A Flower Blossom On The Rice

Unclaimed

We ordered the vegan lite dinner set and were surprised by how incredibly fresh everything tasted. All of the dishes were seasoned appropriately (disregard negative reviews), and the courses complemented each other nicely. Personally, I thought the main was a bit of a letdown, so take the option to swap out the goatsbeard bulgogi if you decide on the same set.

What makes a dining experience good? I believe it‘s great expectation management. And this restaurant does it wonderfully. The focus on local, organic, fresh ingredients excelled in all dishes we ordered. If you are looking for "in-your-face" bold flavors, this is not your place of choice. The food here is wonderfully subtle and made to eat with care. We ordered a la carte. Personally, I loved the acorn noodles and the Kombucha was an excellent drink addition. The service was fine - friendly but not overly attentive. The dining room feels authentic though you are seated quite close to other guests. The American women loudly arguing with the waitress about what her kids would be able to eat on the menu, echoed through the room and was rather unpleasant. Though this isn’t really within the restaurant‘s circle of influence. Overall, a delightful place that I would be glad to visit again.

I finally visited Kkot Bap Epida, a place I had been curious about. Since I hadn’t had Korean beef on this trip, I ordered the grass-fed Korean beef steak course. The main dish featured Korean beef aged for four weeks and marinated with shio-koji before being grilled. It had a firm texture, and the flavor deepened with every bite — completely different from Japanese beef. The Korean dishes made with organic ingredients offered a range of unexpected flavors, from delicious to uniquely addictive — it was a refreshing experience. One of the staff members spoke both Japanese and English fluently and kindly explained the menu, which was very helpful. If I get the chance, I’d love to visit again for lunch.

Tourists Beware: This Bib Gourmand spot might not be what you expect! Our experience: The entrance was warm and no-nonsense: we were greeted with a smile and guided straight to our table. The vibe? Spot on. A beautiful dining room, gorgeous tableware, and a soft, calm soundtrack in the background. Even the menu felt like it had been crafted with real care: like someone had truly poured their heart and soul into it. We went for the pork menu. The starters included a variety of salads, Korean pancakes, and traditional kimchi. Each and every one of the dishes was delicious. The salad with a seasonal dressing — in our case based on sweet corn — really stood out. Fresh, flavorful, well-balanced. A promising start. You’d think that bodes well for what’s to come. But honestly? I’m still confused. The main course dishes threw us a total curveball. One dish felt stranger than the next. The miso soup smelled sour and complex and tasted… intensely funky. The rice with goatsbeard tasted like absolutely nothing. Same with the vegetable stew in white sauce. The seaweed kimchi? Let’s just say it’s probably to intense for the average European palate (very fishy/umami rich). And the pork tenderloin, the star of the show, was cooked beautifully but really missed a touch of salt. We kept looking at each other mid-bite like, what is happening? And then came dessert. Where you’d expect a sweet finale, we got salty seaweed and mushrooms crackers with orange carrot juice. Honestly? Not bad. But as dessert? Uh… what? Still — we genuinely enjoyed the evening. Every dish felt like a complex puzzle. Confusing, bizarre, but with a bit of effort, oddly rewarding. So yes, we get the Bib Gourmand nod from Michelin. It’s a refined place that dares to push the boundaries of traditional korean food. That said, we would suggest Michelin or the restaurant itself to offer guests a little more context around what to expect here. Judging by the tables around us, quite a few diners left disappointed — not because the food was bad, but because it was just so far off from their expectations