Chick Peace, a Mediterranean-inspired fast casual spot, seems to have mastered the art of serving healthyish, gourmet-inflected fare with the speed and convenience of fast food. Diners can swoop in and, from one of several automated machines, pick and choose from salads, pita bread “burgers,” shakshuka and rice plates, adding on sides of their choosing. Portions are generous and everything is flavorful and solid. These are fluffy gyro-style “burgers” and heart

One bite of Lots O Bagels‘ sinfully chewy everything bagel swaddled around a thick schmear of feather-light cream cheese, smoked salmon, iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion and capers will confirm this spot knows how to make bagels. What started as a stand-alone bagel nook in New York’s Astoria in 1997 has branched out into a second location, right here in Korea. “My husband loves bagels so much and wanted to enjoy the bagels from our New York store in Korea,” said Lots O

It started with burgers, but warm salads could very well be a stand-out addition to the menu at Orora -- a burger and salad restaurant that opened in September. “Initially, I ran a burger joint but when I moved to the Apgujeong Rodeo area, I added salads,” Orora Burger and Salad owner-chef Cho Kyung-wook, 29, said in an email interview. “I went and checked out the salad spots that were doing well in the market, but in my opinion there was too little protein and the salads a

Anaerobic fermentation, a fairly new form of coffee processing, can truly wow with its bold and memorable flavor profile when well executed from farm to cup. Bunker Company’s Costa Rica Cordillera de Fuego is one such example. There is that initial, irresistible funk characteristic of fermented coffee followed by fragrant and rich notes of cinnamon and cacao nibs. “Usually there are three types of coffee processing -- washed, pulped and natural,” Bunker Company CEO Park

On a quiet weekday, before noon, Mia Nonna, the beloved sandwich shop that recently moved to Seoul’s Seongsu-dong, is a peaceful and inviting space. Tall, tall walls are awash in soft, beige pink and ceiling length windows let the autumn sunshine filter in. Several outdoor tables welcome those who want to enjoy the fall foliage while munching on sandwiches and sipping from steaming mugs of hot coffee. “I deliberately used indi pink and wood tones to warm up the space because I

After a brief stint in the skillet, Xesc Menzl’s debrecener sausage emerges smoky, laced with spices and slightly piquant. Juicy and finely textured, the debrecener requires no additional condiments thanks to its complex and fragrant medley of flavors. One bite unleashes a pop of nutmeg and the heat of chili. “The debrecener is a Hungarian sausage,” said Xesc Menzl owner-chef Kim Jung-hyun, 33, in an email interview. “It is crafted with pork and pork back fat, ca

Amber-hued, redolent of honey and toasted walnuts, Original Beer Company’s barrel-aged Moonlight Scottish ale walks the line between whisky, wine and beer with its potent, full-bodied flavor profile and relatively high alcohol content. Boasting 9.5 percent alcohol by volume, this brew is stronger than an average ale, and that is no accident. The newly minted craft brewery is tapping into the global trend of barrel-aged beer -- where beer is fermented in barrels often previously used to

Sequestered in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong, Oui Madeleine stays true to its name. There is only one item on the menu –- the shell-shaped madeleine. Asked why she specializes solely in these sponge cakes, owner-patissier Ryu Hye-sun answered, “While I love to explore that which is new, I have a penchant for the basics and classics and that is reflected in my decision to focus on the madeleine.” Before Ryu soft opened Oui Madeleine on Aug. 7, she studied pastries at Le Co

To agitate or not to agitate -- that is the question that baristas perfecting their pour-over coffee may find themselves asking at one point in their careers. At Danil Seoul, the answer is a resounding yes as one will discover watching a small spoon being used to stir the coffee grounds during the extraction process. “There are several reasons we use a spoon,” Danil Seoul roasters Ahn Sung-min, 34, and Lee Jae-woo, 29, explained in an e-mail interview.  “First, it er

To curious passersby, Vinosn may look like a run-of-the-mill wine shop. One step inside reveals this shop stocks exclusively natural wines and Grower Champagnes and that the owner, Agnes Kim, boasts over five years of experience and a dedicated passion for these increasingly hip and sought-after libations. “Before natural wine was imported to Korea, I drank it abroad,” Kim, 49, said in an email interview, recalling how she first encountered this much-buzzed-about wine. Then in

When opening Fault Burger in Seoul’s Sinsa-dong this May, Yoon Seong-ho, CEO of the burger joint’s parent company, asked, “Does a burger have to only be like this?” Looking to think outside the traditional burger box, Yoon turned to the tennis court for inspiration and appropriated the term “fault,” which refers to a situation where a served ball misses the designated area of the court, for his latest enterprise. “We wanted to break away from any se

Tackling the art of enjoying dry-aged steak at home was worth every sumptuous, succulent bite. The instructions given by the staff at The Porterhouse Butcher and More were straightforward. Remove the steak, a glorious almost 700 gram porterhouse that had been dry-aged for 10 weeks, from the refrigerator two hours in advance, then dress that naked hunk of meat with olive oil and salt.   Heat skillet on high heat and coat with plenty of olive oil, slide steak in and flip every minute unt

After a judicious shake, twist of the cap and pour, Hangang Brewery’s 6 percent ABV Naroo Makgeolli gently releases a tart, fermented scent akin to yogurt, followed by a delicate sweetness, nuances of Asian pear and green apple, a silky mouthfeel and a clean finish. 　 There is little carbonation in Hangang Brewery’s take on the traditional unrefined Korean rice wine, resulting in a smooth and creamy sip. “Hangang Brewery wanted to achieve a balanced marriage of sweetness an

While the city transitions to a state of relaxed social distancing, T.o.ch Coffee CEO Lee Min-kyu shares his hand-drip know-how for caffeine aficionados looking to use time at home to perfecting their pour-over brew game. Lee, a one-time consultant-turned-green bean seller, launched his business in Samseong-dong, Seoul a year ago. He started out by selling beans from farms he visited and then roasting those beans in a way that reminded him of how it tasted when he first tried the coffee at

Bimbom co-owner and chef Sim Ka-young has been attracting brunchers with her toothsome eats for over nine years, ever since she started out in Hannam-dong, Seoul.　 Now at two locations -- one in Gyeongnidan-gil and another near Seoul Forest -- Sim shares years of exprience in “Brunch Time,” a compilation of Bimbom’s recipes and know-how, released this March. “‘Brunch Time’ features well-loved dishes from Bimbom, and sadly enough, dishes that are no longer a

Supermarche chef-owner Lee Hyung-jun has come a long way from his French fine dining roots. It was 2007, Lee recalled, when he helmed a French fine dining spot in Seoul’s Hannam-dong before moving on to another upscale French restaurant in 2011. Lee then stepped away from fine dining to launch a deli-style eatery called Epicerie Collage in 2014 before taking this concept a step further with Supermarche in 2019. “Supermarche is like its name, which means ‘supermarket’

The paella at Sigolo, a newly minted restaurant in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, sums up the best qualities of this new fine casual addition to the city’s dining scene. Served in what appears to be a 17-inch pan, this dish meant to serve two is large enough for several diners to dig into. Hearty and fragrant with garlic and onion, each grain of rice has soaked up the nutty and fresh flavors of the clam, mussel and crustacean broths used to craft this Spanish classic. Sigolo’s paella

There is a reason why Under Pressure cafe team manager Park Yong-jin points to its Latte 60 as a star player in this roaster-cafe’s lineup of brews. One sip of this latte, featuring Under Pressure’s Brooklyn Comfort blend, unleashes a striking balance of acidity, sweetness and depth, mellowed and softened by dairy. The tart sweetness of dried berries peeks through all that velvety microfoam, followed by aromas of dried plums and dark chocolate for an elegant and complex brew. Wh

Rubbing shoulders with some of the most established, elite sushiya in Seoul, newcomer Sushi Sakau bucks tradition on many levels. In a neighborhood where an omakase lunch generally clocks in at over 70,000 won and dinner usually starts at 100,000 won, Sakau has whittled their prices down to 50,000 won for lunch and 88,000 won for dinner.  “It is just me, my wife and my friend,” owner-chef You Jong-tea, 32, said in explaining how keeping staff to a bare minimum and trekking out t

In hopes of attracting more like-minded coffee geeks, brothers Ko Tae-young and Ko Young-soo have expanded to Seoul’s Sinsa-dong with Vinter Coffee Bar, which soft-opened in late November and features five single-origin coffees roasted by the brothers themselves.“We wanted to focus on coffee,” said Tae-young, 32, of their newest perch. The brothers started roasting coffee as a hobby and gifting it to peers. Their hobby blossomed into a business with the opening of Vinter C