City Guide Review: The Flying Pan
Review by Tiffany Chu, ETA 2015-2016 City: Seoul Restaurant Name: The Flying Pan Food Served: Western Food/Brunch, sandwiches, pancakes, & dessert Restaurant Address: 13, Itaewon-ro 27 ga-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul View Map Directions: Take the subway to the Itaewon Station (Line 6), and go out of exit 2. Walk straight and turn left at the first street. The restaurant will be on your right hand side, but it is slightly hidden because you have to walk down some steps into the basement floor of a building to get to it. Just look out for their sign, and you won’t miss it! [slideshow_deploy id=’4658′] The Flying Pan Blue is one of the most popular brunch spots in Itaewon, so we were expecting a long wait. However, both times I visited their two locations (other one is in Sinsa-dong), my group was seated promptly with no wait time at all. They offer a broad selection of dishes, from staple breakfast foods and fresh juices to sandwiches and salads made from organic ingredients. Their portion sizes are huge, so you will not be hungry after you down one of their meals. Another added bonus is that they offer several options for those that are vegetarian/vegan or have a gluten allergy. The waiters understand English and were very accommodating when we had special requests. The food arrived at our table in a timely manner and with visually attractive presentation. Essentially, if you are looking for a cozy atmosphere and want the choice of both sweet and savory selections, you should definitely stop by for brunch when you’re in town!
D. Queens (디 퀸즈)
Review by Kristen O’Brien, ETA 2014-2016 City: Seoul Restaurant Name: D. Queens (디 퀸즈) Food Served: Brunch, Italian Restaurant Address: 1) Coex Mall (1st floor, I-104) 서울시 강남구 삼성동 159 코엑스몰 지하 1층 I-104호 2) Hannam Branch 서울시 용산구 한남동 273-2 View Map Directions: I went to the Coex location! Take the subway to Line 2, Samseong Station exit 5 or 6. The mall is directly connected. Cost: 15,000+ won This restaurant is pricey with meals starting at 15,000 won and up. Salad starts around 11,000 won, and the portion sizes are very small. Despite all that, this restaurant has the most legitimate spaghetti and meatballs I’ve ever tasted in Korea. They are juicy, tender, herby, and meaty. It was served with perfectly al dente pasta in a mini skillet, coated in a warm tomato sauce. I was licking the sauce off the plate once I finished. I also had the ricotta salad, and then carrot cake cheesecake for dessert. The ricotta salad…I can only rave about it. They have mixed nuts, a big helping of creamy ricotta cheese scooped on top, cranberries, and a delicious glaze-like dressing. I’ve had a lot of ricotta salads, and despite being small, this is the best ricotta salad ever. Unlike the other dishes, the cake was a generous slice. It was a large slice of carrot cake, with thin layers of cheese cake in between. Service was average, but the restaurant was also bustling. It was very busy. The restaurant was clean, and had a bistro-like feel to it. If you have some extra money to spend, I highly recommend you check out D.Queens! It also has a cafe section, and the brunch looks really delicious as well (for a much more modest price during regular lunch hours I believe).
Cafe Burano (Seoul)
Review by Tiffany Chu, ETA ’15-’16 City: Seoul Restaurant Name: Cafe Burano Foods Served: Cafe, brunch Restaurant Address: 마포구 동교동 201-16 (201-16 Donggyo-dong Mapo-gu, Seoul, Korea) View Map Directions: Subway: Hongik University station, exit 1. Turn right out of the station, when you come to a large street two blocks in cross and turn left and then turn right at the first street. Cafe Burano will be on your right. Cost: 8,000-14,000 won Café Burano is a cozy eatery situated on a quiet street in Hongdae far from the noise of the main shopping area. I visited here for the first time on a Saturday around noon time, and the wait time was about 15-20 minutes without a reservation. The restaurant has a warm glow to it and a decidedly western feel. They offer a good selection of baked goods by the cash register and tables ranging in size and shape. The restaurant has a very lived-in feel — it’s clean but not pristine. They also have basic two-stalled bathrooms. After being seated, you will decide your order and at the table before placing it at the counter. My Korean friend ordered for us, and I never spoke with any of the servers, so I cannot speak to the wait staff’s English ability. After about 10-15 minutes, my club sandwich, and my friend’s pancake brunch arrived at the same time. The brunch options (pancake, waffle, french toast) were the most commonly ordered around those around us — take note that the portion size of these plates are quite large. My friend thought the pancake brunch was pretty good. The potatoes were nicely crisp, but the overall flavors of the plate weren’t anything special. I could same the same for my club sandwich. It came with a lot of lettuce, american cheese, onions, tomatoes, sweet pickles, two slices of bacon, and too much mayonnaise for my preferences. It certainly was not a bad meal, and I wouldn’t be averse to visiting again, but I don’t think I’ll be craving their food anytime soon.