cho-roke bah-goo-nee (초록 바구니)

cho-roke bah-goo-nee (초록 바구니)
서울 용산구 이촌로84길 9-18tel: 02-790-3421

what was consumed: price fixe menu (small)

tasting menus may be one of my favorite things. having the chef tell me what's delicious and how i should eat things? i'm good at following directions! and when the chef is talented, uses ingredients from his own garden (or so i am told), and makes delicious food, i'm all for it. that's how i feel about cho-roke bah-goo-nee.

hidden behind the main street of dong-bu ichon-dong is what has turned out to be one of my favorite dining experiences. i understand there are a variety of dishes that are available "a la cart," but i prefer to order the smaller price fixe set menu. this affords approximately 10 different small-ish bites that come together to make quite a meal. the meal starts with a seasonal porridge and ends with dessert featuring seasonal fruits. the server will come and explain each plate along with suggestions on how to enjoy. 

of course, no one will judge if you inhale each plate (trust me - i've done that one too many times). during the meal, at some point, the chef comes out to check in on you, make sure you're enjoying your meal, and answer any questions you might have. he and his long hair are unassuming and he neither makes the assumption that you know who he is nor announces his arrival; rather, it seems, he wants to make sure that diners are enjoying the food experiences he is trying to create. 

another blogger described his (her?) experience at cho-roke bah-goo-nee like this: not everything was a winner, but everything was definitely interesting. agreed. i liked certain dishes more than others, but i appreciated the entire dining experience altogether. i like to bring guests who visit me here in seoul and recommend the experience to others as well. 

interested? let me know and i will happily accompany you, if i'm not eating at cho-roke bah-goo-nee already.