mary eats

Friday my review of Kuai 19 came out in the Korea Times. You can read it here.

I have mixed feelings on the place. The good and the bad are even keeled. The atmosphere is beautiful. It is a rare treat when a restaurant can remove you from Seoul. Ajumas, cab drivers, and the guy who wanders through your neighborhood, blaring on and on about computer and tv repairs, magically fade away. Decked out in pinks, rustic furnishings, and quietly elegant nick knacks reminded me of Hanoi or Hoi An.

Kuai 19 is another one of those restaurants who’s prices do not properly reflect the quality of the food. Given that this is Sinsa-dong, I expect to pay more, however 17,000won for a plate of garlic fried chicken that doesn’t even come with a side of rice, causes me to raise an eyebrow. Had the price been a few cheon less (I’m thinking 14,000won) I wouldn’t care.

Price points, though are one way to attract and repell customers. Obivously Kuai 19, like most restaurants in this area are looking for young Koreans with plastic.
The service, if you can call it that is somewhat of an afterthought. Clad in too short aqua blue eyelet tops, would be B-list models lackadasily flip their swoop hair from one side to the other. They may be nice to look at, but don’t make for attentive service. Too busy imagining themselves in a Comme de Garcons Paris show I guess.

To date this is the best Chinese food I’ve had in Seoul. The selection is wide, and the English menu boosts points. I would recommend this restaurant, but with strong warnings as to what to expect, and what to order. This is not the place to go if your favorite restaurant is Carni Station.