Do You Like? (Changwon)
Photos and review by Chris Hoffman, ETA ’16-17 City: Changwon (창원) Restaurant Name: 두유라이크? Restaurant address: 사림동 24-6 두유라이크, 641-824 창원 24-6 Sarim-dong, Uichang-gu, Gyeongsangnam-do View Map Food Served: Pizza, pasta, steak Price: Well priced with about 10-14,000 won for a main dish One of the food-related ventures I miss most about living in New York is the abundance of Italian American food. Fresh marinara sauce. Garlic cloves hanging from the ceiling. Mozzarella to fill every bite. As an Italian American living in Korea, I yearned for my mother’s homemade meatballs, my uncle’s famous antipasta, and the small Italian restaurants that smelled like home. When my friend offered to bring me to a “small Italian food restaurant” in Changwon, South Korea, I couldn’t resist. I don’t know about you, but I am a sucker for hole-in-the-wall joints. The harder to find and the more bizarre the hours, the better. I like to think that this adds an adventurous thrill to the experience. Well, though this restaurant was close to the university and relatively easy to find, I knew it was a hidden gem of the locals. With just two staff members working (a chef and a server/hostess), I knew we had hit the jackpot. The hours of the place are also a bit strange. It’s open from 11:30-9:30 most days, though they break for a nice afternoon siesta/riposo from 3:30-5:30. The hostess greeted us with a smile and told us there was a ten minute wait. I looked around and was surprised to see a large American flag separating the waiting area from the kitchen. Propped in front of the flag was a bicycle with the Union Jack painted on its seat. A small table covered in British tchotchkes stood only feet away. “Are you sure this is an Italian restaurant?” I asked my friend. We walked in to find that the whole place was only large enough to fit a maximum of 15 people. Cute personal napkins printed with the words “Do You Like?” were waiting for us at the table. “What’s the name of this place?” I asked. It’s called “Do You Like?” or 두유라이크? in Hangul. My friend ordered for us while I began to take in my surroundings. Hanging from each wall was a framed picture of Audrey Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Audrey in white, Audrey laughing. There was also a large Marilynn Monroe picture, but it was diffidently the gallery of Audreys that was running the show. It didn’t matter where we sat; there was always a set of Audrey eyes watching us while we ate. I took a look at the menu and found it cute and helpful. The “family motto: No Pain, No Gain,” was clearly printed on the bottom, along with “Eat Pray Love.” We ordered the 해산물 먹물 파스타 (ink pasta), which is one of their specialties. To my knowledge, I had never willingly ingested ink. Unsure of how this delicacy would taste, I braced myself for a mouthful of black pasta. The 해산물 먹물 파스타 was delicious! Complete with mussels and shrimp, the pasta was smothered in a rich ink which just added to the seafood flavor. If you enjoy seafood and are looking for something a little different, I would recommend 해산물 먹물 파스타! Just remember, the meal does stain your mouth black! We also enjoyed the thin crust gorgonzola pizza. Dipped in a tiny bit of honey, and you have a mouth-watering mix of savory cheese and sweet honey delight. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the unique ambiance and quirkiness of Do You Like? The food was delicious. The staff were helpful and cheery. The Audreys were a bit intimidating, but they grew on me with every forkful of pasta. So to answer the question: Do You Like? Why, yes. I do!
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).
COOKand (Gyeongju)
Review by Stephen Speers, ETA ’15-’16 City: Gyeongju Restaurant Name: COOKand Foods Served: Italian Restaurant Address: 경북 경주시 노동동 14번지 (Just Naver cookand) View Map Directions: Luckily, the restaurant will pop up if you type “cookand” into Naver! The establishment is right by the tombs downtown. If you’re heading from the train station, walk four streets down in the opposite direction and turn left and continue until the tombs are on your left. From the bus terminal, you can walk down the main street (heading towards the train terminal) and turn left after the second tomb! Your walk from either location should be a nice five to ten minute stroll! Cost: $$- Considering that Italian food tends to be quite expensive in Korea, I would say that COOKand is a pretty great deal. The meals are in the neighborhood of 9,000-12,000 won and they serve sangrias and glasses of wine for around 6,000 won! If you plan to dine and drink then I would go expecting to spend around 18,000-20,000 won. (Hey– they do throw in a free fortune cookie 😉 ) [slideshow_deploy id=’4045′] Atmosphere / Decor: COOKand is the epitome of cute meets Italian food. The restaurant looks like something you’d find on a girl’s artsy tumblr page— meaning, it’s creatively designed with a unique color palette, has some hipsterish photos pinned on the walls, and there’s a minimal nature-y vibe going on. But what really set’s this place apart from other restaurants in Korea is that you can view historic tombs just outside the window! The green tombs provide a beautiful backdrop to your delicious Italian meal in Korea. Wait time: I think lunch or early evening is the best time to go, so that you can see the gorgeous hobbit-like tombs in the sunlight. The restaurant also lights up quite nicely too. Service: I wish every menu in Korea was like COOKand’s— it is in English WITH photos for each meal! How perfect. It’s also a small little flip book which is creative (tumblr-esque~). Ordering can be as simple as pointing and reading aloud! Also— make sure to note that they sometimes have specials of the day on a board. Specialties: You’re coming to COOKand for the Italian cuisine and possibly the affordable wine and sangrias! The Sangrias are fruity and tasty as ever. I strongly recommend one for the wait, one for the meal, and who knows— maybe one for dessert? The menu is full of great options to fulfill any pasta lover’s desire. Personally, I love cream sauces so I always go for the shrimp with white cream sauce. However, they also have some fresh tasting olive oil dishes, tomato-based pasta sauces, and so on. I’ve frequented the establishment four times and I always order the same meal— but I also always enjoy whatever I sample from my guest! Also, at the end they provide you with fortune cookies. But beware, the fortune cookies are only in Korean. So unless the power of Korean flows strong with you, then you may feel sad like me wondering what the fortune possibly could have been. Or make a game of it and create your own fortune (wealth, love, fame, world domination)! Why I always come back: I always come back to COOKand for the affordable Sangrias and because I really miss pasta. Honestly, the pasta is also much better than whatever I can muster up at home. I hope to go someday with a coteacher… maybe they’ll translate my fortune cookie ^.^