And other Korean delicacies
ZUM KOREANER Nymphenburgerstrasse 132 Tel. (089) 18 98 59 93 U1 or U7 to Rotkreuzplatz; Bus 33 or Bus 183 to Landshuter Allee Open Sun.–Fri. 11:30 am–2 pm and 6 pm–midnight; Saturday 6 pm–midnight For an exotic, Far Eastern experience Munich citizens need venture no further than the Nymphenburger Strasse, where the fascinating cuisine and culture of Korea come to life at Zum Koreaner. A visit here immediately gets off to a good start with a welcoming staff that seems genuinely pleased by each guest’s arrival—and demonstrates an appreciable flexibility, even when a reserved party of seven swells unexpectedly to ten on a busy Friday night. Settle down at one of the tables overlooking the busy street below or make the dining experience one notch more traditional by slipping off your shoes and taking your place on the floor (cushions provided) at one of the low tables at the back of the dining room. Then prepare for a culinary adventure rich in stunning colors, surprising textures and distinctive flavors. Appetizers range from light soups (€ 2.90) to hearty bindaedoc, meat-filled dumplings (€ 3.90), and thick vegetable and scallion pancakes (€ 3.90). Main courses include outstanding bulgogie (€ 12.30), tender marinated beef cooked on a table-top grill, and bibampab (€ 10.20), spicy rice, vegetables and beef served in a hot earthenware bowl. The customary Korean banchan (€ 8.20), a medley of side dishes, comprises five items and may include savory black beans in soy sauce, sweetened fried seaweed, marinated squid, a vegetable omelet or piquant zucchini and cabbage kimchi. The Korean Menu and its vegetarian counterpart (€ 15.50 each per person; two-persons minimum) consist of generous samplings of appetizers, banchan and main dishes. The truly adventurous—or famished—can indulge in the “Koreanischer Tisch” (Korean Table), which according to the menu includes “almost everything we have.” Desserts are hit and miss: soft, chewy rice balls stuffed with red bean paste (€ 2.60) are a subtly sweet end to the meal, whereas the danpatzuk (€ 3.40), a large helping of warm red bean puree with pine nuts, doesn’t quite cap off the meal as expected. A few Western-style sweets are offered, but by the time dessert rolls around, this exercise in cultural immersion has been so successful that an ice cream sundae just doesn’t seem to fit in. But whatever you choose, your palate will be richly rewarded. Food 9, Service 8, Atmosphere 8 SEOUL Leopoldstrasse 120 Tel. (089) 34 81 04 U3 or U6 to Münchner Freiheit Open daily 12 pm–2:30 pm and 6 pm–11 pm It’s generally considered a good sign when an ethnic restaurant manages to attract a large following that shares the same heritage. So the many Korean diners at Seoul suggest that culinary authenticity occupies a place of importance here. Owner Hyun-Kyu Min opened the restaurant in 1982 and, 20 years later, Munich’s first Korean restaurant still thrives. Located at street level, just below the Hotel Mercure north of Münchner Freiheit, Seoul offers a spacious, though somewhat uninspired setting with a small dining room near the entrance and a larger one in the back. Service can be a bit on the slow side and customers are not necessarily served in the order in which they arrive, but the staff’s willingness to explain items on the menu and accommodate special dietary needs makes up for this. A meal may begin with something mild, like a simple miso soup or a light radish salad. Things really heat up when the main courses (starting around € 12) arrive. Many are prepared table-side by the cook or wait staff while other dishes arrive piping hot from the kitchen, like the classic bibampab, sticky rice with meat or egg, vegetables and hot sauce. In Korean cuisine side dishes are considered indispensable and at least two of them accompany every meal. The most famous one is kimchi, a fiery, pickled cabbage. The paper-thin sesame leaves served at Seoul are a highlight of the meal. Almost black, the leaves are marinated in a not-too-spicy sauce and their surprisingly floral flavor revives the palate. Dried radish, Asian squash and sweet potato shoots are just a few of the other exotic ingredients used here. Owner Min notes that Korean cuisine is quite healthy with cooks preferring lean cuts of meat and using very little fat other than sesame oil. That’s good news because it’s hard to hold back when faced with the irresistible variety of dishes that cover the table at Seoul. Food 8, Service 7, Atmosphere 6