Buddha, Jesus, and a Peacock at Om Restaurant Beautiful Interior at Om Restaurant I was recently invited to Om Restaurant by the owner of the restaurant K.P. Situoula. Apparently, he had been a fan of my blog and wanted to introduce this restaurant to me. He told me that he felt it had excellent Indian food in Seoul for good value. I am a huge fan of Indian Food, so I was happy to accept his invitation (and the challenge) so I headed there with a friend for dinner. His ornate restaurant is in the posh Samcheongdong area and it is right next to Jubilee Chocolatier and one of my favorite dessert places J's Cake . It is on the second floor and once you enter, you'll instantly be blown away by the interior. The lush, red color and the decorations make you feel like you are in a Harem. I know that in many of these places, I warn that the food often is secondary to the decoration, but I was here so I had to try the food. It is quite impressive though. I sat down...

Taj in Gangnam Taj in Gangnam serves a good, ethnic lunch for only 10,000 won. The service and atmosphere are always nice and it's nice to have something other than kimchi and rice for lunch.  Now they probably don't want me to tell you this and they'll probably change their policy soon, but they do allow substitutions. I got a chicken curry instead of shrimp just by asking. It's a good place to go for lunch. Taj: Gangnam Wosong Bldg 2nd floor Seocho-Dong Seocho-Gu Seoul  Tel : 02)533-2693~4 / Fax : 02)533-2694 http://taj.co.kr/ Directions: No. 2 subway line : Get off at exit 5 at Gangnam station. -> Turn right second alley. -> Go straight 50m.

Durga in Seoul: Indian Food Durga and Everest are my go-to places for Indian Food. Ironically, they're not Indian, but Nepalese. Sure there are "authentic" Indian places in the city, but I often feel the flavors there are a bit muddy. Also, overdosing on Indian Buffet is a sure way to make the food less special- especially since when I was a poor college student that's what my friends and I often did. The food at Durga is bright, hearty, and flavorful. The bread seems to be always right out of the oven. You can tell a good naan, if it tears right away and leaves a trail of steam. I have been disappointed by naan in the past to know when the bread is right out of the oven and one that's right out of the microwave (microwaved naan is closer to rubber than bread). I got the Palak and a Spinach Curry (I can't remember which one, but I think it was the Malai Kofta). Both were excellent and we had to order more naan to sop up all the delicious sauce. Tomato ...

Everest is a landmark in Seoul and it's known for it's consistent Nepalese/Indian Food. It has been around as long as I've been here and it's still one of my favorite places to go. The food is moderately priced, the atmosphere is comforting like grandmother's house, and the taste is authentic. Good place, but be warned- there is usually a line down the stairs on Friday and Saturday Night. Out Dongdaemun (Line 1) Exit 3. Make the 2nd left and then make the next right. Flower Bread Vendor Got Street Food? Everest Restaurant Nice Spread Palak Paneer A Lentil Curry (Sorry I forget what its called) Naan Chai Everest Restaurant (02) 766-8850 http://www.everestfood.com

First Nepal over at Ewha University is an enjoyable place to have a quiet meal. They are brave for sticking it out in the Italian-Food-Crazed, Cafe-plentiful Ewha University Area. I hope they are doing all right because the day I was there, there was only 1 table. I guess the student's had tests that day. I ordered the Veggie Set (12,000 won) and it came with Salad, Palak Paneer (My favorite), Naan, and a Lassi. The salad was quite humdrum. Honey Mustard with Mayo doesn't rock my world. The vegetables were crisp, although...meh...I would get it again with dressing (or a vinaigrette on the side). The friend I went with- I believe he got- the Nepal Chicken Curry. It was tomatoey and buttery and spicy. I mean it would have gone great over pasta and I guess it was alright on Naan. The Naan was hot and a bit doughy. It wasn't bad- just not crisp enough for me. Here's my friend giving his curry the shocker. Here's the Palak Paneer. This I recommend. The curry is thick e...

So right after attending the culinary tour and cooking class that I helped organized, I was invited by one of the participants (and friend) to enjoy some South African Style Indian Curry at her house. I had never had South African Style Indian Curry, so I was intrigued. The host, Suzanna, is of Indian decent (so she's lusciously brown) but she grew up in South Africa. Apparently, there is a large population of Indian people in South Africa and their curry is richer-quite buttery-, and heartier than their Indian counterparts. Here on the table there is cous cous; naan; a lamb, lentil, and potato curry; and a chicken curry. Here we have a lamb, lentil, and potato curry. It was richly flavored and the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender. Here is the bowl of chicken curry. Also quite excellent. But, I have to admit that the mango pickles made the meal for me. I LOVE MANGO PICKLES! They have a delicate texture like jaw-meat on yellowtail fish and the flavor is earthy yet piquant. I lov...

It's located up the hill from the Itaewon Fire Station. It used to be the Taj Mahal, but changed it's name 2 years back. The Taj was my favorite Indian place back in the day, but then they took out the Bollywood that they played on a TV and changed chefs. Recently, I went back with a couple friends of mine and I was pleasantly surprised. The interior is bright and comforting. The buffet looked like an excellent deal as well. It was 18,000 per person and it is available on the weekends. Here are my friends: Jihyeong and Miyoung. Palak Paneer is my favorite dish and they do a nice one with a good portion. I really like the paneer they use: it's curdlicious and plentiful. My friends liked that dish more than the palak paneer. Yummy Palak Paneer topped with yogurt. It had a bit of spice to it, but it wasn't overpowering. We also ordered the Chicken Vindaloo. I don't know what I did with those pictures, but I remember it was pretty good. It was thick and with goo...

Story and Pictures by Chalica Pack Walking into the Hannam-dong location of Chakraa Indian restaurant, I instantly felt like I was going to have a wonderful dining experience. The Hannam location is perfect for a romantic dinner or quiet meeting. With low lighting and beautiful decor, I felt very relaxed. And the bottle of good red wine on the table certainly added to my ease. The staff are all native to India, as are the owners. I was lucky enough to enjoy a lavish vegetarian feast with Shanthi Prince, who co-owns Chakraa. Shanthi Prince and her husband came to India 10 years ago. Between their 5 popular restaurants and 2 school-age daughters, they keep very busy. We started our meal off with a bowl of spicy muligatwny soup served with a separate small bowl of white rice to add texture. I have had good lentil soup before, but the spiciness of this one made it original and memorable. Next was a dish of samosas, a salad,and a plate of grilled vegetable...