Stroll along back streets of Seoul's Geumho-dong leads to tucked-away gem
A good meal can help boost energy, beat fatigue and even help you avoid getting sick this winter.
And if you are thinking of something new to try to keep you warm, what about Japanese-style comfort food?
Forget about tourist spots like Gangnam and Myeong-dong in Seoul. Kitchen Urawa, a cozy eatery tucked away in Geumho-dong, Seongdong-gu, in eastern Seoul, is a hidden gem to put on your culinary radar.
A good 10-minute walk from Haengdang Station on Subway Line No. 5 will take you to a restaurant that serves comfort food that Japanese people enjoy at home.
Once you step into the restaurant, you will hear Japanese pop songs, such as those sung by Yuuri and Aimyon, that create an authentic Japanese ambiance. Maneki Neko -- white cat dolls that are meant to beckon good fortune in Japanese culture and a t-shirt featuring the character Kanzashi from the Japanese animated film "Spirited Away" on the wall will also greet you.
Kitchen Urawa offers only a handful of dishes. The restaurant also accommodates only a small number of diners, with seven tables that seat two to four people each. However, we know that the fewer food options, the better because a limited menu shows the restaurant's confidence that it excels at these dishes.
The first set menu is chicken karaage, or Japanese-style fried chicken, which is one of the neighboring country's go-to bento favorites -- crunchy, crispy, golden and perfectly seasoned. It is priced at 11,000 won ($7.57).
All of the sets on the menu include a bowl of white rice topped with sesame seeds, tamagoyaki, or Japanese-style omelet, a salad of thinly sliced lettuce, fresh carrots and cherry tomatoes with salad dressing, miso soup, tofu seasoned with soy sauce mixed with katsuobushi and a sweet plum pudding for dessert.
Another chicken dish is chicken nanban, a popular Japanese dish featuring fried chicken dunked in a sweet and sour dressing and served with tartar sauce. Try a bite without the tangy sauce and later with it to create a burst of joy in your mouth. It's also a dish recommended by Foodinko, a food app that curates and shares information about restaurants. The dish is priced at 12,000 won.
The restaurant also serves cheese mille-feuille katsu, also priced at 12,000 won, which consists of layers of thinly sliced pork wrapped around mozzarella cheese that create a crispy and tender cutlet.
For those who want a savory flavor, sake don, or a bowl of raw tuna slices coated with soy and wasabi sauce served over rice, would be a perfect meal for the day. Shogayaki, tender and thinly sliced pork loin dipped in sweet ginger sauce, is also available. The two dishes are priced at 15,000 won and 12,000 won, respectively.
Kitchin Urawa is open from noon to 9:00 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday. On weekdays, the restaurant closes from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. On weekends, it is on break from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. The last order is taken at 8 p.m.
junheee@heraldcorp.com
