The Itaewon fine dining culture is truly eclectic. Although the area near the U.S. military base has been attracting foreigners and tourists for decades, the recent explosion of exquisite eateries offering unique international fare has allowed Itaewon to shed its reputation as merely a place where foreigners can drink and buy counterfeit goods.
Now renowned as the veritable heart of Korea’s intercultural activity, Itaewon is the go-to place for anyone looking to get a taste of another country without leaving the confines of the Seoul metro system. And if that country happens to be a land of towering pyramids, immortal pharaohs, and deadly rivers, then a visit to Egyptian restaurant Ali Baba may be just what you need.
While a little too small to house Egypt’s most prized attractions, Ali Baba does claim to be the single truly authentic Egyptian restaurant in Seoul. Established nine years ago by former diplomat Khalid Ali, the restaurant is nestled on the third floor of a commercial building on the eastern side of Itaewon’s main strip.
Upon entering the eatery, a sudden gust of air-conditioned relief mixed with the aroma of exotic spices is enough to awaken an appetite left dormant during these hot summer months. The restaurant’s interior manages to provide a genuine Egyptian feel while avoiding overly ornate decorations that are often observed in Middle-Eastern eateries. At the back of the restaurant, behind a red curtain embroidered with sequins and beads, is a cushioned and more private dining area. With dim lighting and soothing background music, we didn’t think the restaurant could have provided a more intimate dining experience - that is until our eyes feasted on the long row of hookahs, large Middle-Eastern water pipes used for social smoking.
But first things first. After choosing where to sit we focused on the surprisingly straightforward menu. Unfamiliar dishes were coupled with concise explanations, with prices not exceeding 10,000 won.
To start we ordered the hummus (4,500 won) with a side of pita (2,000 won). Hummus is a Mediterranean dip made primarily from chickpeas. Egyptian-style hummus is traditionally garnished with cumin, a red seasoning typically found in chili powder, and true to its roots this hummus had just that. The pita bread was soft and warm and the perfect dipping tool.
For the main dish we chose the acclaimed falafel (8,000 won). A popular form of fast food in the Middle East, falafel is a fried vegetable patty usually eaten in pita as a sandwich. Adorned with sesame seeds and served with an array of vegetables and sauces, the falafel was wonderfully crispy on the outside and delectable on the inside. The perfect mixture of Egypt’s characteristic spices, we now understood why a long queue outside Ali Baba is not a rare sight.
To top off your meal is a dessert of the day, as well as Egyptian coffee and tea. More attractive, however, is ending a hearty Egyptian feast in the traditional way: over a relaxing hookah. According to Ali, the restaurant offers “every kind of tobacco flavor you would ever need,” imported straight from Egypt. To meet growing demand, Ali has recently opened a sister restaurant, Alexandria. With an all-Egyptian cooking staff, dishes that are impossible to pronounce, and exotic smoking contraptions, this restaurant must be the closest thing to Egypt in all of Korea.
To get to Ali Baba, take subway line 6 to Itaewon station, and take exit 2. Walk straight for about 150 meters. The restaurant is on your left.
Long-term K-blogger Expat Jane interviews Run DMC, who is in Seoul to perform at Hard Rock in Mos Eisley Cantina Itaewon. Good supplementary photography from Michael at Feetmanseoul.
After spending the past month profiling the best Mexican food in Korea, it’s time to make some distinctions. It’s too hard to come out and say ‘XYZ’ is best, simply because there are so many things to consider, of which importance varies depending on the patron. So it’s easier to break into some subgroups. We should add that not all Mexican restaurants were profiled in the blog, this past month, however, we have all known Mexican restaurants listed (with directions) on our wiki. Lastly, it should be noted that all of these restaurants might not feature a full Mexican menu, but as long as they have multiple Mexican items, then they’d be included (ie., this is why we’ve included The Holy Grill in our reviews, whereas family restaurants that have quesadillas and nachos on a broad menu might not make the cut.).
Best Taco
Choi’s Tacos
Best Burrito
Dos Tacos
Best Nachos
The Holy Grill
Best Margarita (tie)
The Holy Grill
On The Border
Best Real Mexican (or close to it, anyways)
Mexico (in Masan)
Best Place To Sit Down For A Few Hours
On The Border
Best Place To Eat Quickly Or Take Out
Choi’s Tacos
Best Ambience (tie)
On The Border
Los Amigos
Best For Low Budgets
Taco Chili Chili
Best For Birthdays or Large Parties
Los Amigos
Mexican Restaurant List in Korea
-Seoul and Gyeonggi-do area
Los Amigos
Casa Loca
Casa Maya
Choi’s Tacos
Cunga Conga
Dos Tacos
La Merce
Oasis
On The Border
Panchos
Taco Amigo
Taco Bell
Taco Chili Chili
Tom Tailor
Urbanos
-Busan
Taco
Taco al Puebla
Taco Loco
-Daegu
La Cantina
The Holy Grill
-Masan
Mexico
-Songtan
Las Casa
Many Korean celebrities like to visit Kate’s Kitchen and her beautiful garden terrace in Cheongdam-dong, renowned for its brunch and great international fare on the menu, which ranges from European to South-east Asian to Californian cuisine. The owner studied cooking in New York and also attended a French cooking institute, and has taken her popular kitchen to another location, in the alley leading to La Plancha in Itaewon.
Kate’s Kitchen is a great little spot for anyone looking for a romantic environment with eclectic world cuisine.
The terrace at Cheongdam location. From Mercyblu’s blog
Eating on the garden terrace in Cheongdam. From kskim’s blog
Although Gecko’s, Wolfhound, and 3 Alley Pub tends to get more first thoughts when expats are asked about where to find a good British-style pub, London Pub is a very underrated one tucked away in Sinchon, that seems to frequent both Korean and foreign teachers and students of the various universities in the area. The menu doesn’t measure up to the Itaewon pubs, but is definitely a nice escape from those that want to pass on Mos Eisley Cantina Itaewon for a night.
Last night was my last Saturday night in Daegu, so I went out with some friends for dinner and to Billibow. Very fitting to have Galbijjim at the very first place that I tried it, in east Samdeok, near Kyungpook Hospital. This was the same restaurant that inspired the name of the site, as at that time, Galbijjim embodied my love affair of Korean food, which embodied my love affair of Korea, as a whole.
The site was going to be a community portal with a slant on food and restaurants, but it since has grown from that. Only now, after we’ve added thousands of articles, forums, job site, blogs, etc…have I began to return to the grassroots with a renewed focus on restaurants and food.
While I was in the east Samdeok area, I took the time to walk amongst the streets that I first called home upon arriving in Korea. Walking past my first hagwon, my first apartment building. Looking inside the windows of the restaurants that I used to frequent, to notice that the same mom-and-pop owners are still cooking day in and day out. Daegu doesn’t change much, for the most part, and I’m grateful for that. It always instills a sense of comfort that even in a huge, growing city of 3 million+ people, you can always come back and feel just as at home as you did 6 years ago. Seoul, on the other hand, is quite different. Last month, I walked through Apgujeong and realized that our restaurant articles for the area are outdated, as many places have closed. Sinchon, Hongdae, and Itaewon are no different. Really hard to stay on top of everything.
Daegu will always be underrated, as one can find almost all of what you would ever need as you would if in Seoul, but things don’t change at the breakneck speed of the northern metropolis.
368 is the amount of profiles I now need to write wiki profiles for, covering the areas of Itaewon, Haebangchon, Hongdae, Sinchon, and Edae. I just spent 8 hours yesterday going through places that I missed in my first sweep through Edae, Hongdae, and Sinchon, and finishing up Itaewon and Haebangchon. Big fat blister on my foot ensued, as well as chafing from pants on my inner thighs to the point of nearly bleeding. At least I can now heal my body in front of computer for awhile, uploading images and prepping content templates. But I suspect that it’s take me no less than a few months of getting all profiles written up. And will likely take the rest of the year to follow up with the owners of each establishment for them to supplement with more content and their own images. And I bet my blisters that when I do another thorough walk-thru of the areas again after coming back from Canada in a year, that 30-40% of the establishments will be closed, given the frenetic turnover rate in these areas.
One thing that I’m currently doing now and will continue to do, is SEO optimization for Galbijim and MyESLJob. An area of focus of late has been developing more content for Sinchon and Hongdae, and I’ll be in Itaewon and Haebangchon this weekend, to gather more on that area.
But for now, I’m taking a time out to see how we are ranking in certain areas:
Hongdae. (Our wiki is ranked #3 for ‘Hongdae’ on Google; #1 on Yahoo)
Hongdae bars. (#19 on Google; #5 on Yahoo)
Hongdae clubs. (#10 on Google; #1 on Yahoo)
Hongdae restaurants. (#4 on Google; #1 on Yahoo)
Of course, there are a lot more keywords that I can run for Hongdae, but this shows a good start, considering we haven’t done much serious work yet on Hongdae and have done no SEO or link-building. Same as Itaewon.
Itaewon. (#7 on Google; #2 on Yahoo)
Itaewon bars. (#5 on Google; #2 on Yahoo)
Itaewon clubs. (#7 on Google; #14 on Yahoo)
Itaewon restaurants. (#4 on Google; #7 on Yahoo)
Sinchon. (#13 on Google; #8 on Yahoo)
Sinchon bars. (#1 on Google; #2 on Yahoo)
Sinchon clubs. (#3 on Google; #5 on Yahoo)
Sinchon restaurants. (#4 on Google; #2 on Yahoo)
Haebangchon. (#6 on Google; #1 on Yahoo)
Haebangchon bars. (#2 on Google; #1 on Yahoo)
Haebangchon clubs. (#12 on Google; #2 on Yahoo)
Haebangchon restaurants. (#1 on Google; #1 on Yahoo)
