Small restaurant, growing reputation
Published: 26 Aug. 2004, 20:43
Pop quiz: Think of a Japanese tree, and what springs to mind? A bonsai. A Japanese electronic product? A Walkman. A Japanese car? A hatchback.
Admittedly, sumo wrestlers are colossal chaps, but they are the exception to the rule. For the inhabitants of our island neighbor, the dominant aesthetic seems to be “small ― but perfectly formed.” And so it is with Japanese cuisine: small portions, delicately flavored and exquisitely presented.
There is at least one Japanese restaurant in Seoul that takes this miniaturization paradigm to its logical extreme: the physical establishment itself is tiny. Seongbuk-dong’s Kuboda Sushi has just four tables. Seating is on tatami mats, and behind a little bar at the back, Chef Park Jae-ho does his thing.
While the interior design is nothing to shout about, what are interesting are the testimonials pasted up on the inside of the windows: In French, English, Japanese and German, a number of very high-level individuals from the fields of business and diplomacy have gone on the record to praise this restaurant. It may only have been in business for about a year, but this wee establishment has won a sizeable reputation.
Menu is appropriately minimalist. There are some topped rice dishes, then five sets: 10,20,30,40 and 50,000 won. We decide on the 20,000 won ($17) set. This is personally served by the convivial chef. (The fact that he is wont to toss back a tumbler or two of sake with his guests may well account for his hearty good cheer.)
First past the post is a four-compartment set of cold beef in soy sauce, mussels, egg roll and fish cake, accompanied by colorful pickles. Then things really get going. A platter of three kinds of sashimi arrives; one is sole, one cuttlefish, the other, alas, I don’t recall. But all are exquisitely, delicately sliced ― almost like slivers of coconut flesh ― and as fresh and tender as any I have eaten in Seoul. Then comes a large tomato, shaped, by the knife, into the likeness of a rose (conundrum: Do you eat it, or do you admire it?), dressed in oil and vinegar, and surrounded by scallop. Again, a light, delicate dish.
Things get more substantial ― slightly ― with the tempura. The version here is deep-fried leeks, and, I have to say, is the tastiest tempura I have yet sampled; despite its lightness, it is full-flavored, with (I think) a hint of onion in there too. Then arrive cubes of tofu, lightly fried on a big-bellied burner at the table.
The succeeding course is outstanding: cold shabu shabu, or shavings of beef, served in a creamy sesame sauce. And what Japanese meal would be complete without a serving of sushi? This includes abalone (in a huge shell) wrapped around a morsel of rice, and is followed by a sushi selection, including an excellent minced crab sushi. Finally, cold soba noodles, sprinkled with sesame seeds and served with a dipping cup of soy, to which one adds wasabi, grated onion and spring onions to taste.
I should stress the excellence of presentation. The brown noodles come on a brown eathernware platter, topped with melting ice, and set off with bright yellow pickled radish for color. The accompaniments to the soba sauce have a purple orchid to add a dash of brightness to the compartments. The sake (courtesy of the chef, in our case) comes in an earthenware jug, inside a sweating brown vessel filled with iced water, and set in a wicker basket.
Chef/owner Park Jae-ho spent five years in Japan learning his trade ― “Kuboda,” in case you were wondering, was the name of his cooking master in Tokyo ― as well as stints at some of Seoul’s top hotels.
Verdict: Very, very good; one could easily pay twice the price and still consider this fair value. (I repeat: We shelled out a mere 20,000 won per person for the above.) But don’t take my word for it; my dining companion, a former Japan correspondent, called this one of only a handful of restaurants he would recommend in Seoul.
There’s more: The chef’s wife is a former patron. Apparently, she loved the food so much, she tied the knot. Compared to this endorsement, even testimonials from ambassadors and captains of industry ― not to mention humble food critics ― pale by comparison.
KUBODA SUSHI
English: None spoken, or on menu.
Tel: (02) 744-2701 (reservations recommended).
Address: 100-1, Seongbuk 2-dong, Seongbuk district.
Subway: None convenient.
Parking: Limited.
Hours: Noon-2 p.m., 6-11 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sundays.
Dress: Formal or smart casual.
by Andrew Salmon
Admittedly, sumo wrestlers are colossal chaps, but they are the exception to the rule. For the inhabitants of our island neighbor, the dominant aesthetic seems to be “small ― but perfectly formed.” And so it is with Japanese cuisine: small portions, delicately flavored and exquisitely presented.
There is at least one Japanese restaurant in Seoul that takes this miniaturization paradigm to its logical extreme: the physical establishment itself is tiny. Seongbuk-dong’s Kuboda Sushi has just four tables. Seating is on tatami mats, and behind a little bar at the back, Chef Park Jae-ho does his thing.
While the interior design is nothing to shout about, what are interesting are the testimonials pasted up on the inside of the windows: In French, English, Japanese and German, a number of very high-level individuals from the fields of business and diplomacy have gone on the record to praise this restaurant. It may only have been in business for about a year, but this wee establishment has won a sizeable reputation.
Menu is appropriately minimalist. There are some topped rice dishes, then five sets: 10,20,30,40 and 50,000 won. We decide on the 20,000 won ($17) set. This is personally served by the convivial chef. (The fact that he is wont to toss back a tumbler or two of sake with his guests may well account for his hearty good cheer.)
First past the post is a four-compartment set of cold beef in soy sauce, mussels, egg roll and fish cake, accompanied by colorful pickles. Then things really get going. A platter of three kinds of sashimi arrives; one is sole, one cuttlefish, the other, alas, I don’t recall. But all are exquisitely, delicately sliced ― almost like slivers of coconut flesh ― and as fresh and tender as any I have eaten in Seoul. Then comes a large tomato, shaped, by the knife, into the likeness of a rose (conundrum: Do you eat it, or do you admire it?), dressed in oil and vinegar, and surrounded by scallop. Again, a light, delicate dish.
Things get more substantial ― slightly ― with the tempura. The version here is deep-fried leeks, and, I have to say, is the tastiest tempura I have yet sampled; despite its lightness, it is full-flavored, with (I think) a hint of onion in there too. Then arrive cubes of tofu, lightly fried on a big-bellied burner at the table.
The succeeding course is outstanding: cold shabu shabu, or shavings of beef, served in a creamy sesame sauce. And what Japanese meal would be complete without a serving of sushi? This includes abalone (in a huge shell) wrapped around a morsel of rice, and is followed by a sushi selection, including an excellent minced crab sushi. Finally, cold soba noodles, sprinkled with sesame seeds and served with a dipping cup of soy, to which one adds wasabi, grated onion and spring onions to taste.
I should stress the excellence of presentation. The brown noodles come on a brown eathernware platter, topped with melting ice, and set off with bright yellow pickled radish for color. The accompaniments to the soba sauce have a purple orchid to add a dash of brightness to the compartments. The sake (courtesy of the chef, in our case) comes in an earthenware jug, inside a sweating brown vessel filled with iced water, and set in a wicker basket.
Chef/owner Park Jae-ho spent five years in Japan learning his trade ― “Kuboda,” in case you were wondering, was the name of his cooking master in Tokyo ― as well as stints at some of Seoul’s top hotels.
Verdict: Very, very good; one could easily pay twice the price and still consider this fair value. (I repeat: We shelled out a mere 20,000 won per person for the above.) But don’t take my word for it; my dining companion, a former Japan correspondent, called this one of only a handful of restaurants he would recommend in Seoul.
There’s more: The chef’s wife is a former patron. Apparently, she loved the food so much, she tied the knot. Compared to this endorsement, even testimonials from ambassadors and captains of industry ― not to mention humble food critics ― pale by comparison.
KUBODA SUSHI
English: None spoken, or on menu.
Tel: (02) 744-2701 (reservations recommended).
Address: 100-1, Seongbuk 2-dong, Seongbuk district.
Subway: None convenient.
Parking: Limited.
Hours: Noon-2 p.m., 6-11 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sundays.
Dress: Formal or smart casual.
by Andrew Salmon
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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