Vigna adds flair to the Hamilton alley

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Vigna adds flair to the Hamilton alley

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Chicken and wine

Yet further proof that the once-tawdry Itaewon is clawing its way ever further up-market is available at the top end of the alleyway behind the Hamilton Hotel.
It was here, three months ago, that the modish Vigna (vine) threw open its doors.
The padrone is Phil Kang, the cheerful 41-year-old behind the popular Saigon Grill, located just round the corner.
I was curious about Kang’s location, as word on the street has it that there is a compulsory purchase order on his building ― apparently the local government wants to widen the alley to improve vehicular access, which would negatively impact the busy pedestrian traffic in this, Seoul’s most cosmopolitan dining district.
Kang, however, is unperturbed.
“They have had that plan for years!” he said.
Let’s hope his confidence is not misplaced.
Vigna comes in two stages.
First, there is the decked, beamed, glassed-in terrace out front, lit with candles and fairy lights in the evening.
Come springtime, Kang plans to spit roast suckling pig here on the weekends. Sign me up.
Inside the restaurant proper, the dining room has plain white walls offset by burgundy upholstery, a standing wine rack and one private room. It is, arguably, the chicest restaurant in the neighborhood.
The menu is extensive; largely Italian with a few French accents.
There is brunch daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., then lunch and dinner. After 10 p.m., the restaurant transforms into a wine bar until closing time at 2 a.m.
Lunch sets go for 16,000 won ($17) to 22,000 won; dinner sets from 45,000 won to 52,000 won. We are here for dinner, and so eat a la carte.
Given the generally stylish air of the place, I am a bit taken aback when the bread basket arrives.
It contains a rather passe object for a modish restaurant: garlic bread.
Garlic bread may be out of fashion, but if I had a choice between it and, say, focaccio dipped in extra virgin, I would go for the former nine times out of ten. So, good call.
To begin, we order salad nicoise (12,000 won). This is a large plate of green leaves, spuds, bacon, beans and asparagus spears.
The dressing is Oriental, and there is no sign of the anchovies that are an essential component of this dish, but there are compensations. First, the warm spuds (a theme I will return to) is mighty good, having been lightly roasted to a T.
Second, the glistening pink bacon is near perfect. And overall it is a very large plate.
Moving on, we order blue cheese, beef and mushroom risotto (16,000 won) and spaghetti with mozzarella and tomato sauce (16,000 won).
Both, again, are substantial servings. The risotto is creamy and full of large chunks of nicely grilled steak and mushroom, though the promised blue cheese is innocuous. The spaghetti is lighter than the risotto, enlivened with occasional islands of mozarrella.
Then it is ricotta cheese in chicken breast with paprika puree and basil pesto (24,000 won).
The chicken was obviously a plump fellow, and his boned breast is seared nicely with a slight crisp to the skin.
The paprika puree proves bland, but the accompanying fried spuds are a model. Chunky and not in the least bit oily, they are enlivened with a hint of pepper, making me wonder why so few restaurants in Korea offer the Western world’s preferred starch.

테스트

Dessert. By Andrew Salmon

Dessert is banana ice cream (8,000 won) and creme brulee (6,000 won). The former is two splotches of mild banana ice cream in syrup with a sliced banana: not bad.
The creme brulee is excellent: Under the burned, caramelized skin, the cream is delicate and dreamy.
On the grog front, we sank a bottle of Napa Valley Newton Claret ’05: a blend of cabby sauv, merlot, petit verdah and syrah.
Bouquet-wise, this is like strapping on a nosebag full of fresh fruit and taking a deep hit, but in the mouth is not overpowering; in fact, it proves satisfyingly smooth.
For 56,000 won, this is a definite find.
If Korea’s free trade agreement with the United States gets approval, we can expect to see more Californian grape flood in at lower prices.
For suds lovers, Kang also has a decent beer list.
Verdict: One of the more civilized dining experiences in the Hamilton Alley, and the terrace will be perfect when the weather warms.
All dishes are substantial ― and the spuds are excellent ― but the flavors offered are delicate, rather than powerful.
Thinking of Sir Peter Ustinov's famous phrase (“The man who eats curry every day may forget the taste of asparagus”) I wonder, “Have I been in Korea too long?”

Vigna
Telephone: 797-0918
Address: Itaewon-dong 118-20
Subway: Itaewon, exit 2.
Hours: Food: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Bar: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., seven days.
Dress: Casual.
Parking: Subsidized parking in the Hamilton Hotel.

By Andrew Salmon Contributing Writer [andrewcsalmon@yahoo.co.uk]
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