Edward Kwon has closed The Spice in Itaewon and opened a new restaurant in Hannam-dong. It’s a place called The Mixed One, and it turned out to be a fairly casual restaurant. Edward Kwon’s cooking and the way he runs his places aren’t particularly to my taste, and on top of that it’s in Hannam-dong, so left to myself I’d never have had a reason to go — but life keeps throwing these things at you..
The table
Casual indeed.
The projector showing the kitchen
The seating layout makes a real open kitchen impossible, so they’re doing an open-kitchen mood in their own way. I’m not sure whether that beats showing music videos or TV.
Bread and pickles
The olive pickles are unusual. They tasted decent enough too.
There are three set courses — 32,500, 39,500 and 49,500 won — and we went for the 30,000-won one and the 50,000-won one. I didn’t realize when ordering, but the 50,000-won course comes in enormous quantities. It struck me as a good concept for families, meaning for bringing the kids along.
Antipasto
Depending on the course you get to pick your own antipasto. You choose a few and they bring them out on one plate — so that’s where the name The Mixed One comes from.
The antipasto on one plate (for two)
It does bring a buffet to mind, but it tastes better than it looks. The portions are generous too, and I thought it would work nicely with drinks.
Soup
It was just okay.
Main course: pork tenderloin
The 30,000-won course comes with a single main. Decent flavor.
Loin steak, slow-cooked chicken breast, sea bream roasted in its scales
It’s been a long time since I’ve had a place serve three mains. All the more surprising when you consider the 50,000-won price. Having them all crowded onto one plate is a bit much, but they taste decent enough.
Macaroni gratin, Cajun fries, vegetables and so on
The two of us nearly ate ourselves to bursting.
The TMO dessert composition and ice cream
The dessert belongs to the 50,000-won course, and once again an assortment of desserts is served on a single plate.
Herbal tea
With this kind of taste and this kind of volume, I doubt any family restaurant can compete. There’s no point comparing it with fine dining since the concept is different. From where I stand it’s an awkward place to make a special trip to for all sorts of reasons, but it’s good value for money, so it’s handy to know about.