mary eats

Kraze Burger
Seoul, Korea
Subway: Itaewon station, exit 2
Phone Number: 02-3785-1536, www.kraze.co.kr
Hours: 12:00p.m.-12:00p.m.
Price: $ Basic burger 5,500won and up, chili fries 3,500won
English Menu: Yes
Atmosphere: Young and hip, good for kids, outdoor seating
English Menu
Overview:
New to the Itaewon strip, Kraze (pronounces Kra-Zae, not crazy) is on a mission to replace unhealthy fast food burgers with well-being style patties. Famous for their chili fries, the burgers aren’t too shabby either and range from the K.Basic, all beef corn fed natural patty, to the deluxe, namesake. Diner sandwiches and hotdogs round out the menu. All that’s missing is the milkshake and waitresses on roller skates. The Itaewon location features a sprawling street side patio on which to lackadasily lounge while people watching through oversized sunglasses.

Nashville
Seoul, Korea
Station: Itaewon station, exit 4
Phone Number: 02 798-1592
Hours: 11a.m.-12p.m. Everyday
Price: $$ Vegetarian Mushroom Burger 4,500won, House Steak 26,500won
English Menu: Yes
Atmosphere: Diner, Late Night, rooftop seating
English Movie
Overview:
If filmmaker David Lynch needed a scene in Seoul, you’d find him in the basement of Nashville. Red vinyl chairs, wood paneling walls, and cowboy paraphnilalia transport one to a Midwestern truck stop. Burgers, steaks and fries fill bellies beggin’ for a taste of the greasy spoon. Vegetarians have a couple of choices, including a mouthwatering mushroom burger and less than fabulous veggie kebabs. Patrons wishing to waste away a few hours can prouse Nashville’s monstrous DVD collection, and dine a la big screen TV.

The Puffin Café
Seoul, Korea
Subway: Itaewon station, exit 3. Hop a cab and ask for UN Village, about a 2,500won cab ride Hangjanjin station, exit 1, 15-minute walk, Hannam station, exit one, 15-minute walk.
Phone Number: 02-790-6062
Hours: 9:00a.m.-11:30p.m.
Price: $$
English Menu: Yes
Atmosphere: Brunch Coffee shop crowd
Overview:
The Puffin Café has been serving breakfasts in Seoul long before the culinary trend had every restaurant on the strip offering a scrambled egg, bacon, and toast set, and doesn’t fall short of morning meal romantic nostalgia. Here you’ll find the usual, eggs, ham, toast, and hash browns. Be warned that these are not home fries or true hash browns, but potato croquets shaped into disks, flattened, and fried, not amazing so ask for extra toast. Coffee aficionados are in for a treat. The Puffin serves up its daily brew in a persona French press. Comfy couches and chairs, along with a dozen or so table lamps give the puffin a grandmother’s parlor effect, perfect for those lazy weekend brunches.

Sujis
Seoul, Korea
Subway: Itaewon station, exit 4, or Nopsakpyeong station, exit 3.
Phone Number 02-797-3689
Hours: 11:00a.m. -11:00p.m.
Price $$ Brunch sets 7,500won and up, Entrees 14,000won and up.
English Menu: Yes
Atmosphere: Diner liveliness, romantic chic, rooftop seating, brunch
Overview:
Suji’s, reviewed in the Korea times (by moi).

Smoky Saloon
Seoul, Korea
Subway: Itaewon station, exit 2 behind the Hamilton Hotel.
Phone Number 02-795-9019
Hours: 11:30a.m. -10p.m. (Mon-Thur, and Sun) –Midnight (Fri-Sat)
Price $ Burgers start at 5,500 won
English Menu: Yes
Atmosphere: Hip
Overview:
If you have eaten at the Smokey Saloon and would like to review it click here.
Review of Smokey Saloon in the Korea Times

Toque
Address: 682-1 Hannam-dong, Yongsan Gu, Seoul, Korea
Subway: Hangangjin Station, Line 6, exit 3. Across from the Yongsan International School
Phone: 02 794-3834
Hours: 11:30a.m-3:00p.m and 5:30p/m-11:00p.m Monday-Friday, 10:00a.m-3:30p.m and 5:30p.m-11:30p.m Weekends.
Price: $$
English Menu: Yes
Atmosphere: oddly Intimate
Overview:
New Itaewon brunch spot with a breakfast bar, opposite the Yongsan International school. Standard diner fare, sandwiches, pastas, and “pizzas” in the evenings.

Toque, reviewed by Andrew Salmon in the JoongAng Daily, October 12, 2006, here.