Samcheonggak .
Samcheonggak: A Journey to Paradise
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"둘이 ... 먹다 가 하나 죽어 도 모른다 " eat When two, do not notice it that the other dies
This aphorism is a Korean term for a good meal I had indeed noticed that if Tom would have died - namely: that my portions would have been larger, but this aphorism brings it to the point, what we have seen.
After the event has now set a few days, I'm still learning and my passion is really day by day larger.
I would go so far that no one who is not a Palace Kitchen of Samcheonggak has tried, can conceive the variety and potential of Korean food in its entity.
I'm not saying that the Korean cuisine is the best in the world, but this was the best food I've ever eaten.
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Directions
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There is a shuttle service to the building, but no public transport. The easiest way is therefore to take a taxi, which can get you. The taxi driver knows what is meant when one says the name.
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reservation is recommended in any case, even if it were yesterday evening when we clock up 19 places was not completely full. Who afternoon for tea is expected to be let in without a reservation.
. Name
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The restaurant is called Sam Cheong Gak (삼청각, 三 淸 阁), which means as much as the "3 purities and to nature, man and something relates to what I have forgotten. In English, the restaurant is called simply "Paradise", which is kind of a valid translation.
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building
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The building is in the mountains north of Seoul. Although it is only 340 meters height and reach to within 15 minutes from the Jongno, it is still all alone with no indication that only a few minutes drive away is a 12-million-metropolis.
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The building in the historic style of the Joseon Dynasty is built, but the inside completely modern and functional.
The building itself was in fact built for the North-South Red Cross talks in the 1970s, to impress the North Koreans.
Later it developed, however, a playground for President Park Chung-hee, whose personal pleasure palace with a few well- Bouts was connected so that it would offer here either set up a luxury brothel or a luxury restaurant. Thank God it was decided after the restoration of the second and now this has the best restaurant in Seoul.
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Restaurant Yi Gung
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Besides a place for performances, a small theater, there are several banquet halls namely since the beginning of the 21st Century here, the restaurant Yi Gung ("outer palace" or "Sub Palace"), the main restaurant of the complex, where we wanted to let us go well.
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After or before a meal should be a walk in the beautiful park. Once back out into the mountains with a gazebo, river and many, many trees, out to the front with steep stone steps one terrace type.
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arrival
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Elegant ladies dressed in black greeted with headset at the gate, you could also call them bouncers to escort one then with the utmost courtesy to name checkend through the courtyard into the building where black-clad ushers out another one to his place.
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The first apologized twice that of the usher briefly need. He finally came after a few seconds and took us to our island in the middle of stream, granite walls and crystal garden.
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menu
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Once you get grounded first, you get handed the menu to select between different menus and a few individual dishes. You can
eat in Samcheonggak and go under 20 € per person back home, but if you're already there, you can treat yourself too. "
In the case of Tom and me was the menu, Incheong Sura that you like Most menus can be ordered only from two people and 77,000 won per person charge (plus 10% VAT), but what then remembers back to a brothel, only that in this restaurant at its expense comes without the risk of catching anything, except in the experience ate the best restaurant for Korean royal kitchen of the world.
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Korean court cuisine is because the only living student of the last court cook the Joseon Dynasty here the original recipe is available, or can cook and cook. While there, especially in recent times, many imitators, but none of these restaurants can boast of authenticity.
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Incheong Sura
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I'm going to discuss the meal course by course, so that each delicacy comes into play. Although some courses looked very small (and actually very fast, much too soon were in our stomachs), we were tired of how you can be satisfied only within 13 passages, and this was 13 for no reason Triskaidekaphobie .
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Seasonal & Water Kimchi Porridge
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is of course a slurry per se is not an extravagant fireworks, but the taste was still deep and lasting. The pine nuts perfectly rounded taste, a perfect introduction.
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Wasserkimchi, which is a main side dish was, and was filled up again as soon as it threatened to be less, was without question one of the highlights of the evening. Normally I do not like labbriges Wasserkimchi because it actually not only carbon is in salt water. Wasserkimchi but this was a perfectly balanced, crisp but not woody, mild but not bland, spicy but not overloaded experience for the palate.
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Appetizer
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I get still drooling when I see this crustacean whose names Tom and I could not figure out yet even after a long search. No lobster, no shrimp, no crab, no lobster crab, but simply gigantic.
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The appetizer was already one of my top 3 dishes of the evening. An already exuberant crustacean bathed in a creamy, spicy radish sauce. I puhlte not even the last pieces of the tail, I can not forgive me until today.
. Ginseng Cold Plate
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Each knows what good does a 6-year-old ginseng, knows why this transition only consisted of four small slices. I do not know what you did with the ginseng, or at least it tasted simply focus without the bitter taste that you get from normal Ginseng - maybe that's because I've never eaten the 6-year-old fresh ginseng. The little caramelized toppings were both in their intensity a pleasure.
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Seasonal Pan-Fried Delicacies
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Another highlight was finally the choice of three Teigküchlein, one of which was very tasty, very tasty and interesting, and an absolutely perfect.
One was from various herbs with a little meat, roasted tasted a lot like the other vegetables and the third was made from crab meat was so tender, so wonderful with the dough forms a unit that I almost ran into the kitchen to lick the pan. On the other hand, I wanted in almost any gear.
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Roast Duck with Wild Herbs
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So also in the duck, for me one of the absolute highlights of the evening, which was the unusually spicy herb marinade, while still sent for the natural duck flavor advantage. The herb bed on which the duck had been laid to rest, but in my eyes a little stale, as they no Marinade or vinaigrette had - but this is what it is the traditional way to deal with wild herbs.
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Pine Plum Red Noodles
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For Tom, who is not exactly a sweet tooth, definitely not as nice as for me, but terrific for me, since I have here the typical Korean plums in me only so absorbing. So I did not know that you can make pasta with plum. I have learned something. In the plum of water also were fresh cranberries, the sweet but still refreshing, because cold taste completed.
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Grilled Freshwater Eel
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Tom and I agreed: The highlight of the evening, one evening, where it has such a glared only pretending. I particularly do not like fish nor eel. This eel but broke up almost by itself and jumped from his skin, with its crispy crust, full of sharp taste in the mouth moments. This fresh sesame seeds and spring onions a nutty, fresh taste - sounds easy to make, but as Tom says, goes: "Easy to learn, hard to master".
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Braised Short Ribs with Wild Yam
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While some courts of the royal kitchen are just special and they can not get in standard restaurants, some are so commonplace that one must consider whether they now really are what you think. For example, even the Royal Galbijjim, marinated rib meat is cooked.
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The sauce was mixed with honey, so they gave all, a sweet but not too sweet taste that I even had to endure the Yam, which normally belongs to one of my most hated vegetables at all. The meat was so small moments in between where you wondered if you still on this earth fed or not. Cooked meat, so tender, so juicy. One of the most common questions on this evening: HOW does her in. ..
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The table talk turned to suicide, because that life could not be better. An acceptable solution would have been the kidnapping of the chef.
. Stuffed Summer Squash and
peaceful Wild Yam
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After the first main course was now unknown in their stomachs, it proceeded to stimulate digestion and to catch a moment. This was done with variation of summer squash, yams and turnips, with me here do not taste Yam (!), The pumpkin and turnips were however in order. For me the only disappointment of the evening.
. Soybean Paste Stew
, Various Side Dishes, Rice and Broiled Fish
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And then came the Sojabohneneintöpfchen, fish, rice, side dishes, main course indicated. Where do I start?
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The fish - once again - I do not like fish. I liked this fish. I have wanted him. We had been philosophizing about what living a meaningful life but an eel, the eel will be made to Royal. This fish had been recommended for larger tasks. Tender, melt in your mouth, a crust to die.
The soybean soup - without the typical odor, smacked more of a broth with a lot of very tasty deposit, from which also required the most of any chewing.
Inserts looked after standard It was also, only better. The Kimchi managed the impossible: to be flexible without having to pay too much fermented, while still be crisp enough.
the prawns well, there was still a fairly salty caviar.
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dessert.
The dessert consisted of two stages. First, we were served a refreshing, slightly bitter sweet azalea punch, swam in the tiny azaleas blossom-shaped pieces of ice.
were given three varieties served fruit, the melon here so delicate that they could melt at low pressure on the tongue.
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Thereafter, the best rice cake my life enough. We all know there are different versions of rice cake, the typical traditional Korean desserts. But even within a species, there are differences. I would only know the hard, sticky rice cake in Germany, I would not eat. But this, we have eaten in the FINISH is even better than in the famous rice cake cafes of Insadong.
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fresh grated coconut, an airy and a lot more Reisteig an indefinable, delicious cream, which identified a very balanced sweetness of her own.
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Other
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The drink prices have it in themselves, that is 5,000 won for a Coke, 3,000 only for a little water. (!) This is also the only criticism: the water is placed in a plastic bottle on the table. This should not be in a restaurant of this class. In addition, there is only one type of water.
For this is the tea, which is topped up again and again, it's free and very tasty.
The wine list is, according to Tom very exquisite and more than adequate.
The dishes are typical Korean: simple, stylish, appealing.
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Like the entire interior of a perfect mix of bonds of tradition and modern chic supplies, while the connection is very good finding.
Something special is that behind most of the tables, including behind ours, a large slate wall, waiting behind the two waiters for each table and arrange the food on the little table again.
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The toilet is the best toilet Seoul in 2005 was, but still very nice if she has to fall back slightly behind the rest of the restaurant.
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Then
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The biggest disappointment is in the eating Samcheonggak neither the food nor the bill, as one might think. Each individual has the right won. Location, service, Food, everything is right, even the tiny amount is sufficient, despite some individual portions.
The disappointment after eating, after a walk to leave the gate to take a taxi back into the world must, after two hours was allowed to knock at the door of paradise.
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