Sumiya Charcoal Grill Izakaya 炭家 @ Orchard Central

Wanted to try their anago sushi but unfortunately, was told that it was not available on the day of visit. Hmm...what's plan B? I'll mull over the menu again with an iced cold Asahi draft.

Asahi draft @$5.80++

Decided on a Nama Hon Maguro Toro, bluefin tuna belly.

bluefin tuna belly @$11++

It was indeed fatty and oily, and with a slight chew, melted away in the mouth.

However, needed something more filling, so ordered the fried garlic rice with char siew bits.

fried garlic rice @$8.80++

Can't taste the garlic though. But a hot bowl of fried rice when you're hungry, now that's a good choice.

Charcoal Thai @ Simon Road

Located at Simon Road, just next door to the popular Lola's Cafe. It is actually within 6 minutes of walking distance from Kovan MRT.With wet weather nowadays, you'll definitely need an umbrella otherwise, risk getting drenched while awaiting for the traffic light to turn green.

Haven't had a mookata since... well, forever. Last that we had was the one at Dickson Road, and that was a couple of years ago, back in 2011!

Visited on a Friday evening, and indoor lighting was pretty dim.
 

Mookata set @$39.90++

Service was pretty slow that night. Place seemed crowded during dinner hours but had quietened by 9pm.

Wasn't there when my friends ordered ahead but think we had a set for 2 pax. There were sausages, luncheon meat, chicken and pork, crabstick and meatballs. There were few prawns as well. The set came with a small separate basket of chinese cabbage, rice vermicelli (tanghoon) and bok choi.

add-on meat @$11.90++

So we oiled the mookata by frying up the lard cubes and moved it all over the grill. But, the meats still sticks and got burnt. Haha!


Also tried their ala-carte tom yum soup which came in a small clay pot, and loaded with squids and some prawns.

seafood tomyum clear soup @$11.90++

Soup was fantastically hot and with the right sour notes. Good to have on a cold night, but it made us hungrier.

Tried a couple of ala-carte items. Had the minced pork omelette which was quite nice, thai sweet and sour tofu which was enjoyable (but secretly wished that it was sweet and sour pork instead).

The calamari squid actually contained other fried items such as baby corn and onions. Was just average.

calamari squid @$12.90++

Also tried two types of fried rice; Seafood and Olive. Olive fried rice was bland, and lacked the olive fragrance while the seafood fried rice was tasty and flavourful with adequate seafood thrown in. Go for the seafood fried rice, if you must eat rice.

Olive fried rice @$9.90++

Seafood fried rice @$10.90++

There was a Standard Chartered credit card promo then, and we got 10% discount off. Total bill for 6 pax came up to $145.

Happy 2015 everyone!

Antoinette @ Mandarin Gallery Orchard

Located at Level 2 of Mandarin Gallery. One could take the outdoor escalator up or via the lift, which may take forever to arrive.

Was there on a Friday evening, for a late dinner. Food choice was an all-day breakfast of Classic Eggs Florentine, with a cup of Cafe Viennois. Such decadence.

interior

menu

Was actually pretty cold inside especially if it had rained earlier. Brrr~

Classic eggs Florentine @$16.50++

perfectly runny poached egg

Eggs Florentine came with two beautifully poached eggs, drizzled with ample Hollandaise sauce and sitting atop of plenty of salty serrano ham with some wilted spinach (also salty!). Brioche was thick but a tad too browned/burnt?

Cafe Viennois with chantilly cream @$6.80++

Do let the staff know if you prefer the coffee to be served later as by default, they will bring it to the table along with your dinner.

Colleagues ordered some desserts to go along with their tea.

The younger service crew was pretty friendly.

Expect to spend between $20 to $30 for a desserts or for a meal here.

Travel | Seoul 28 Oct - 2 Nov 2014 | Lounge Dawon 라운지 다원 @ SamcheongGak 삼청각

Located at 3, Daesagwan-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 성북구 대사관로 3 (성북동). Took a free-shuttle from Gallery Hyundai stop. There's a cafe nearby, so one could chill while waiting for the bus. Bus stops for just a minute or so, and bus ride to Samcheonggak takes about 10 minutes.

waiting for shuttle bus in cold temperature *brrr*

Samcheonggak is located at the mountaineous area of Mt. Bukak. Very quiet, very nice environment.

entrance to tranquility

Unfortunately, we did not manage to secure a reservation at its restaurant even though we arrived around 11+am and the place was fairly empty. Next best option, was to dine at Dawon Lounge but with limited menu. But the mountain view, more than made up for the slight disappointment.

simply beautiful

abit too hot for al-fresco dining, but look at the gorgeous scenary!

menu

Just 2-3 options for Korean menu and another 2-3 options for Italian dishes. I took the beef bulgogi set while friend had vegetarian bibimbap.

complimentary barley tea

As the sun was shining really strong that day (and also we were at higher grounds!), we figured it wasn't worth the UV rays and decided to move to its indoor area.

Dawon Lounge

They seemed understaffed as there were just two whom we could see, and they do everything from taking orders, serving and cashier. Hence, service was slow.

beef bulgogi set @16000₩(~USD16/SGD20)

tasty kimchi

 The beef bulgogi was very tender, sweetish and healthy tasting. Kimchi was ripened just the way I liked it. Yum.

rice mixed with millet

Rice was soft and fragrant. Not too sticky and goes well with the kimchi.

Was pretty full after the meal, hence we went exploring Samcheonggak's compound.

in life, we'll encounter many crossroads so which way you'll go?

sometimes, there'll be many steps and we may not see what's ahead

and sometimes, the view alone will be worthed it

There were some halls around that area that seemed to be dining places as well. Quite cool, if I may say so.

for more private dining

It was pretty dangerous to walk from Samcheonggak to Samcheongdong so do take the shuttle bus or hail a cab or something. Samcheongdong by car is about 10 minutes away.

Links to previous posts on Seoul travel:
Gwanghwamun & Namdaemun Market | Tosokchon | Seoul Arrival

Esmirada @ Orchard | The Entertainer App

Located near Orchard Hotel, it was quite a distance from Orchard MRT. Head towards Shaw at Lido, and along Delphi. Christmas season, so it was time for gatherings!

Place was dark and cosy. Thursday nights were fairly relaxed.

candelight dinner?

Happy Hour (HH) sees 1-for-1 drinks, so got myself a Sangria. Margarita and mojitos qualify for HH promo as well. Their version of Sangria is less sweet.

Sangria @$17++ (1-for-1 during HH)

Since there were just the three of us, we ordered 2 mains and 2 tapas to share.

Chorizo Sausage @$14++

Grilled Squid @$14++

Am not a fan of chorizo, so no comments. Salty sausages with wine, was alright. Squid was slightly tough but had an enjoyable flavour, with a touch of salt.

Next up, Paella Valenciana. Portion was ok to be shared comfortably amongst 2 pax.

Paella Valenciana @$35++

There were prawns, mussels, chicken bits and pork. Rice grains were moist. Those at the bottom would be slightly scorched, so do mix it up earlier. Flavours were pleasant and not too sourish. Appetizing and lines the tummy.

Lamb chop skewer was a sight to behold. Very medieval looking kind of dish, with the chops hanging off the skewer. Served with 3 dipping sauces (tomato, yoghurt and tartar/sour cream?) and one baked potato.

Lamb chop skewer @$38++

Lamb chops were just seasoned simply with salt, and its meat was so tender. Nice. I think I like Josper grilled food~

The baked potato was nicely done and good for those whom are still peckish.

hanging tender

Redeem one main course when requesting for the bill.

redeem the free main course

Thanks to The Entertainer App, we saved $35.

Seafood Valenciana was free~

Thanks Gina and Flo for the lights, otherwise, the photos would be too dark! Have a Merry Christmas!

Total spend was $45+ per pax, inclusive of the 2 drinks.