mac and cheese

Manimal has been the talk of the town lately. I took all the raving with a grain of salt, not wanting to be disappointed in decent, but not fantastic barbecue. I needn’t have worried – Manimal is scrumptious and totally worth the commute any day.

After you enter through the incredibly steep stairs in the alley on the left side of the building, you’re greeted by the enormous smoker. It has its own little room and takes up about an eighth of the entire dining room floor space. They are not kidding around here. It was a sign of delicious and wonderful things to come.

Like always, we started off with a few adult beverages. Eric got my first choice – the I Shot the Sheriff made with black tea, bourbon and honey. I chose the Lush Blush, featuring vodka, fresh maple syrup, and strawberries. Both were great, refreshing summer cocktails that went perfectly with the wonderful breeze from the open windows at our counter seats. The Sheriff was a smooth, sweet concoction that tasted a little like an iced hot toddy. The Lush was very sweet, but with just the right amount of maple syrup. Both were complex and mellow enough to be enjoyed by even the pickiest of drinkers.

Chile, cheesy heaven in cast iron

I had a bit of a crisis when I had to choose side dishes. I simply wanted them all. Fresh baked corn bread, bacon braised beans… how could I leave without sampling everything? We finally settled on the chipotle lime potato salad and the green chile mac and cheese. I really don’t think you can go wrong at this place. The mac and cheese featured a flavorful and spicy sauce that gave depth to an old classic. The potato salad was constructed beautifully, red potatoes and hard boiled egg elevated with the addition of the chipotle sauce and tasty mustard. The slightly more complex flavors took a side I usually avoid and made it into something I couldn’t stop eating.

To borrow an expression -These ribs? I can’t even.

The ribs were just this side of perfection. It’s not an exaggeration to say these were the best I’ve had in Korea. The rub and glaze were amazing – they’re so good naked, they don’t even need a lick of sauce. The meat was tender and smoky. Describing how good these are is hard to do without more synonyms for delicious. I really need to invest in an eating thesaurus. The brisket, in comparison, was definitely tasty, especially when doused in the vinegary, slightly spicy barbecue sauce, but not nearly as mind-blowing. Do yourself a huge favor – go early and grab a slab of ribs before they sell out. I’m not kidding. We got to Manimal exactly when they opened, and the ribs were 86’ed before we ordered dessert. We were told by staff that the chicken is stellar, the pulled pork certainly looked good, and the brisket was indeed quite yummy, but the ribs are definitely the star of the whole show.

One of the biggest surprises of the night was dessert. We usually plan on going to a second place, since we can usually end up with something a little better at a place that specializes in sweets. Don’t make that mistake and miss Manimal’s ice cream, though. House made, very vanilla ice cream served with bananas, crispy vanilla wafers and crumbles, and chunks of sweet cake. Our waiter told us we needed to try this, and he was completely correct. It’s delicious for being so deceivingly simple, and is totally one of those things I’ll be back for over and over.

Manimal is a pretty small place, and it’s probably a good idea to call for a reservation or at least show up right when they open. A lot of the seating is counter seating at the windows, and there’s really not a lot of room for a group any bigger than 6. As I mentioned before, they may start running out of ribs, corn bread, brisket, and other items as the night goes on, so show up early and make sure you order your goods right away. Don’t miss the ribs. You’ll hate yourself when you see other people eating them. This place is definitely going to be a regular stop for me.

***EDIT – Looks like Manimal doesn’t take reservations – make sure you get there early!

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

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: