Disclaimer: This restaurant is in a series of reviews from the Lotte Hotel Group. They invited to anonymously and critically review their restaurants. They asked me to write as honestly as possible about my experience.

The man, Pierre Gagnaire, is a person that I have had to pleasure to meet on several occasions and not always in a restaurant or kitchen setting. One of the first times I recognized him was on the streets of Insadong with his sous chefs as he was in search for a grey, woven hats that you often see monks wear in winter. His sous chef told me that Mr. Gagnaire liked the style of the hats and later I saw him walking down the street with the hat proudly on his head.

I also got to watch him cook during, Amazing Korean Table, as he mixed interesting recipes using kimchi, pear and other Korean ingredients in his own way. My impression of the man was that he is a person that is fascinated with the playfulness, the artistry and surprise of food.

I have had several opportunities to visit Mr. Gagnaire’s restaurant in Seoul and I even wrote a review on the restaurant back in 2009 for the Korean Herald. On my most recent visit, I decided to take one of my good friends to enjoy a lunch.

I booked the restaurant the day prior to my visit and I was greeted by a friendly receptionist that took my call and my request in English. There was a bit of a problem giving my phone number but on the second try it was recorded. On the day of my visit, I was calling to tell them that I was going to be 15 minutes late. At first they thought I was canceling and I had to assure them that I was just going to be a bit late. They were very gregarious about this and they told me they would be waiting. When we arrived, the host greeted us at the elevator as if he was expecting us. He greeted us. They took our jackets and we were whisked through the opulent hallways that curved like luxury automobile to our table in one of the main dining rooms.

The room faced large windows that overlooked Seoul. The palaces, mountains, the towers and other landmarks could clearly be seen from this vantage. The natural lighting from the windows and the lighting from the chandeliers was quite soothing.

Once we were getting comfortable with our surroundings, the sommelier asked us if we would like some champagne or wine. My friend accepted, but I had a meeting that I had to be cognitive for later so I declined. The next waiter brought over some hot towels and we were presented with the menu. We ordered one “Taste of Pierre Gagnaire” and one “Petit Gourmet” to get a taste of his different offerings.

The meal started off with delightful set of amuse bouche- a Gagnaire signature. The standouts were the king crab on a teardrop spoon and the nori covered crisp that was filled with wasabi foam.

Our first courses were a fricasse of mushrooms with langoustines topped with pig’s feet and fresh herbs and a turnip ice cream with apple compote. The langoustines were perfectly deveined and cooked. They popped as you placed them in your mouth. The mushrooms added nice structure and flavor to the light flavor of the shellfish and the savory note of the pigs trotters brought the dish together. The turnip ice cream in French sounds much better: glace de navet au raiforte. It was wonderful and so was the presentation with the disk of gelatin that floated over the top. The apple compote…I’m not sure where it was but the dish was quite delicious.

Next came our main course. First was a thick cut of cod, again perfectly cooked, that sat in a soup/foam of carrot and ginger. The lightness of the carrot and ginger broth was very aromatic. This came with a side of black rice risotto which had a bit of a nutty crunch along with the creaminess of the broth. The other dish with this was a pheasant which was gamey but in a luxurious, buttery sort of way that awakes the senses. My favorite dish was the foie gras that was topped with red pickled onions and other root vegetables. The presentation was simple and functional as the arch of foie gras fell as the fork cut through. The foie gras was chilled but melted on the tongue and was balanced by the vegetables. Perfect.

Next came a barrage of desserts. There was thick chocolate that sat in a pool of rich caramel and topped with ice. There was a meringue that had cubes of sweets that were made with paprika and sat in a persimmon foam. The desserts were playful and delicious. I particularly loved the chocolate dish. The chocolate was light yet thick and the caramel was one of the finest that I have tried: rich, silky, buttery and sweet.

The final flourish was a homemade chocolate, coffee and a digestive drink made from citrus and a final amuse bouche. The food is definitely world class. It is not something you can eat everyday, but it definitely is an experience.

The food and atmosphere is worth going for but I think service could be better. The service all look the part as if they should work at a world class restaurant but they seem a bit standoffish. Plus, I didn’t really appreciate that the servers all seemed to wear cologne or perfume. At a restaurant at this level, I shouldn’t be smelling the servers, I should be smelling just the food.

While I was there, I was talking in English with my friend (who is Korean) but the service decided to address her in Korean and me in English. Since we were both speaking English, the servers should have addressed us in English. Also, at times when we asked for specifics of a dish the waiters had to leave and come back with the answer. I think they should have known basics of each dish. Plus they explained my dish to me in English and then my friend’s dish in Korean. They should have explained the dishes to us in English so guests would all feel like they are equal. Finally, at times, when we were in need of something we had to call the waiter over. When the servers should have been able to read the signs that we needed them to come over.

Common signs people might give that they are in need of their servers might be to look around, raising a finger, facial expressions, a lull in conversation etc. At a restaurant of this caliber, the servers should be able to read these signs and react accordingly.

I am not saying that the service is horrible. It is much better here than many other restaurants I have been to. The servers are polite and patient. I feel they could take it to the next level and really impress all of their guests. The guests should truly feel they have been to one of the top restaurants in Asia.

Dan