Hansung Kalguksu - Seoul (Korea)
@bartlebying

@hansung.kal is a special place. This is indeed the best word I found to describe it, special.

This family-run restaurant precisely prepares home-style Korean food with outstanding ingredients.

Did I order too much food? Probably. But every bite I took made me feel like I was missing out on each single dish that I was not able to try.

Aside from a nice banchan set, my meal started with Suyuk, a local braised beef brisket. Needless to say, it was extremely tender and succulent. It also paired really well with their homemade leek kimchi.

Halfway through my small serving of Suyuk, a fresh plate of assorted Jeon (Korean pancakes) arrived. It consisted of a mix of pan-fried oysters, shrimps, codfish and zucchini, all coated in a light batter and cooked until golden and fluffy, without overcooking any of the ingredients - all of which impressively kept their ideal textures.

As if that was not enough, I then tackled a Nakji-bokkeum, a spicy stir-fried octopus dish with a variety of vegetables. For me, it was definitely the winner of the day, which is not a small feat considering how highly I considered both prior dishes. I also ordered the optional dry kalguksu noodles that made it even more special. It had a spicy flavor (not too fiery for my palate) that was balanced by sweetness and complemented by smoky notes and a very nice combination of textures, especially from the tiny local octopus. Definitely one of my favorite foods in Korea.

My 45 minute walk back to the hotel was a happy coincidence that helped on
a much needed digestion process. During that time span, I could probably count more smiles than steps.

(Versão em Português nos comentários) Less