mary eats

bistro d
Seoul, Korea
Subway: Sinsa station exit 7, turn left at the Dosan park intersection. Apgujeong station exit 2.
Phone: 02-3443-1009
Hours: Café 8:00a.m.-11:00p.m., Restaurant 12:00p.m.-11:00p.m.
Price: $$$
English Menu: Yes
Atmosphere: Good for Business dinners, romantic outings
Overview:
bistro d* is a sleek modern showroom for Dimchae refrigerators. The basement two-floor restaurant features monolithic kim chee fridges mixed in with a giant painting of the Mona Lisa and a grand fabric rose. The space is breathtaking. Make it a point to check out the restrooms. Kim chee doesn’t appear the menu, but the subliminal messages are working. During my meal, I found myself wondering if I’d ever need a Dimchae. Lunchtime visitors can look forward to European fare: soups, salads, and sandwiches. Lunch sets are also available, though a bit pricy, as is the 50,000 won dinner prix-fix. When it comes to dessert, bistro d* shines with simple comforts, offering narrow slices of velvety white chocolate cheesecake and squares of lemon pound cake topped with a honey-vanilla ice cream. Service, can fall by the wayside, and courses arrive inconsistently, but the towering looking glass guarantees it’s hard to be grumpy in Wonderland.

Cheongdam Hill
Seoul, South Korea
Subway: Gagnam-gu Office station, exit 4, cab to the Samseongno Road Intersection. Across from the Gucci flagship store
Phone: 02-516-3357
Price: $$$
English Menu: Yes
Atmosphere: Seductive
Overview:
From the team behind Bano and HoMyeongDang, comes the buffet restaurant Cheongdam Hill. The day is divided up by brunch, lunch, dessert and dinner buffets, each featuring cuisines from the east and west. After hours the space turns into a sleek wine bar.

Market O
Seoul, Korea
Subway: line 3 Apgujeong station, exit 2, bus 301, get off by California wow, take your first right. Market O is on the left in a second story space. Near Hak-dong Saggori
Phone number: 02-516-4861
Hours: 11:30a.m –4:00p.m., and 5:30p.m. –10:30p.m. daily
Price: $$
English Menu: Yes
Atmosphere: Hip
Overview
Market O sets itself apart from the many Asian-European fusion restaurants in the Apgujeong and Chungdam, by turning a trendy eye towards health and a light airy décor. The restaurant near California Wow caters to an, understandably, young and fashionable crowd. Decked out in natural hues, the lime green and Birchwood restaurant pulls style influences from nature. The cool colors and sleek lines pair nicely with the presentation of the food. Offerings are divided into the categories Green O, Main dishes, Noodles O, and Rice O. Noodles and salads are where this restaurant excels. Skip the pricey and average looking rolls (starting at 13,500 won each). Mains look scanty for the price. 25,000 for a plate of pasta with 5 prawns is questionable. Whole steamed pumpkins enclosing a healthy mixture of grains, sticky and black rice, ginko and chestnuts are a welcome choice on cold winter nights. Service at Market O can be average and stiff; prompt -if not slightly claustrophobic. The menu is mostly in English with descriptions in Korean.