle cream, finished with sliced truffle
Sangria, Raspberry, Bellini With Sorbet, Disaronno Sour
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