I found out about a place called Chinghai in Seocho, so I decided to check it out. The biggest advantage of this place is that it’s corkage-free, and the food tasted amazing too.

Guojiao 1573 Decanter Set

I picked this up at the duty-free shop, and it looks quite impressive.

The Entrance

I thought I’d been around this area a lot… I even lived nearby… I can’t believe a place like this was here.

Guopin and Guojiao

Guopin is also a famous sauce-fragrance (Jiangxiang) liquor, and a friend brought it along. After searching, I found out it’s a special edition that’s not easy to get. The sauce-fragrance was deep and delicious. I had high expectations for Guojiao since it’s said to be a top-tier strong-fragrance (Nongxiang) Baijiu; while the quality is definitely high, it wasn’t quite my taste. The pineapple notes pop and the balance is good, but the lingering sauce-fragrance in the background was a bit distracting. That fragrance does make it pair well with food, but I’m not sure what the true path of high-end strong-fragrance is. Maybe I’ll know after trying Mengzilan M9…

Wulianshan Baijiu

This was a sponsored bottle, but it leaked somewhere, so I couldn’t taste it.

Side Dishes

The service is great, and everything is just good.

Ohyang-jangyuk (Five-Spice Pork)

Wow… the quality was excellent. I found out the chef is from Daegabang, and honestly, this is at a level that could blow most Chinese restaurants out of the water.

Nanzha-wansu (Meatballs)

The frying on this was also exquisite.

Tangsuyuk (Sweet and Sour Pork)

I think this place specializes in frying. All the fried dishes were delicious.

Was this Lajiji (Spicy Garlic Chicken)…

Since they fry things so well, this was delicious too…

Fried Dumplings

These were tasty as well.

Jjamppong Soup

They do the basic menu items well too.

Was this Kkanpunggi (Spicy Garlic Chicken)…

The dishes overlap a bit, but everything is delicious.

Japchae-bap (Glass Noodle Rice Bowl)

They stir-fry the japchae really well.

Chinghai Tangmyeon (Noodle Soup)

I was curious since it’s the signature dish named after the restaurant, but it was just okay.

Gan-jjajang (Black Bean Noodles)

This was also delicious.

Overall, it’s a very high-level establishment. Being able to pair great liquor I brought with such a delicious meal made for maximum satisfaction. The world is wide and there are so many great restaurants.

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