Left Coast Artisan Burgers – Itaewon

Left Coast is one of my favorite places to hang out in Itaewon. The atmosphere manages to provide a comfortable place for either dinner or a quick drink and app at the bar. The windows overlook the street that marks the beginning of an area known for antique shops, providing great people watching opportunities. Also, scientifically proven fact: food tastes better when you’re listening to old school rap.

My usual go-to appetizers are the fried mac and cheese balls and the tachos, both of which are awesome. The crispy fried mac is served with a tasty red sauce, and the tachos are house-made tater tots covered in cheesy and spicy sauces, and should you opt for it, delicious pulled meat. This time, we decided to try the baked mac and cheese. On it’s own, it doesn’t quite hold up to those favorite apps, but we did discover it was an ideal dipping choice for the skinny fries that came with our burger.

LC does a great job of balancing flavors in their burger recipes. The Hapa features a pickled cabbage slaw, fried egg, and pepper aioli. The yolk breaks when you bite into it, and along with the tasty sauce, produces a very delicious mess. Each burger is served with the aforementioned lightly seasoned and crisp skinny fries.

Traditional Lemonade with Vodka

The adult lemonades are freshly squeezed and tasty like whoa. They come in three varieties, each with a different liquor – ginger/gin, strawberry/tequila, and traditional/vodka. Also pictured: Sriracha – I love that LC stocks this hot sauce.

Strawberry Lemonade with Tequila

Galbi Bao

Another great item is LC’s Bao buns. Each features a different meat and distinctive sauce, and all are served on fluffy white dumpling. My favorite is the pork belly with soy glaze and cucumber. It is surprisingly light and the veggies produce a satisfying crunch to go with the soft, fatty meat. The galbi is also super tasty and tender. These are my go-to bar snacks when we stop by for a drink – just big enough to satisfy a craving without being too filling.

Pork Belly Bao

Left Coast’s food is both interesting to the palate and satisfying to the appetite, and the staff is welcoming and awesome. They always have a special going – that day, it was a 1+1 on the lemonades, and they often feature unique burgers. Every once in a while, they also host late night snack nights with Mexican or Hawaiian food menus. Word is they’re also getting a new set of cocktails and an expanded dessert menu soon.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Burger Mill – Unjung/West Pangyo

When Mr. Big closed, I didn’t expect another burger joint to open in its place. I’m quite glad that Burger Mill decided to do just that.

This was my favorite part of the meal. Every great milkshake needs to start with good quality ice cream – this one was thick and creamy and tasted like the ice cream we used to get back home in Maine at a local farm.

On a whim, I ordered the “tornado” without knowing exactly what that meant. Turned out that the tornado is an order of delicious curved fries, crispy around the outside and soft in the middle. It was a good gamble.

The onion rings were fresh and well prepared, but strangely sweet. The breading was seasoned and crunchy and not oily at all. The order came with a ranch dipping sauce.

The burger was quite tasty. The bun was soft and the patty seasoned well and cooked to medium. Even though it’s winter, the produce was crisp and fresh, and the sauce that garnished the burger was spicy and complemented the taste of the beef rather than overwhelming it.

I took another chance and ordered the “bulgogi dog”. In general, I don’t really like hot dogs, but I decided to give this one a shot. Turns out there’s no hot dog in the bulgogi dog – instead, it was a little like a Korean steak sandwich, garnished with cheese, onions, lettuce and relish. It ended up being quite delicious.

Located on the cafe street that runs along the stream in Unjung, Burger Mill is just a stone’s throw from us. I’m glad to have a local burger place again, and even if I weren’t a glutton for ground beef, I’d come back just for the rich milkshakes.

Click to enlarge

 

 

 

 

 

Linus’ BBQ Lunch – Itaewon

We first went to Linus’ this summer shortly after they opened. The promise of good ol’ Alabama barbecue was much too attractive to pass up. Linus himself lived in Alabama before returning to Korea to open his BBQ joint, and he seems to have picked up a true love for the good stuff.

This is one of our favorite places in Seoul. The ribs are always tender, the bbq sauces tangy and spicy, the deep fried mac and cheese balls stick-in-your-arteries good. During the winter, the patio is covered and heated, expanding the small dining room to accommodate the growing dining crowds.

We found ourselves in Itaewon on errands and stopped in for lunch. This trip, we ordered the crack tea and an old fashioned. Linus’ bar started off simple and small, but has grown over past months – the bar menu is incorporating new drinks all the time.

I kept it simple with the pulled pork sandwich completed by “skinny ass fries” and coleslaw. Whenever I bite into one of these, I always contemplate ordering a second sandwich – they’re that good.

Eric went for Da Bomb – a brisket sandwich covered in cheese and topped with deep fried pickles. If that wasn’t enough food, we also ordered a side of the smokey mac & cheese. I happen to prefer my Linus’ mac & cheese in fried ball form, but the standard way of serving is also delicious.

Linus’ is a stellar BBQ joint. The food is always great, and Linus and his staff are always friendly and inviting and seem to have a genuine love for making good food and drink. Check them out the next time you’re hankering for some barbecue – you won’t be disappointed.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge