Selected as “Miele One To Watch 2017” in Asia,  TocToc is a Modern French restaurant nestled in the swanky Apgujung. Helmed by chef-owner Kim Dae Chun, it is an ideal place to sample dishes of what we called “living the Korean spirit”. You may find traditional Jangs (Korean sauces), long forgotten ingredients and wild veggies in your pasta, steak or salads.

A 3-course-lunch costs KRW 38,000 (SGD 42++), and it requires some patience (and some luck) to secure a table.

Marinated with Doenjang (Korean soybean paste), the succulent Hanwoo (Korean beef) was a head-turner. The chef uses the very pricy Binchōtan charcoal to grill the top notch, national-pride beef, which in return create a beautiful and even sear, locking the savoury juices and a sexy, woody flavour to the meat.

Black Truffle Pasta with Egg Yolk and Pecorino Cheese, another TocToc’s signature dish. This unassuming looking dish turns out to be a complete indulgence. The egg yolk and cheese added density to the sauce, and the handmade, thick and perfectly al dente noodles are evenly coated with the earthy, pungent scent of black truffle. Each bite was seriously that good – earth shattering and moan worthy, befitting the definition of a culinary orgasm.

You may find this dish on their lunch course selection, a la carte menu and signature dinner course. If you’re an avid truffle fan, spoil your taste buds by topping up a thick layer of fresh French summer truffles on your pasta during summer.

Chef Kim is famed for his conscientiousness in sourcing the seafood for his dishes due to his training background in Japan. We were really lucky to be the first few to try out this fried dory fish which is not on the menu. Using Kadaif noodles coating was a brilliant approach! I could still remember how the crunchy coating and the plump dory gushing into every corner of my mouth, it was a true bliss.

Contact Details:

TocToc 톡톡
3F, Rodeo Bldg. 33, Dosan-daero 51-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
서울시 강남구 도산대로 51길 33, 3층.
Tel. +82 2 542 3030

Directions:

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The restaurant opens at 11 am. But we found ourselves on the waiting list with 10++ groups ahead when we were there at 11:10 am. The approximate waiting time was an hour – now you know how popular this place is. However, the restaurant is located right at the Gangnam Cafe street, it wasn’t a problem finding a place to kill our time before enjoying the meal.

The interior just feels like any Japanese family restaurant one would see in Japan. White tiles with dark grout, wooden stairs, and vintage furniture. The warm and cosy atmosphere remind me about my recent trip to Japan. Like any family restaurants in Japan, the place serves curry, fritters and beef stews, pairing with a wide variety of Whisky cocktails (Highball), Japanese beer, and other alcoholic drinks.

The Honey Yuza Highball and Cream de Cafeball. Highball is a kind of Japanese Whisky based cocktail with soda. Our Honey Yuza Highball cocktail was a refreshing citrus infused drink perfect for summer. Cream de Cafeball, a combination of whisky and coffee, albeit sounded a little risky, it was surprisingly tasty. I would recommend Honey Yuza if you want something refreshing. If you love coffee, perhaps you should try out the Cafeball!

Cream Curry Udon (크림 카레 우동), the signature dish from Tokkijung. I remember when I told one of my friends about how delicious the dish is, she wasn’t quite convinced. I guess many of you cannot relate whipped cream with curry. It certainly doesn’t look as appetising. However, do not judge the food by its cover.

This is just how it looks like when it was served — Thick and creamy bowl of whipped cream without any trace of udon noodles. The curry udon and vegetables are underneath. Just stir the dish well and eat tuck in. I was taken aback as I didn’t know what to expect before eating the noodles.

I took one bite and … it was good! To my surprise, the cream didn’t taste sweet at all. It was quite bland, indeed, with minimal seasoning. However, the soft and creamy texture of the whipped cream created a harmonious balance with the fragrance of the spices, and the distinctive sweetness of Japanese curry. It was like eating creamy carbonara pasta with Japanese curry sauce – something unfamiliar, yet somewhat familiar. But it tastes great! The udon noodles were in the perfect al-dente texture, which certainly scored some extra points.

The Charcoal Grilled Beef (숯불구이). It was good, but not impressive — the beef was nicely marinated, perhaps a little too sweet for my palette, but not outrageous. Not something to rave about though. You can easily get to eat any BBQ beef of the same standard at any popular BBQ restaurants in Seoul.

The beef comes with a huge bowl of refillable salad. Rice is not included. You can order plain rice from the Ala-carte menu to complete your meal if you like.

Writer’s Note: The food and overall atmosphere feels like dining at a good friend’s place. The food is generally good, but not really impressive. Their Cream Curry Udon is definitely worth trying. However, if you aren’t too adventurous about food, then it is better to share it with someone. Decent food and beer, friendly service perfect for gathering.

Contact Details:

Tokkijung 토끼정
617-3, Yeoksam Dong, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul.
서울 강남구 역삼동 617-3
Operating Hours: Mon-Sat: 11am -2am, Sun: 11am-12am.

Directions:

1. Coming out from Gangnam Station (Line 2) exit 11, go straight until you see movie theatre CGV.
2. Turn into the junction right before CGV, go down about 200M you’ll see the building.

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The wine buffet is located at Imperial Palace Hotel 임피리얼 팰리스 호텔. Stepping into the hotel lobby is an experience akin stepping out of South Korea. The lobby was tastefully and expensively decorated in beautiful English/ European style furnitures (I can’t tell exactly if it is English or European but anyway) that makes you wonder if you’re spending Christmas overseas. The chandeliers, antique armchairs and the golden patterned carpet, all of which maximise the romantic ambience, makes this place a perfect venue for any year-end gathering.

We were seated right beside the window. The trees and bushes were adorned with beautiful Christmas lights.

The wine list of the day was given before we start the feast. We opted for the KRW 100,000 (SGD 122+-) buffet, that entitle us a longer wine list to choose from: one sparkling wine, 3 white wines and 3 red wines. The other option, which comes slightly cheaper KRW 80,000 (SGD 98 +-), offer a shorter list with one sparkling wine, 2 white wines and 3 red wines to choose from.

We ordered Cabernet Sauvignon from 1865 Single Vineyard, a Chilean Red wine to start with. Before the waiters could serve the wine, I am already down at the ground to check what Amiga has to offer. kkkk

Nearest to the entrance was a cheese platter with 3 types of cheese, followed by a long salad bar, and the Smoked Salmon, a must-have for buffets in the South Korean context. They have a tantalizing spread of antipasto, ranging from grilled vegetables, chicken, shrimps and etc. And of course, a mini selection of sushi, sashimi, and tuna tataki (seared raw tuna). For natto lovers, you will love that good serving of natto right at the beginning of Japanese food section.

Up next was Korean cuisine. Big, fat juicy Ganjang Gejang (Raw crabs marinated in soy sauce) look delish, especially with the generous spread of tiny little yellow globule (roe) as toppings. A wide spread of Korean banchan (side dishes), including marinated/pickled vegetables, jeon (Korean assorted pancakes), Yukhoe (beef tartare) and even Bossam (Korean Rice Wraps with braised pork) is available at the Korean food section, not to mention endless selection of kimchi available.

Further down at the open kitchen area — that is where your made-to-order lamb chops and steaks are prepared. Grilled beef tenderloins are available here as well. They do serve steamed glutinous rice in lotus leaf,  quite a rare dish for a buffet. The “Chinese” food such as Tangsuyuk (Koreanized version of Chinese sweet and sour pork) and Ganpung (干烹) Shrimp (Crispy shrimp with spicy sauce) can be found here too.

The first plate.

And the second plate.

Also the first glass of wine for the night, the 1865 Cabernet Sauvignon. I don’t know which year exactly this particular wine is from, but it comes in a beautiful purple-ish ruby red colour, and taste really good — strong notes of ripe berries, and perhaps chocolate, with nice amounts of tannins backing up. A dense and concentrated, semi-full bodied wine, an elegant start for the night.

Without me knowing, my dinner partner ordered a steak for me at the counter. A very nice gesture for him to do so. However, Their steak was a little disappointing. It is cooked more than medium.. or almost well done, leaving minimal juice in that boring piece of protein. = (

After two glasses of my beautiful Chilean wine, we switched to Elitaio Montepulciano D’ Abruzzo, an Italian red wine. Nice ruby red colour, fruity with a hint of spicy notes behind, a lighter body compared to the Chilean wine above. Not a fan of European wine, but it was an easy drink. I remembered we did try the French wine, but I can barely remember how it taste since I was already a little tipsy after a few glasses.

Before proceeding to the dessert wine, we set off to one last round at the hall for some desserts. They have nice tarts, brownies, puddings, macaroons, cakes, fresh fruits and some frozen fruits like lychee and mango.

That was how I ended my wine buffet dinner — with one last glass of an Australian Chardonnay.

*Satisfied*

Half tipsy, and of course very happy, we left Amiga for the elegant lobby. I must say the Christmas atmosphere was great at Imperial Palace. The old fashioned armchairs, chest and cupboard, and the overload of Christmas lights just scream CHRISTMAS! Certainly one of my favourite place to soak in the Christmas atmosphere in Korea!

Verdict:  A decent wine buffet at a hotel in town area. Food wise, I would say the buffet provided here is certainly on the healthier side. Expect lots of fresh, raw vegetables here — a plus point in my book, since I enjoy a healthy diet. However, it does not come with oyster, lobster and Alaskan King crabs that we have in Singapore, which is a minor drawback. Overall, the food tastes great. There aren’t many visitors yet, so visitors can enjoy a calm and tranquil night at the restaurant.

With the decent wine list given, I would say it is quite reasonably priced. I mean, we don’t get such price back in Singapore do we? From what I understand, the cheapest hotel buffets that include free flow of wine are at least SGD 128, and the price doesn’t even include tax! So if you want a wine-galore kind of night, this is where you should give a try.

Contact Details:

Imperial Palace Hotel, Cafe Amiga 임피리얼 팰리스 호텔. 아미가
640, Eonju-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 강남구 언주로 640.
Tel: 02-3440-8000

Time: Mon-Sat, 6pm-10pm.

Directions:

Nearest Subway Station: Hakdong Station 학동역
1. Coming out from Exit no. 1 Hakdong Station, go straight, down two blocks, where you’ll see the hotel opposite the main road.
2. Cross the road and you’ll reach the hotel in 2 minutes!

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.