Be prepared to go in like a champ, walk out like a sinner.

Lol. That is a direct quote from one of my friends who recently went to the place with me. That sounds quite exaggerated, but I would say it captures the gist of how I felt on my first visit. So here comes my posting about 9 ounce Burger (나인온스버거) near Naksongdae Station (Line 2, 낙성대역). The photos in the post are a compilation of my various visits, ranging from 2 weeks ago (Spring 2015) to Autumn 2014.

For your info, it is also one of the matjibs (맛집, meaning restaurant that provides good food that is made famous by word of mouth) every student of Seoul National University has at least visited once in their uni life.

It is a small but cosy restaurant, with a capacity of 20 pax at one time. The picture is taken on a weekday before lunch peak hours.

You are given eight types of burgers to choose from — which I think the choices available is pretty decent for a small burger chain like this. You may choose to have ala carte (only the burger) that cost you KRW8,500-9,500 (OMG I AM SO HAPPY WITH THIER PRICING), or add another KRW4,500 to complete a meal (meals come with bigger serving of fries and a soda). English Menu is available. HOORAY!

Drinks wise, they serve soda, VERY-sinful milkshakes, beer and wine.

It takes about 20-25 minutes for your burger to be served. No complain — because all complaints will disappear without a trace when you see these lovelies being served right in front of you.

The 9ounce Burger was tender, juicy and flavorful, one of the best I have had so far. I am extremely picky when it comes to burger because it is just not worth it to take a lousy burger. More so if you take that heavy load of calories into consideration. I mean, if the damage is the same for taking a good burger and a bad burger, I will just take the good one, and groan in pain at the gym later.

Back to the burger — It was just some very simple combination: High-quality Wagyu beef, onion and cheese, but attention are paid to the detail. The juicy and cooked beef, the golden brown and perfectly caramelized onion, and the correct amount of cheese — I just can’t get enough. 9ounce is just taking it to a whole new level!

The California Burger, a less aggressive cousin of 9ounce original. Loaded up in fresh greens and creamy avocados, the California is clearly a healthier choice. (Burger is a cheat meal anyway but at least the greens made it healthier?) I have been to 9ounce many times and I must say California and original are what I always go for. I had their Chilli Burger once. Unfortunately, it was rather mediocre.

My first visit this year (2015) was in early spring. It was a weekday with lovely sunshine — the best reason for some real burgers? My date and I enjoy the place and shortly after a week, I visited the place again with K and another friend. Three of us couldn’t resist but order their signature 9 Ounce burger (Again!). I decided to go for 9ounce Junior, which comes in a smaller bun with four or five tiny fries; the guys have gone to great lengths to prove their masculinity. Two set meals, with regular fries, a burger and a soft drink each.

It doesn’t look like it would kill…but we three had a burger coma after stuffing everything in. The firm but juicy beef patty, accompanied by perfectly melted cheese, and the deep, rich and sweet flavour of their signature caramelised onion…I don’t mind getting that food coma again, seriously.

Other burgers in my camera, on other occasions that I thought of posting them up here for your information.

Argula Burger. The crispy bacon did a good measure for the dish. Perfect for bacon lovers.

Next, Chilli Burger. Personally I find it pales in comparison with their signature 9ounce burger. Not something I would order again. Oh well, if you happen to pop by, and feeling the need to boost up your energy to the max, try the milkshake. I ordered the Peanut Butter milkshake and Nutella Double Choco Milkshake on two different occasions. Both were thick, creamy-textured, without skimping on the ingredients. Yums!

Business is hot at night as well. So be early, or be sorry >.< as you may need to wait outside for at least 20 minutes for your turn, depending on the size of your group.

Writer’s Note:

Their 9 ounce Burgers are so good they’re rated “unfit for the faint hearted”  by my friend. Lol. As I mentioned earlier, this is the only place I go if I need a REAL burger fix. They do just as great or possibly even better compared to those at Itaewon!

Contact Details:

9 ounce Burger (Naksongdae) 나인 온스 
1606-20, Nakseongdae-Dong, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul.
서울시 관악구 낙성대동 1626-20
Tel. 070-8692-9020

Directions:

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Although there are competitors around, I would say their ricotta cheese salad is by far the best in town. Currently they have 15 outlets around Seoul, and business is pretty good. If you plan to visit the place on a weekend, I’ll suggest you to visit their outlet in the CBD area. For example the one nearby the Finance Center (Yeoksam Station 역삼역), and if you do not mind the crowd, you may try out their chic and stylish new outlet at the newly opened COEX mall. If not, you may have to spend sometime to queue before getting a seat on a weekend as they are pretty popular among the locals.

The restaurant offers a variety of sandwiches, panini, homemade salad, fresh juice, coffee and potato soup. Everything look fresh, healthy and wholesome here on the menu — good for any health conscious working OL. No wonder they become the hotspot in the CBD area within such short period, and is still going strong.

Operating on a self-serving system, visitors have to place order at the counter. An electronic bell will be given upon order and once the food is ready, the bell will start to vibrate, a signal for visitors to pick up their food at the counter.

Ricotta Cheese Salad 리코타치즈 샐러드

The legendary, Cafe Mamas’ ricotta cheese salad. Slightly sweet in flavour, it is fresh and soft, creamy, and oh-so FLUFFY! The cheese makes a terrific spread on the bread that comes together with the salad. The almond and walnut adds a crunchy texture, dried cranberries brings some fruity hint, and they drizzle it with some balsamic vinegar for that perfect twist of sourness… YUMS. Speaking of the bread, they are so soft and chewy, really addictive. One bite and the rest is history. A perfect match with the ricotta cheese.

The best thing about ordering this dish? Refillable bread! The cheese and veggies are generously portioned. Once you finish your bread, just bring the salad bowl to the counter and they will fill more breads for you. Best bargain!

Potato Soup 감자스프

Seriously, I have never miss a chance of ordering it. I order this every single time I step into any Mamas and it never disappoints me. It is one very rich, hearty, smooth, creamy and cheesy potato soup, simple and perfect enjoyment for any rainy/windy/chilly day, if you really need an excuse.  : D

This is how I usually order my meals at Mamas if I am with another friend. Two drinks (usually one coffee and a fruit juice), one ricotta salad and one potato soup. Their food comes in large portions and usually one order (especially their panini and sandwich) is good enough to feed two. For me, I just refill my bread. kkkkkkk

Verdict: Great food if you are bored of anything Korean, and they are popular not only among locals, but foreigners as well. Other than the ones listed above, green grape juice is another must try! Cafe Mamas are almost everywhere in the downtown area, be sure to check them out when you see one here in Korea!

Directions:

1. Coming out from Yeoksam Station 역삼역  Exit No.1, go straight where you’ll pass by Gangnam Finance Centre (at your left).

2. Continue to walk down the street, until you see a 4 storey building like below. Turn to your right.

3. Once turning to your right, you’ll be able to locate MAMAS on the left.

This picture was taken at Buam-dong this spring. It is certainly a place with a nice blend of humanity and tradition. Hidden in the mountain trails are various galleries, cafes and restaurants with different characteristics, certainly a neighborhood worth exploring. One of the more generally known cafes here in Buam-dong is Cafe Sanmootoonge, which I blogged about some time ago.

I believe most Seoulites will keep one or two “secret restaurant lists” in mind, for that impromptu visitor, a loved one’s visit, or that important date that we might eventually encounter during our stay here. One of my secret weapons for entertaining my friends and family to Seoul is this restaurant hidden in the lush greeneries of Buam-dong, the 소소한 풍경 [read: Sosohan Poong-gyeong]. A restaurant located in a cosy mansion in the mountain, this is perhaps where you might want to check out if you are looking for a place to dine in, especially in the daytime at least in my opinion!

To be frank, I wasn’t aware of how beautiful the restaurant would look like in the day. I had always dined in during dinner time! However, I managed to find some nicely taken pictures of the restaurant on these Naver blogs. (Kudos to these Naver bloggers!) The restaurant has a beautiful outdoor terrace for their guests to dine outdoor from spring to autumn.

And so my friends and I visited the place in the early winter. The restaurant offers Fusion Korean dishes and meals are served  plated, and divided into courses. They have 3 lunch course categories, with price ranging from KRW14,000/ 18,000/ 23,000 per person; and 3 Dinner courses ranging from KRW19,000/ 25,000/35,000. A simple decode here: course A for both lunch and dinner are the basics, B and C come with various add-ons. The higher price you pay, the more dishes, and of course the more premium ingredients you get.

We selected Course A, the Basics for our dinner. Two of us had smoked duck as main, and the other opted for the grilled 3-layered pork.

Pumpkin Porridge the Korean way. The porridge was to a very smooth, soup-like texture. Not too sweet, not too bland, bits of almond flakes add a little crumbly texture.

Dinner napkin nicely embroidered with the restaurant name.

The salad with orange dressing sprinkled with assorted nuts. Well, it tastes just like… salad. Nothing special to brag about.

More pictures while waiting for the next dish to arrive.

The assorted pancakes. This gorgeous dish is looking appetising on the table. It comes with 3 rolled pancakes and a few pieces of veggies pancakes. The flour pancake roll with kimchi fillings was good.

Some pickles which go well with the vegetable pancakes.

And then the arrival of the side dishes and the salt grilled shrimp. Frankly speaking, I was very disappointed with the shrimp. Perhaps for its poor size and the tough, rubbery texture. Worse of all, it comes with a very fishy smell.

Other side dishes. In case you are unaware, all side dishes are refillable.

And so here comes our main dishes, the oriental smoked duck and the grilled 3 layered pork. The duck meat was soft and succulent, with a very, very mild medicinal herb aftertaste. An interesting dish and I find it especially palatable if you pair the duck with the pickled chillies or pickled leaves, together with some rice. Grilled 3-layered pork was soft and juicy, with slight crispiness at the skin.

I prefer the pork over the smoked duck. As the marinate of the latter was a tad too salty and overpowering. The pork was, however, a good one. Oozing with succulent fat, it was grilled to a beautiful moist, tender texture. Certainly the best dish of the night.

Brown rice and the complimentary bean paste soup.

Dessert was a cube of Korean-styled jelly,  a little pathetic but no complaint, as we didn’t pay more for a more sumptuous dinner that night.

Nighttime at the restaurant. The atmosphere was slightly different from the daytime. Personally, I prefer to visit the place in the daytime.

If you’re wondering how does the place look like during the day, here are some of the pictures I found online. This series of pictures are from various local online publications, Naver blogs and firstsoju.com.

There is a big private room at the corner of the mansion, adorned with coloured cushions and matchy drawings that were carefully selected by the owner. An inviting space to spend an afternoon with a group of friends.

Level 1 can be converted into a terrace dining area in spring, summer and autumn. The natural sunlight lit up the space, giving off a fresh, warm and homey atmosphere, a tastefully renovated space perfect for a restaurant that provides family-style Korean fusion dining.

Writer’s Note: An interesting place with a good dining atmosphere, but with hits and misses on the food. I think it could be the course that we had opted for. The overall online review for their Lunch Course A (which does not include the shrimp) is good though. I like their main, the 3-layered pork, the pancakes and their side dishes. Since their Caprese salad and spicy eggplant soup received good feedback, if you decided to come here, I’d recommend you to choose Course C, or if you’re really on a budget, get their Course A during Lunchtime. Dinner Course A is a little tricky. I would rather add another KRW 6,000 to upgrade to Course B which comes with a better menu without the shrimp.

Contact Details:

소소한 풍경 Sosohan Poonggyeong 
Jahamun-ro, 70 gil-75, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Phone: 02-395 5035
Operation Time:  12 noon – 9pm.

Korean Version of address: 서울시 종로구 자하문로 40길 75 (부암동)

Directions:

1. Coming out from Gyeongbok Palace Station (경복궁역) Exit No. 3, walk straight about 100 meters until you reach the 2nd  bus stop. (check the electronic board, it should indicate buses number 1020, 7022, 7212.) 2. Board any of the 3 buses above (1020, 7022, 7212) and alight at Buam-Dong Community Service Centre 부암동주민센터 [read: Bu-am-dong Ju-min Sen-to]. The bus journey is roughly about 10 mins. a total 6 stops (including destination stop) before alighting. 3. After alighting from the bus, try to locate this particular cafe.

4. This particular cafe, Espresso Club is one of my favourite in Seoul. Visit them if you want some serious coffee retreat. Will write about it in future post. To visit Sanmotoonge Cafe, take the route beside Espresso Club, stay left and keep walking.

5. Then you will reach a 3-level tall white building at the road fork (check picture below).  Choose the left hand trail (the blue arrow). You’ll see a mansion right after the 3-level white building. That’s the restaurant.