6 best Gyeongridan Road eats

Tapas? Pad see yew? Something fried and Aussie? Gyeongridan Road has your foreign food fix

By Patricia Park 30 August, 2011

Itaewon has long been the go-to neighborhood for Western food -- the only place in Seoul to find a decent burrito, falafel, gyro or any other form of ethnic food roll-up.

The wave of international restaurants has since spread to neighboring Haebangchon (Noksapyeong station).

In this three-block stretch, no fewer than eight world cuisines dangle their menus, making Gyeongridan Road the restaurant row equivalent of a 1980s Benetton advert.

Here are the highlights.

1. Italian

Noxa Lounge

A restaurant masquerading as a lounge, Noxa takes its cues from the traditional Italian menu -- pizzas, pastas and focaccia sandwich sets. The secondi menu offers mussels, salmon and chicken.

Anyone looking for lighter fare can sit at the bar and order a pint of Kilkenny on draught and order from the antipasti menu: garlic bread, caprese salad, spinaci alla crema or cheese platter.

671 Itaewon 2-dong, Yongsan-gu (용산구 이태원2동 671), +82 2 790 0776

Noon-2 a.m.; ₩3,000-₩18,000 for antipasti; ₩10,000-₩14,000 for primi; ₩14,000-₩23,000 for secondi

2. Spanish

Mi Madre

Mi Madre’s menu of tapas and paella draws its inspiration from chef Chung Seung-won’s experiences living in Andalucía. Chung suggests parties of two should order a paella (single servings OK) and several tapas to share.

Other popular dishes include the paella mixta (seafood, chicken, vegetables), croquetas of the day and berenjenas con miel, or fried eggplant with a touch of honey.

221-1, 2/F Itaewon2-dong, Yongsan-gu (용산구 이태원2동 221-1, 2층), +82 2 790 7875

11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., 5:30-10:30 p.m. (Monday, Wednesday-Friday); 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. (weekends, no siesta), closed Tuesday;  ₩16,000 for paella,  ₩6,500 for fried eggplant with honey, ₩8,000 for jamon.

3. Australian

Sydney Seafood

Sydney Seafood is a fish and chips bar, plain and simple. Try the salt and pepper baby calamari and chips and soft-shell crabs.

If you’re rolling more than four deep, splurge on the Sydney Seafood platter of fish, prawn cutlets, baby calamari, soft shell crabs, salad and chips.

671 2/F Itaewon 2-dong, Yongsan-gu (용산구 이태원2동 671 2층), +82 2 790 2722

5 p.m.-11 p.m. (Monday), 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. (Tuesday-Saturday), 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. (Sunday), ₩8,000-₩22,000 for fish and chips platters.

4. Japanese

Res2Go

More takeout joint than restaurant, Res2Go offers more permutations on teriyaki than you thought possible. Popular dishes include the chicken yakisoba, spicy pork teriyaki and Hawaiian chicken grill. It's popular with the U.S. military crowd.

559 Itaewon 2-dong, Yongsan-gu (용산구 이태원2동 559), +82 2 749 9297

11 a.m.-10 p.m.; ₩2,500-₩6,000 for sides; ₩7,900-₩10,900 for entrees

5. Vietnamese

Le Saigon

Le Saigon seats a tight 16 and offers the usual Vietnamese staples of spring rolls, wings, pho, Saigon wraps and banh mi sandwiches. If you’re new to Vietnamese cuisine, go for the set menus, which offer a sampling of appetizers and entrees.

673 Itaewon 2-dong, Yongsan-gu (용산구 이태원2동 673), +82 2 790 0336, 

11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., ₩4,500-₩14,000 for appetizers, ₩7,000-₩8,000 for banh mi, ₩8,000-₩9,500 for pho, ₩16,000 for wolnamssam or Saigon wraps.

6. Thai

Buddha’s Belly

This tiny restaurant seats 10 and serves pad thai, pad see yew, tom yum and green red and penang curries. Sadly, no chicken satay appears on Buddha’s menu.

673 Itaewon 2-dong, Yongsan-gu (용산구 이태원2동 673), +82 2 793 2173

11:30a.m.-10:30p.m.; ₩2,000-₩12,000 for appetizers and salads; ₩7,000-₩14,000 for rice, noodle and stir-fry entrees; ₩9,000-₩12,000 for soups and curries.