A Memorable Fine Dining Experience at Chez Simon
Hello everyone! I'm back with another restaurant review after a long time.
Recently, for a special anniversary, I visited a restaurant recommended by my company's CEO!
Location:
992m from Noksapyeong Station Exit 2.
Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Friday: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Saturday-Sunday: 12:00 PM - 9:00 PM (Break time: 2:30 PM - 6:00 PM)
Price:
Lunch: ₩75,000
Dinner: ₩120,000
It might seem far from the station, but you can take bus No. 3 in front of the station and get off at 'Gayarang Building'. The building is right there, so transportation is quite convenient.
When you get off at the bus stop, you'll see a large building in front of you. Enter through the left entrance, take the elevator to the 3rd floor, and Chez Simon will be on your left.
Once inside, they'll confirm your reservation name and guide you to your designated seating. I remember the waiter being very friendly and gentlemanly. And the view is amazing, right? The view is even better at night!
We made a dinner reservation, so as soon as we sat down, we were presented with a menu outlining the courses.
There were a total of 7 courses: 3 appetizers, 3 main dishes, and 1 dessert.
While waiting, freshly baked bread was served, and it was so delicious. It was so hot at first that I couldn't eat it properly, but after it cooled down a bit and I ate it with the butter they provided, it was amazing... (For the record, I ordered it twice :))
And, like a young couple, we ordered orange juice. What I found luxurious about this was that we never once had to pour our own orange juice. The staff consistently watched our glasses and refilled them whenever they were empty. Such attention to detail was impressive and made me feel very special.
Appetizers
Finally, the course meal began!
The first dish was 'Herb and Abalone', served on top of a light cracker. One bite... and it was incredibly delicious. It was so precious that I wanted to savor every moment.
After such a pleasant start, I was a little nervous about the second course because I don't really like tomatoes... The second dish was 'Squid and Tomato'. But when the dish came out, the tomatoes were finely chopped, and the squid was placed on top. So, thankfully, I was able to eat it without any aversion. The squid had just a hint of tomato flavor, so it was delicious.
The third dish was 'Scallop, Butternut Squash, and Hazelnut'. I understood the scallop and hazelnut, but I was a little confused about the butternut squash. The waiter explained the dish, and after hearing the explanation, the flavors felt even richer. It made me realize why you need to listen to the docent's explanation at an art museum! By the way, they explained every dish as it was served, so you could appreciate and enjoy the food more meaningfully. I really liked that.
This dish was a very savory scallop. The sauce on top was foamy, which was a very unique texture. It was a combination I had never tasted before, so it felt like riding a thrilling rollercoaster while eating. I highly recommend it!
Main Dishes
And finally, the main dishes!
The first dish was 'Iberico Pluma with Burnt Eggplant'. I was curious how 'burnt eggplant' would be presented in such a high-end restaurant. I was ready to eat the eggplant when... meat appeared! It turned out that the burnt eggplant was the sauce. But that was even more amazing. Making a sauce out of burnt eggplant... what would it taste like? I tried it, and it was incredibly delicious. I'm feeling the limits of my vocabulary right now. I wish I had read more books so I could express my impressions of such a delicious dish with more than just 'delicious.' I'm blaming myself.
The second dish was 'Min-Eo (Korean Croaker) with Sake Beurre Blanc'. I knew what Min-Eo was, but Sake Beurre Blanc...? Seeing this hard-to-pronounce dish name, I was really excited. I believe that when an unfamiliar word appears, it will completely change my existing frame of thought. As expected, my expectations were met. The sauce under the Min-Eo was made with sake, and it was really, really delicious (ah, there's that vocabulary again...). As a fish lover, it was so delicious that I could come here just to eat this. I would recommend this to anyone.
Finally, the highly anticipated Hanwoo Tenderloin Steak! It was the only dish whose image I could imagine in my head just by looking at the name. But when the dish came out, it completely exceeded my expectations. The plating was even more delicious, which surprised me. The meat is usually cooked medium-rare, but you can request your desired level of doneness. Everything was great, but my girlfriend and I especially liked the mustard seeds. The unique flavor of the mustard seeds went very well with the meat. It was also the most delicious steak I've ever eaten.
Dessert
Now for dessert.
Burdock Ice Cream with Fig was served. This instantly got rid of the greasiness from the meat in the main course and refreshed my palate, so it was really delicious. In particular, the fig jam? under the ice cream went very well with the ice cream, so I enjoyed the dessert very much.
They also served tea and financiers to go with it. What really touched me here was that they remembered that we had ordered different types of tea and placed them accordingly when they brought them out. Both my girlfriend and I were so impressed by this. The financiers were also very delicious. As I write this, it's all filled with the word 'delicious'. But I think that's the highest praise for a restaurant :)
My first fine dining experience was a very pleasant and memorable one. While eating, I kept saying that my parents would love it if I brought them here. A restaurant that makes you want to bring someone else while eating... I think that's a really good restaurant. What do you think? Hehe.
Thank you so much for reading this long post. I'll be back with another review from another place next time!
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