Lazy Sunday Austrian Lunch at Heuriger

Heuriger (호어리거)

서울특별시 종로구 사직로10길 7

7 Sajik-ro 10-gil

Jongno-gu, Seoul

South Korea

Naver Maps // Google Maps

Lunch Set (15,000won)

Main dishes from 20~ 

I can’t quite put into words how dignified (and silly for feeling so damn dignified) I felt when I told Lee about how we “actually need” to check out Heuriger for a review (AND that we’ll get compensated!).  I mean it’s not quite at the level of getting paid to eat (a girl can dream), but still it was definitely a glorifying moment worth gloating over.

Reaffirming his belief that I’m indeed an alcoholic, I explained to him on our way to the restaurant what Heuriger is. It actually refers to an Austrian wine tavern, where you can sample the most recently harvested wine with few simple options for food. I was lucky enough to have visited one during my last visit to Vienna. Despite most of my memories being either “lost” or faded after the shocking amount of wine I managed to squeeze into my body, I still distinctly remember the  friendly and easy-going charm of the tavern that warmed my (already tinted) cheeks.

That’s why as I approached Heuriger, I was surprised to see a familiar looking hanok (Korean traditional house).  But stepping into the hanok, we were left even more perplexed and utterly lost for words in a mini-courtyard covered in grape-vines.  Heuriger, definitely has one of the oddest mix of atmosphere for sure.  We sat down whilst German yodels were being played in the back-ground once in a while accompanied by the sound of mosquitoes being fried in the electric catcher. Oh and then there was a random print of Audrey Hepburn as well.

What a strange place! 

May Lunch Menu Set - which apparently is the same for June 

The lunch-set at Heuriger is a bargain at 15,000 won for a 2-course meal of appetizer and main (with salad) followed by either espresso or a vienna coffee.  The lunch menu changes slightly each month but they still serve normal dishes/mains from the menu as well.  They also seem to have a proper wine-list, and we should’ve totally examined it before blindly following the waitress’s suggestion of the house white. It’s not that we’re bunch of wine-snobs, but I’m pretty sure serving white-wine with ice (which in this heat is basically water) is not the norm… Anyhow I guess it is still a valuable (yet unnecessary) lesson learnt.  We decided to go for Rindgulach mit Nudeln and  Schweinsbraten mit Servittenknodel, or more commonly known as Beef Goulash with Noodles and Roast Pork Neck with bread buddings. 

The appetizer was Mussels with Bread (Cozze de Mare mit Brot). It was a refreshing and light start with the fresh mussels and shrimps going really well with the simple dressing. Despite the strong start, the bread-basket and the green salad was a disappointment. I had really hoped for a hearty rich German bread and a proper (no lettuce) salad, so we were thoroughly disappointed when we were served toasted white bread with lettuce salad in yogurt dressing instead. At least it paired particularly well with our watery wine.

I should've never listened... Wine with Ice in this heat = wine-flavoured water!

Our rather disappointing non-artisan white bread...

After being a little disappointed, I was more than find the two main-dishes to meet our expectations. The goulash was particularly good as the rich and deep tomato flavours really complimented the soft beef chunks. The pork was also cooked perfectly but we found the sauce that it was served with a little bland. I found both dishes a little cold but was thoroughly satisfied with both of my meals.  It was Lee’s first time trying Austrian cuisine, and I think he enjoyed his dishes as well! Funnily enough, our (secretly) favourite part of the main dishes were these amazing homemade spicy pickles that were served on the side. The lunch-portions (may be due to the price) are also not that substantial unlike the country’s reputation for large hearty meals.  This actually worked out alright because we still had enough space for a dessert after our mains.

Schweinsbraten mit Servittenknodel

Rindgulach mit Nudeln

Considering more of a research for a pancake challenge than an indulgence, we ordered the Austrian King Panckae (Kaiserchmarnn Klein) for 7,000 won. Kaiserchmarnn is an Austrian torn pancakes with Raisins covered with powdered sugar and it was definitely our favourite dish of the day. We ate it with so much enthusiasm and endless compliments over the fluffiness, the raisins, the perfectly balanced sweetness. WE are definitely going to make this as part of our challenge!  Later on I found out on the internet that the raisins are often soaked in rum (no wonder why we loved it so much)!

Austrian Pancakes! 

Overall, I definitely enjoyed our lunch at Heuriger! I think it more than delivers its value for the price, but I do want to try out the main-dishes and some of their wines next time during dinner. Oh but no matter when you visit, you really really do have to try their dessert.

 (Here you can see the full menu) 

And to finish it off, here's a photo of us looking rather pleased with our first Austrian lunch together - I mean look at Lee's smirk  :)

ShinShin (신신) - Spicy Beef Stew to sweat out your frustration

신신 辛辛 (ShinShin)

서울특별시 중구 남대문로 64

02-773-4842

64 Namdaemun-ro

Jung-gu, Seoul

Naver Maps// Google Maps

"You sure? It's really spicy" She said quickly glancing at Lee and his full-scale (glittering) paleness. For a minute, I wasn't too sure myself. Could Lee really handle level 3? A level they said corresponds to 3 times the spiciness of Shin-ramen?  Then I thought why not - it would be incredibly racist of me if I didn’t subject my boyfriend to his fair share of spiciness right? Plus he did manage to eat level 2 without weeping or breaking down…

I’ve returned to 신신 (辛辛) – ShinShin (Chinese character for spicy) in myeongdong couple of times, always seeking that thrill and odd sense of release you feel after sweating through a meal. Unlike other restaurants specializing in spicy food, which sometimes I find totally lack any other flavors besides the painful burning sensation,  ShinShin’s beef stew has a good blend of flavors and delicious to eat!

If you choose to go for the spicy beef stew / 매운갈비찜 (M (35,000) for 2-3 ,  or L(45,000) for 4-5), there are 5 levels of spiciness you can choose from  (1 – equivalent to Shiramen, 2 – 3 times Shinramen , 3 – Imagine Shinramen with Extra chili flakes  + Chilies and so forth). Last time we had gone for the level 2, which was still surprisingly spicy but enjoyable for the both of us (although I admit, lee is better than lots of Koreans with spicy food).

The stew come to the table ready to eat with fresh scallions piled on top. Usually the server removed the bones from the beef and even cuts it into bite-size pieces too! I think shinshin's portions are proportionate to the price you pay, as you get a fair share of beef as well as copious amount of bean sprouts, scallions and other vegetables. I usually end up pretty full by the end of the meal (although it may be the beer we chug down as a necessity to alleviate the spiciness). The best way, in my opinion, to eat this is by making a mini sweweed-roll, radish roll (무쌈) or throw it all in roll. The owners refill the seaweed and side-dishes without a fuss so don't worry about asking for more. If you're feeling extra adventurous, you can dip the beef into the hot-sauce they give (because... well if you're going to tear up you might as well go all the way). 

By the time we're half way through our table is usually littered with beer and tissues. We usually begin fishing for beef / bean sprouts in the sea of ominously red soup and soon after Lee begins to dive into the path of self-destruction by 'attempting' to drink the soup. Despite the schadenfreude i feel watching him sweat, this is usually when I intervene and ask the owners to take the soup away and make us fried rice. 

After waiting for few minutes during which you partially regain control of your tongue nerves and begin to sweat slightly less, the fried rice arrives (with the big bowl of left over soup). The fried rice is surprisingly not spicy at all (or it may just be our numbed taste-buds) so we usually pour some of the soup back and eat it together.

Shishin is definitely one of my favourite dinner/lunch places around this neighborhood to go to. Despite being centrally located in Myeongdong, it's never really too crowded (but always occupied) and still has that sense of your secret weapon to show off to naive visitors who think they are good with spicy food.

The Aftermath

Top 3 Kimchisoup in Seoul: 굴다리식당

굴다리식당

Kimchi always reminds me of my mother

Living in Amsterdam before the influx of exchange students and toursits, my mom and I made Kimchi from scratch with chilli peppers sent by my Grandma and chinese cabbage we sourced from a korean farmer in Germany.

Squatting on the kitchen floor making Kimchi from scratch was one of the strongest and most proudest link I carried throughout my childhood away from Korea.


I've eaten countless kimchi soups and kimchi (as side-dishes) around Seoul, but they never quite had the home-cooked taste that I craved. It was most of the times overly spicy or sometimes even sweet but always screaming with strong bold flavours that are not natural to home made kimchi.

That's why my friend, overhearing my numerous complaints on the matter, suggested I check out the 3 restaurants that were apparently thought of to be Seoul's 3 top restaurants for Kimchi Soup.

굴다리식당 was first on the list being closest to home.
It's located close to exit 8 on Gongduk line (Naver Map, Google Map), and has 2 locations fairly close to each other. The restaurant is a little tricky to find as it doesn't show the name of the restaurant but rather a big sign that says 김치찌개 (kimchi soup).

The menu is also straight foward with limited choices.
Most people usually go for the Kimchi Soup (7,000won) or the Spicy Stir-fried Pork/ 제육볶음 (10,000KRW). The portions are not too big but usually people fill themselves up with rice that goes perfectly with the soup and the spicy sauce.

I think whether you like the soup from this restaurant or not really depends on what Kimchi means to you. It's unlike the other kimchisoups in that it doesn't really have that crazy spiciness or that overwhelming instant flavour. Some might say it's a little bit bland, but to me at least it has that perfect blend of pork broth and properly aged kimchi. It reminds me of the huge pot of soups my mom used to make whenever our kimchi got too fermented. My brother and I always wanted her to add more pork as we loved to, with her admonishment, fish them out of the bowl.

It's a place for all to visit if you want to taste what Kimchi-soup is all about. It's a unpretentious dish made by mothers and grandmothers with overfermented sour kimchi that should never be wasted.