In salaryman land, a culinary typhoon
Deep fried tofu
Thankfully, there is more to the national cuisine of our beloved (ahem) neighbor, and a new downtown bar/restaurant offers a range of it at (wait for it) affordable prices. Moreover, I don’t recall any restaurant offering such a delightful range of surprises. I was expecting Japanese, and got it ― but I also got flavors reminiscent of Britain, France and Italy.
The first surprise is that a commendable restaurant could exist in the location it does. Tensho (“Sky-flight”) Izakaya (a Japanese-style pub) is set in the dungeon-like arcade leading out of City Hall subway station’s exit No 9. This is salarymans’ lunch land, an area I usually avoid.
However, I was recommended Tensho by Chae In-taek, international news subeditor at the JoongAng Ilbo (which, incidentally, is a five-minute waddle away). “This place will cause a typhoon in lunchtime dining around here,” predicted the well-padded hack. As he knows a good feed when he sees one, I dropped by ― for dinner. (I prefer not to dine during tropical storms.)
First impression? Dull. It is dimly lit, with tables closely parked. Fortunately, there are more comfortable private and semi-private floor seating rooms flanking the main dining area. And the menu is a cracker. Fully illustrated in Japanese, Korean, English and Chinese, it is remarkably extensive.
We begin with natto on deep-fried tofu (9,000 won, $10). Natto is the sticky, slimy Japanese version of fermented beans. Many people can’t stand it, but I like the stuff, and the crispy tofu crackers are the perfect contrast to the stringy glop of natto.
Mackerel sashimi (18,000 won) is a large, silver fish with a wedge of lemon. Extremely soft, the flavor is enhanced in the British style ― with a subtle hint of vinegar. Grilled mackerel pike (5,000 won) are five little silver fish, with a spot of mayo. Their silver skins are lightly blackened from the grill, and they are full of eggs. Fried Spanish mackerel (9,000 won) is next. This is a big chunk of white fish, lightly battered and served with lemon, more English than Spanish I would say. Frankly, it is better than any “fish and chips” I have had in Seoul ― albeit, without the chips.
Tensho offers a variety of small dishes. By Andrew Salmon
Egg custard with cheese (8,000 won) is the next surprise. It is actually a sliced omelette ― but not the thick, heavy Korean style egg roll we are used to. No, this is browned and fluffy, sprinkled with chopped spring onions. Lovely and very similar to (but cheaper than) a French omelette.
Squid legs (8,000 won) don’t sound appetizing, but what actually arrives are lightly fried, crispy calamari. Magnifico! And this is Japanese? Damn. Who would have thought it?
This being an izakaya, there is a decent range of sakes, including a fair selection at paupers’ prices. We start with dugguri, or house sake (10,000 won for 300 ml). It comes in a penguin-shaped glass jug with an ice-filled belly. The sake has a floral bouquet, and is a touch heavy in the body, but very smooth. The side dishes include peas in their pods and some zesty lemon kimchi.
A bottle of Kamocheuru sake (15,000 won for 300-milliliters) comes next. This is harsher than the house grog, but is served in a style I have never come across before. The glasses arrive in small, pine wood boxes. The sake is poured into the glass, which overflows; you sip the overspill from the box, which imparts a piney flavor ― the equivalent of an oaked chardonnay, I suppose.
There are a variety of low-priced dishes: All are enticing so keep an eye on your bill. But Tensho is still good value. I should add that we did not sample various yakitori (skewers), sushi, sashimi or don (tempura over rice). Service was friendly and efficient. What it is like during the lunchtime typhoon, I cannot say.
Verdict: Given that Tensho offers British, French and Italian flavors as well as Japanese, this is the most pleasant Seoul restaurant I have visited this year.
I leave the last word to Chae. “Most Japanese restaurants are limited and expensive,” he says. “Here, it is cheap and extensive.”
By Andrew Salmon Contributing Writer [andrewcsalmon@yahoo.co.uk]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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