I went on a date with the wife to Made: a new American bistro where you can customize your meal options and get some craft beer or cocktails to go with it. The atmosphere is bright and industrial with many great lights. I like the wood accents all around. We started off with some Italian croquette balls which where quite good and had little bits of cheese in it. Good but a tad too filling. The second course were some sliders. These I enjoyed. The pork sliders had an Italian herbaceous (actually most of the food has a New York Italian flair). The beef and gravy sliders were very homey and the chicken one was alright. I liked all the sauces with the food which tasted bright, well balanced, and fresh. Their focaccia was good as well. Now I wish I could have stayed for the whole meal but I had a work meeting so I couldn't stay and try the lasagna or chicken and biscuits with gravy. Sigh. Gemma Wardle taunted me with a picture of it. Oh, well it just means I will have to go back soon.  ...

King Crab Avocado Plate at Gorilla in the Kitchen Bae Yong-joon, the famously bespectacled, handsome actor known for his role in countless dramas and movies opened up a restaurant that focuses on naturally healthy food that a wise, powerful gorilla would find appetizing. The modern, wide-open restaurant is filled with natural light from their many windows and its vicinity of the Dosan Park. The park is a popular place for locals to go walking in the evenings and something I would recommend you do after the dinner. It's not the largest park, but it is nice to find forested space in the busy city. Now, the food... The westernized cuisine is creative, healthy, and whimsical. You’ll find combinations such as citron and romaine, brown rice and eel,and steamed sea bass and saffron mashed potatoes. Plus you can get your meals in human (normal) or gorilla (large) portions. The food is pretty. Very pretty and on paper it seems very healthy. It's not the cheapest place to eat at in....

DJ Koo: Co-owner of Shim Yang Shim Yang in Apgujeong Lamb Skewers I love lamb. I think it is an excellent animal with the right amount of texture, flavor, and the flesh sears perfectly over coals. I think I was a Greek in a past life because the thought of lamb makes my mouth water and my stomach empty. Young lamb is always best, but mutton in a heavy curry isn't bad either. One of my new favorite restaurants in Apgujeong is Shim Yang because they do lamb skewers. Here cubes of young lamb (1 year or younger) are put on metal skewers and seasoned with a mix of fine chili powder, sesame seeds, and anise. The dipping powder is a mix of exotic, spicy, and savory and accents the clean, non-gamey taste of the lamb. They will even give you a whole head of garlic so you can skewer it and grill it up as well. The place has a Chinese flair to it and you can get Chinese beers like Tsingtao or liquors. The food at Shim Yang focuses on lamb. You can get lamb galbi if you are ...

Chef Edward Kwon at Lab XXIV Edward Kwon Edward Kwon's Lab XXIV This is my unedited review for Edward Kwon's Lab XXIV. You can see the version on Seoul Selection's Magazine here:  http://www.seoulselection.com/seoul/?p=3490   There is also a great interview with the chef  http://www.seoulselection.com/seoul/?p=3628 Lab XXIV: A Conundrum Resolves By Daniel Gray Lab XXIV sounds like a molecular bistro that every Ferran Adria wannabe starts with their molecular cuisine starter kits filled with agar-agar, calcium lactate, and soy lecithin. I know, lots of scrumptious sounding stuff. It seemed as if the Chef, Mr. Edward Kwon, was seeking to reinvent himself especially after his hushed-over expulsion(?) from his previous endeavor, Spice.  Luckily, the menu was more contemporary European, rather than molecular as words such as foie gras, veloute, feuille, and jus jumped up at us. The atmosphere of Lab xxiv is sleek like a Mercedes with polished glas...

Take a Stake through the Rump at Mercado, Brazilian Steakhouse By Daniel Gray Lee Min-Hyuk, owner of Mercado Brazilian Steak House believes in authenticity. Having lived in Brazil in 3 years, he has done his best to bring the true churrasco experience to Seoul. In order to properly recreate this experience, he has even brought Brazilian chefs to Korea to create a festive atmosphere with plentiful amounts of meat. Here, the meat is the meal and the show. While you are seated, you will see an assortment of sides and sauces. There are pickles, salsas, buttery rice, mash potatoes, and a salad. These are there in case, you get tired of eating plate after plate of freshly charcoaled meat. The one side you might ask for seconds on is their red, spicy pimenta sauce. Made with red peppers, garlic, vinegar and whatever else, this sauce was the perfect accent to the garrisons of meat that came forth. The meal starts when you see large a Brazilian man brandishing meat that has been run t...

Guitarra Pasta at Antonio My good friend, Sebastiano at restaurant Antonio and I had a meeting last week and I was lucky enough to test out a new menu that he had. It was pasta made from a guitarra: a device that has many metal strings like a guitar that would be used to slice a sheet of pasta into noodles. It gives the noodles a square, edged cut and a smooth texture. The pasta he used was mixed with some squid ink to make them dark and then he tossed it in a buttery sauce with popcorn-like scallops and shrimp. The light sauce was complemented with the crisp asparagus and ripe tomatoes- a perfect spring pasta. He also shared with me a glass of his homemade lemoncello and we finished the meal with a strong espresso. Thank you Sebastiano for your hospitality. Cheers, Dan Barunson Bldg., fl. 193-8, Cheongdam-dong Seoul, South Korea 02-3443-4333 www.antonio.kr Guitarra Pasta at Antonio                        ...

This Restaurant has Closed Here is a taste of an upcoming review: Fajita Hotplate with beans, Hard Shelled Tacos and Corn Pudding at Mamacita's Mexican Grill and Tequila Lounge in Apgujeong. Ok, now back to work. Mamacita's Mexican Grill and Tequila Lounge in Apgujeong Mamacita's Mexican Grill and Tequila Lounge in Apgujeong Mamacita's Mexican Grill and Tequila Lounge in Apgujeong Mamacita! 135-189 서울특별시 강남구 논현2동 94-17 1층 02-511-7088 It is down the alley behind the Bennigans across from Cinecity.

Wasabi Gelato from Gustimmos: It tastes like burning with a horseradish aftertaste. It's fun to taste, not fun to eat a whole cone's worth. The Sweet Potato Gelato is quite good. I'd get it again. Locations all around Seoul. The original one is near Rodeo Street across from Galleria Department Store in Apgujeong. View Larger Map

This was published in the Friday, March 12th 2010 issue of the Korea Herald. Italian food isn't hard to find, but popularity doesn't mean that just any spaghetti would be something that an Italian would find palatable.  Of course, there are the reliable standbys such as Sortinos in Itaewon, Seoul, Antonio in Cheongdam and Primo Baci Baci in Hongdae. But for every reliable Italian restaurant, there are at least three duds. So are there any good new Italian restaurants in Seoul? I was determined to find out. I chose three: Dam Dam in Hongdae, J and T Trattoria near Seoul National University and Lugo in Apgujeong. Each has positives and negatives, and since they are different price ranges, there's one for everyone's budget. Dam Dam 2595 In a hidden Hongdae back alley is a cute little restaurant. It has a brick exterior with moss growing between the cracks - appropriate for a good first impression. Its two-syllable name, "Dam Dam," is a holler to every...

Mercado Brazillian Churrascaria is located in Hakdong near Doosan Park. The closest subway is Gangnam gu-cheong, but it's a bit of a hike so I suggest you take a taxi. The place is only open from 4:30 to 10:30 everyday (except Sunday) and they are always packed. Reservations are definitely recommended. The wine list is alright and pretty reasonably priced. My group ordered the Archangel 2007 Shiraz. It was a bit earthy and mossy for me. It needs to breath (maybe for 30 minutes or so), but it still wasn't my favorite to go with the beef. Meh...at least the name and label was cool and this Australian wine didn't have a picture of a damn kangaroo or koala on it. Here is the main roaster. It literally looks like hell, but it makes meat roast perfectly. The high heat sears the outside in a beefy crust, and the meat inside keeps it's succulent juices. This roaster does heat up the whole restaurant, so I recommend you get a table to the front of the restaurant. We were sitting...