Type: Restaurant (Korean BBQ)
Price: 12,000 for one portion.
+ : good meat, better beers than usual, and it feels like camping :).
– : if it’s cold you will have to freeze of be inside (and eating inside on camping chair…:(
Place info: http://place.map.daum.net/20459065 (near Sangsu exit 1 of Hapjeong exit 5, map at the end)
Haaa the joy of camping. Seating around the fire with a beer, making a BBQ every night, looking up and seeing only the sky…
In Korea, the most popular type of restaurant for a dinner with friends or even with a date is the Korean BBQ (unless you are a vegetarian of course). Thus it makes so much sense to combine this Korean BBQ experience with a camping atmosphere and this is exactly what Bonfire is about.
Image a large terrace, with also a smaller indoor space, filled with fireplaces and camping chairs. You arrive, seat and while you look at the menu the waiter brings an electrical lantern for your table. You are looking around you and yes, you are outside and every furniture is similar to what you find in a camp site.
You look up and see the stars the sky because in Seoul, you won’t see stars my friend. But anyway, the ambiance is set and you are going to have a great time.
Let’s talk about the food now. On the menu you can choose between the all time favorite Samgyopsal, Moksal (12,000 for 200g,), Beef (20 000) or Sausages (10 000). We chose Moksal and it was really good. Once you pick your meat the waiter brings you a tray with lettuce, side dishes, onions etc. For the refill it’s a self and you will have to go inside. That’s when you appreciate the tray as you can refill all items in one trip only 😉
Other items include sweat potatoes, ramyon, rice…
For the drinks you have Heineken, Cass and Tsingtao in bottle. On tap you have Asahi and Maisel (Germany). And of course soju. Basically you have all the classic choices of a BBQ place + some upscale beer.
Good to note if you are with a group each table can accommodate at least 6 people thanks to the camping chair, and since all furnitures are “camp site” you can move them around easily making it perfect to accommodate larger group.
My final advice here would be to hurry to go there to enjoy the place as long as the weather is not too cold (blankets provided) at night. Inside the house it’s also camp site tables but being inside is a bit mhweee for an outdoor experience 😉
In the neighborhood: After your dinner you might want to have a drink at Jamaica Wang or a nice dessert at Mon Cafe Gregory. If you are still a bit hungry you have to check out Jeonju maggoli and its amazing side dishes or my all time favorite Zion Boat for the Lion beer 😉
The Indie Guide To Hongdae 