The Beastro – Hongdae

Beastro is one of those places that I want to visit every weekend. This establishment would be quite at home in any foodie city, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to call it my favorite restaurant in Seoul. The menu is sophistication without pretense – unbelievable flavors in a wide spectrum of exciting combinations and simple dishes with amazing composition and top quality ingredients. I actually have found it quite difficult to review this place, because I don’t have enough synonyms for delicious to describe all their food and drink.

house bread with sweet garlic butter

old fashioned and 11PM – chamomile infused vodka, chamomile syrup, bay leaf

We started the night’s meal with a pair of drinks and the house bread and scrumptious garlic butter. The cocktail menu is both delicious and interesting, and the bar takes as much care with the ingredients of their drinks as the kitchen does with their food. The old fashioned would please any traditionalist, and the 11pm blew me away – the chamomile infused vodka and syrup produced a mellow and incredibly enjoyable cocktail.

pork belly with sage mashed potatoes, chestnut puree and rosemary vinaigrette

The fatty pieces of pork belly in our first dish melted in our mouths – I think Eric actually passed out for a moment from sheer happiness after a bite of this. My only complaint with the Brussels sprouts was they were too few in number. They were cooked perfectly, still just a little crunchy with nice browned bits, and when you combined them with the chestnut puree, they were absolutely delicious. The potatoes were the weak spot of the dish as the texture was a bit too pureed, but by no means were they a reason not to order this meal.

orecchiette with basil and mint pesto, stilton blue cheese, marinated peppers, walnuts, and roasted mushrooms

The orecchiette was a new menu item since our last visit. Blue cheese is the type of ingredient that can either overpower or play against other flavors to bring out contrast. In this case, the pesto, sweet peppers, mushrooms, and walnuts played heavenly against the strong cheese, and the house-made pasta got this carb-addict’s approval.

malt shoppe – apple pie milkshake, bourbon, cinnamon whipped cream and crumble

pretty in pink – vodka, pink lemonade, and carbonated lychee gelee

Waiting for dessert gave us another opportunity (or excuse) to sample a few more from the bar menu. The pretty in pink didn’t reach the level of my first drink, but it was a tasty lemonade based concoction. I did enjoy the gimmicky carbonated lychee gelee that popped in my mouth. The malt shoppe was a decent milkshake, but we both decided there was something a bit strange about the apple pie flavor. I found myself wanting an adult hot chocolate or hot toddy with the delicious cinnamon whipped cream on top. Hopefully, they’ll develop a few hot cocktails and use it for garnish.

avocado ice cream with olive oil, black salt, chili sugar, and tequila basil seeds

Dessert began with the avocado ice cream. I find myself without a proper description for this dish – it was altogether incredibly strange but entirely enjoyable. The ice cream was sweet and so smooth, and with the spicy sweet salty seasoning, it totally confused my senses and activated all my taste buds.

apple turnover with chestnut ice cream and cacao nibs

The apple turnover was the star of the night – another new menu item, Eric remarked that he was “incredibly angry” about how good it was because 1) “we’ve never been able to have it before” and 2) “we can’t have this every single night”. Delectable crust, tasty fruit filling, and the chestnut ice cream made a wonderful accompaniment. Pretty darn close to a perfect dessert.

The dining rooms of beastro, along with the rooftop patio during the warmer months, have a great ambiance for date night or a group dinner. Despite the sophistication of the menu, I guarantee even the pickiest eater can find something they’ll love.

I would be remiss if I didn’t share a few pictures of other incredibly delicious menu items we’ve sampled during past trips to Beastro. The following are constant entries on the menu and are all worth sampling if you decide to visit:

buffalo mac and cheese – buttered bread crumb and buffalo chicken

salmon rillettes with lemon curd, olives, and preserved onion

chimichurri fries – garlic, parsley, cilantro, lemon, and parmigiano reggiano

fried brie wheel – cornmeal crusted brie, orange tomato jam and croutons

24 hour hanger steak – slow cooked hanger steak, beef fat potatoes, and onion mustard gravy

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Jirou Ramen – Hongdae

Contributor: Eric

We tried Jirou almost by accident. Our intent was to eat at another highly-rated Japanese restaurant near Hongik University station before seeing a movie; we failed to account for the Hongdae schedule. Hongdae is the area surrounding Hongik University, and it takes the Korean can’t-find-a-damn-coffee-shop-open-before-eleven reality and multiplies it by college-kids-studying-into-the-wee-hours-nightly. The result, of course, is that you may as well not show before about 3:00 PM, when most shops finally start opening.

When we arrived at our chosen lunch spot, the shutters were drawn and lights were off. After briefly conferring and a quick MangoPlate search, we settled on Jirou Ramen based exclusively on the pictures; how fortunate for us. After a short hike up a treacherous, icy road and a few near misses with inattentive drivers, we found this tiny ramen shop, reminiscent of the izakayas we frequented in Tokyo.

The decision on what to eat was fairly easy, since the menu consisted of only five items: ramen, bomb ramen, teriyaki pork, and some additions we couldn’t translate. No problem, I was in it for the ramen. We got the teriyaki and the bomb ramen, which turned out to be a spicy pork dish.

The teriyaki was simple, with five long strips of pork served on a bed of rice with green onion and a small garnish of pickled ginger. Unfortunately, based on the confined cooking space, it seems the cooks took the shortcut of reheating pork in a microwave. Despite this shortcoming, however, it was still tender and flavorful, reflecting perhaps a more involved preparation earlier in the day. Although basic, the combination of flavors made this dish satisfying.

The real star was the bomb ramen. When we ordered this, one of the cooks told us it was very spicy. He asked for a spice level, from one to three. When I selected two, he made sure to again emphasize that it was very hot. It has been my experience that most locals tend to overstate the heat of their dishes, especially when they are catering to foreigners, so I gave him the thumbs-up to make it spicy.

I was expecting a typical salty, pork flavored ramen with some chili flakes or oil added for a little kick. What came out would be better described as a bowl of hot sauce with some noodles and pork as an afterthought. It was fantastic. The bomb included some of the better ramen noodles we’ve had in Seoul, none of the wavy instant noodles you frequently see at Korean “raymen” joints. It was served with a large strip of fatty pork, crumbled, seasoned pork on top, and half of a soft boiled egg. Each of these provided a different flavor and texture, making the meal a joy to eat.

Jirou Ramen, although small and simple, is a great lunch spot. It has seating for only about twelve, and in our short time there we saw many groups of locals rotate in. If you need a quick fix of warm, filling comfort food, definitely stop by.