Hey guys! This is my first blog post since school has started! Hope you didn't miss me too much... especially since I'm back with a great restaurant recommendation. I was debating whether to share this place with you guys since I like to think of Jungsik-dang bar as one of my special, secret spots in Korea, but I thought about the purpose of my blog and here I am once again. Shoutout to my aunt who introduced me to Jungsik-dang bar (she literally knows all the hot, trendy places in Korea).

Jungsik-dang bar is located in Cheongdam-dong, the heart of many luxury brands, which is great if you want to invest in a few expensive pieces along the way. Obviously, I'm only here for the amazing food—which is sometimes ridiculously expensive like the clothing shops around Cheongdam. However, Jungsik-dang bar is worth the price. A lot of the times, I am disappointed by the quality of the food compared to the price, but this place will make your palette want to cry of happiness (my cousin almost cried when she tasted the food for the first time).

This was actually my second time going to Jungsik-dang bar. The first time I went for lunch, but the second time, I went for dinner, so the photo quality and lighting of some images may be different (sorry!).

The lunch menu and dinner menu are slightly different. I personally like the lunch menu better because of Jungsik-dang bar's amazing ham and cheese panini that is exclusively available for lunch. Unfortunately, I forgot what it was called, but you can show them the picture of the panini below if you want to order it. If any of you guys find the official name, please let me know!

This ham and cheese panini is very basic, but the crispness of the bread with the melted cheese and soft ham is a staple food that will forever make me happy. This is a must-order dish for me. Amid more complex flavors, I always need a base flavor to round everything out.

I don't often say this, but almost everything tasted amazing (except for the Cheese Pasta which was out shined by everything else). My cousin and I ordered five different dishes, and we scraped everything off the plates.

Here are my favorite orders (I even wrote notes while I was tasting the food so I wouldn't forget what everything tasted like):

1. Beef tartare (안심 타르타르) - my favorite dish in the WHOLE restaurant.

Beef tartare is basically like raw beef (very much like the Korean side dish 육회, yook-hae) which surprises a lot of foreigners because of its chewy texture. You can think of it like sashimi, but texturally chewier.

Not only is the presentation absolutely beautiful, but the flavors in this beef tartare dish are phenomenal. The menu says the beef tartare is accompanied with truffle oil, broccoli, and capers. I definitely could taste the truffle oil, but I loved how it was not overpowering and well balanced with the saltiness of the cheese. What I loved most about this dish though was the underlying smoky flavor. I wasn't sure if the smokiness was from the meat itself or the vegetables, but it helped to enhance the flavor. My only complaint about this dish is the limited amount of bread on the side. You definitely can't eat this dish without any other side dishes (too salty by itself), so make sure to order risotto or pasta to accompany it. Speaking of risotto, the Chicken Risotto is also delicious.

2. Chicken Risotto (치킨 리조토)

The first time I tried the chicken risotto, the chicken skin was much more crispy, but the second time around. it was not as much. I hope they have more consistency next time. This is another unique flavored dish that can only be found in Jungsik-dang bar. As the red color of the rice suggests, the dish carried a little bit of spice, but what was interesting about the spice was that it tasted like 고추장 or go-chu-jang, a Korean red pepper paste. Perhaps this is another fusion dish inspired by Korean food. I always love it when restaurants use Korean ingredients to create a subtle fusion that's not so obvious (it's almost like a reminder that the food is special to Korea).

3. Flathead grey mullet Ceviche (숭어 세비체)

My cousin especially liked this dish. What I appreciated about this ceviche was how it acted as a palette cleanser—the fresh, lightness of the grapefruit and salad underneath (I think the white vegetable underneath is fennel) combined with the sashimi made for a wonderfully clean taste. Also, if you don't know what ceviche is, it is raw fish with citrus sauce.

4. A side of Fries (감자 튀김)

The portion size, crispiness, and seasoning of these fries were all perfect. Every bite was so crispy, yet soft enough that the potato wasn't heavy or hard to chew. I don't like thick fries, because the potato taste lingers for too long (without seasoning), and they tend to feel more greasy in the mouth. Small fries are my ideal (skinny ass fries... if you know, you know).

And of course, the ham and cheese sandwich which I have already babbled about.

I promise you will not be disappointed by the food here (especially if you order my "favorites"). Here is a gallery of other orders that were still good, but didn't make it to my top list.

That's it for the food. I know how important aesthetics are these days (especially with the rise of social media) so I will do a quick tour of Jungik-dang bar.

The restaurant has an open kitchen (though I think there is a separate kitchen inside somewhere) which gives a modern, casual vibe to the restaurant.

There is also a beautiful sun-roof/terrace at the back of the restaurant, which is also why I prefer to go in the afternoon. The forest theme is so beautiful and fun to the eyes. The green chairs (at the front of the picture), however, are rarely used because they are too low to eat on. Sometimes... function is more important than pure aesthetics.

Another important aspect of Jungsik-dang bar is that it is a branch of Jungsik Seoul, which is a 2 Michelin star rated restaurant (both located in the same building). Jungsik Seoul truly is the definition of fusion—just look at the presentation of the dessert below! If you are confused, the brown pots are traditional Korean pots called Onggi, commonly used to store kimchi or other foods in need of fermentation.

And... that's a wrap for my Jungsik-dang bar restaurant review. Hope you guys enjoy it and if you end up going to Jungsik-dang bar or even Jungsik Seoul, please tag me @nhighteaters or send me a DM. Thank you so much for all your support and for reading my blog. xxx Nicole

(More poetry COMING SOON)