Seoul Searching

This week at work has been an emotional roller-coaster as our department undergoes significant changes due to management restructuring. But let's set work aside for now. My cousin Gileena and my friend Joyce, who coincidentally are also my office mates, invited me to join them in trying out a Korean restaurant they've been eager to visit.

Despite having an early workday the next morning, I thought, why not? Eating remains one of my favorite things to do, with sleep coming in a close second. Perhaps this little outing could also help alleviate some of our stress.

The name of the restaurant is Seoul Garden, renowned for its authentic Korean cuisine. It is situated in Al Karama, a residential district in Dubai near Dubai Creek, nestled within the older part of the city. Getting there is quite convenient, either by bus or metro. We opted for the bus and found that the restaurant was just a short walk from the bus stop.

As we stepped into the restaurant, an air of sophistication greeted us—something I'm not quite accustomed to. I was wearing my tired-from-work look, while my two companions were dressed in shirts and jeans, which seemed a tad inappropriate for a place like this. I half-expected the hostess to give us a disdainful look. To my surprise, she warmly greeted us with a smile, devoid of any discrimination. She then led us to our table.

The table was situated in a secluded area, shielded by dividers, providing us with privacy while we enjoyed our meal. Four sets of plates, glasses, spoons, chopsticks, and napkins were neatly arranged. In the center of the table, there was a built-in stove, indicating that we would be cooking a certain dish ourselves. On the edge of the table, there was a button we could press if we needed the server's attention.

With a polite bow, the hostess bid us farewell as she left the enclosed section. A few minutes later, a waiter appeared, offering us hot towels, a large bottle of water, and a menu. To be honest, my knowledge of Korean cuisine was limited to kimchi and ramyeon. I decided to let my two companions take the lead.

My place setting about to be the scene of the crime for what I'm about to do with my food.

This is how hungry people smile right before a meal.

Uhm... I don't think that's how you use those...

Yeah, Joyce. That's not racist at all.

The waiter prepared the Galbisal (Korean barbecue) with side dishes and compliments. He was supposed to be the one to cook the beef for us, but we preferred to do it ourselves because eating Korean barbecue is more fun if you cook it yourself.

Here are the side dishes included with the Galbisal. I don't know what the fuck they're called, but most of them are good. I don't like kimchi, but I somehow liked the one that they served.

Why use chopsticks when you have tongs?

The waiter set up another stove and placed the mushroom and meat hot pot. This hot pot had so much meat, mushrooms, noodles, and veggies in it. The broth was kinda sweet. We could've had the spicy broth, but opt to go with the regular. I love spicy food but I sweat my balls off whenever I do so.

We had so much food to stuff our faces with, but that's not enough so we ordered a plate of Kimbab as well. It was so fucking good!

"Why the fuck did I eat all that food?"

Joyce succumbing to food coma.

After all that food we ate, we still had take home leftovers. How awesome is that?

After settling the bill, we proceed to the exit. The host at the door gave us these souvenir stickers that can also be used to clean mobile phone screens. 

Of course the night won't be complete without taking a picture in front of the restaurant's name. Awesome.

In summary, the restaurant surpassed our expectations in terms of service, presentation, taste, and price. We opted for three set meals: Korean barbecue, hot pot, and kimbab, accompanied by rice and drinks. The total cost came to around 100 AED per person. The price was definitely justified considering the generous portions of food we received, which could easily satisfy a group of five. Since there were only three of us, we had an abundance of delicious dishes. I can definitely see myself returning to this place in the future.