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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:51 pm Post subject: Your favorite Italian restaurant in the Seoul area |
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Considering how many Italian eateries have opened up in Korea (and how many of them suck), I'm wondering what the posters on this thread consider their favorite places for Italian food.
It seems the famous places can be overrated and REALLY overpriced (Sortino's, CasAntonio, etc) and the chain places (Sorrento) are generic. |
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Harpeau
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Location: Coquitlam, BC
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 9:50 pm Post subject: Re: Your favorite Italian restaurant in the Seoul area |
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| Yaya wrote: |
Considering how many Italian eateries have opened up in Korea (and how many of them suck), I'm wondering what the posters on this thread consider their favorite places for Italian food.
It seems the famous places can be overrated and REALLY overpriced (Sortino's, CasAntonio, etc) and the chain places (Sorrento) are generic. |
Some friends and I went to Sortino's this past Sat. Good service. The lasagna was awesome!! Pizza was very good. Salad was OK.
For pizza I would say PIZZA PEEL is #1 hands down!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX1kdyd4leA |
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fosterman
Joined: 16 Nov 2011
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 9:56 pm Post subject: Re: Your favorite Italian restaurant in the Seoul area |
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| Yaya wrote: |
Considering how many Italian eateries have opened up in Korea (and how many of them suck), I'm wondering what the posters on this thread consider their favorite places for Italian food.
It seems the famous places can be overrated and REALLY overpriced (Sortino's, CasAntonio, etc) and the chain places (Sorrento) are generic. |
unfortunately Korea doesn't know real Italian food.
and the owners of CASAntonio, sortinos also don't know food!
Antonio is a piano player who got into the business because he needed to survive, but is not a chef and hires all koreans. , Sortinos is not owned by santino anymore. plus he never cooked anyway, all Koreans did.
he now is at Grano, but don't expect him to cook your food either.plus his dishes are Koreanized versions of Italian food like 99% of the places.
all Sortino places in Itaewon are all owned by Koreans and run by koreans. Sortino doesn't own any of them anymore.
I would say, Paolo De Maria-Fine Trattoria in the french quarter , and J&F trattoria at SNU, are the best places, owned and operated by Italians who are trained chefs and have many years experience under their belts.
Italian food is regional. but all the Korean/Italian places and most of the so called Italian Italian places just play it safe and go with your basic Italian cuisine. pasta, Pizza, steak.
if anyone has traveled to Italy you would know every province you go to is completely different.
but this happens everywhere outside Italy. you know how many Italian places suck back in the US? plenty.
and that goes for ones owned and run by Italians too. |
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fosterman
Joined: 16 Nov 2011
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 9:59 pm Post subject: Re: Your favorite Italian restaurant in the Seoul area |
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well that is your opinion.
but I don't rate his pizzas at all. plus it's closed down hasn't it?
for pizzas, via Di napoli, salvatore cuomo and Di Matteos. |
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Harpeau
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Location: Coquitlam, BC
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Pizza Peel is not closed down, he just got back from vacation. He was trained in Italia. Pretty good! DiMatteo is also excellent!! |
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fosterman
Joined: 16 Nov 2011
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Harpeau wrote: |
| Pizza Peel is not closed down, he just got back from vacation. He was trained in Italia. Pretty good! DiMatteo is also excellent!! |
ummmm I think he is closed dude. or selling...
he advertised on the b/s forum the other day that he is selling. |
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createasaurus21
Joined: 22 Feb 2009
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 11:32 pm Post subject: |
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I had a seafood pasta and caesar salad at Sortino's once, it was good, but nowhere near what I was expecting with all the hype.
Surprisingly, the best pizza I've had in Korea is at Hollywood Bar & Grill (3rd floor above Kraze Burger and Spy Bar in Itaewon). I heard the owner/chef there used to work at Sortino's.
I think just because it's Korea, people have low expectations for Italian food and tend to overhype the Italian restaurants here. |
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furtakk
Joined: 02 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 6:50 am Post subject: |
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| By no means is it fine dining or 'authentic' Italian, but I've always found Jenny's Cafe in Hapjeong/Hongdae to be quite good. It's your typical pizza/pasta/steak place, but they do it fairly well. |
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peter07
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Gwangmyeong
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 6:54 am Post subject: |
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I just hit Al Matto's in Haebangchon, which is across Pinoy Mart. The owner is an Italian from Venice, Italy, who used to work at a number of Italian eateries in Seoul like La Tavola. He said most Italian places in Korea localize the food for the natives, so while they might be popular and make money, they are NOT serving true Italian food.
Al Matto's breakfast was quite good and I asked a guy who had a pizza behind me, and he said, "Pretty fantastic." |
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Jonephant
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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| I use to work at one of Koreas fine dining Italian restaurants and i learned alot from the head chef(Italian), both about food and business. At the end of the day you've got to give the people what they want and when 99% of your customers are Korean then to be successful you need to be flexible to local tastes. Also i have had the finest Italian meal of my life in Japan cooked by all Japanese. The Italian who was with me even said its better than Italy. A persons nationallity shouldnt be an issue when it comes to how capable the person is at preparing any countries food. Im a Brit! I rarely cook British food. |
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orosee
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Location: Hannam-dong, Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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| createasaurus21 wrote: |
Surprisingly, the best pizza I've had in Korea is at Hollywood Bar & Grill (3rd floor above Kraze Burger and Spy Bar in Itaewon). |
Pssst. Let's keep this a secret 
It's a shame they gave up the Greek Salad though, it was great (in my opinion). |
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fosterman
Joined: 16 Nov 2011
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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| peter07 wrote: |
| I just hit Al Matto's in Haebangchon, which is across Pinoy Mart. The owner is an Italian from Venice, Italy, who used to work at a number of Italian eateries in Seoul like La Tavola. " |
The Italian guy is not the owner, he just works there. |
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peter07
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Gwangmyeong
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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| fosterman wrote: |
| peter07 wrote: |
| I just hit Al Matto's in Haebangchon, which is across Pinoy Mart. The owner is an Italian from Venice, Italy, who used to work at a number of Italian eateries in Seoul like La Tavola. " |
The Italian guy is not the owner, he just works there. |
Oh, didn't know that but I hope he stays to ensure that the quality is maintained. |
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fosterman
Joined: 16 Nov 2011
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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| peter07 wrote: |
| fosterman wrote: |
| peter07 wrote: |
| I just hit Al Matto's in Haebangchon, which is across Pinoy Mart. The owner is an Italian from Venice, Italy, who used to work at a number of Italian eateries in Seoul like La Tavola. " |
The Italian guy is not the owner, he just works there. |
Oh, didn't know that but I hope he stays to ensure that the quality is maintained. |
yes, but he is not cooking anyway right? if I remember correctly the Italian guy was front of house, the Koreans were in the kitchen,,right? |
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akcrono
Joined: 11 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 12:44 am Post subject: |
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| fosterman wrote: |
| Harpeau wrote: |
| Pizza Peel is not closed down, he just got back from vacation. He was trained in Italia. Pretty good! DiMatteo is also excellent!! |
ummmm I think he is closed dude. or selling...
he advertised on the b/s forum the other day that he is selling. |
Can't find that post.
Pizza peel is definitely the best pizza I've had in Korea. |
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