Poom Seoul's Shitake Mushroom stuffed with shrimp Originally published in the December 2010 issue of Seoul Magazine. Reprinted with permission Poom Seoul: Transcendent Cuisine You don’t have to reinvent the wheel- especially when you have top-notch ingredients and a perfect location. Located on Namsan mountain, Poom overlooks the majesty of Seoul from the center. The journey to the restaurant makes you adequately aware of what season it is and sets the mood for the meal. You have to walk down to enter the restaurant- ironic as it is on a mountain. It opens into a minimalistic space full of light from the large bay windows. The style of Poom is evident. Rustic pottery and bronze chopsticks and spoons juxtaposed with western-style tables draped with white tablecloth. Even the barley tea was served in glass wine glasses. You don’t order your meal when you get to Poom, because you have to make the reservation with your order 1 day in advance. I had decided to order the reg...

random photo^^ I love getting questions and answering questions. Now, I try and answer all the letters I receive, but sometimes I can't get to them. There are two options. 1) There is a forum section on the Seoul Eats Facebook Group Page (Click Here)  And there is a Seoul Eat's Forum found on the tab bar above or just click here. Recently I received this letter from a reader named Daniel: Hey Daniel, I was looking at your newest post of restaurant recommendations, and you posted this twice. So it must have been a good experience. Plus I've ever had a royal court experience. I checked out the website, but not a lot of useful information unless I have my Korean friend translate it. Was it an easy place to make reservations, if they even take them. Did you pick your set beforehand? Do they have English menus?  Would you recommend Sura-on for a special occasion? Are there any other restaurants you recommend for a special occasion? Thanks. My Response They have Englis...

You can find the original article here at the Seoul Tourism Website here. Please be sure to leave a comment on their website. Thanks, Dan Written and Photographed by Daniel Gray There is a reason why her food has been labeled “dining art.” At first glance, the food at Jeong-Hyun Ahn’s “Wooriga” looks too beautiful to eat. At her quaint, elegant haute cuisine restaurant overlooking Dusan Park, Mrs. Ahn breaks with Korean convention: her entrees are served course by course, so guests are not confused by a table littered with plates, and find themselves able – even obliged – to enjoy the artistry put into each dish. Before getting onto the food, let me tell you a little about the chef. First and foremost, Jeong-Hyun Ahn is an artist. She was formally trained in applied fine arts and then went to Japan to get a degree in flower arrangement, before returning to Korea to study traditional cuisine. She then used her skills to make sumptuous wedding feasts, before becoming the ...

Braised short ribs with autumn nuts. Royal Salad with Jelly Fish Noodles, Shrimp, and beef. Abalone with jujube and ginko nuts Flower wine Royal noodles Japchae Contemporary Korean Food: all dressed up. Woor-ga across from Doosan Park in Apgujeong. 02 3442 2288 A write up is coming soon.