We had a foodie meetup in Itaewon. It was at Vongo, a tapas bar that used to be in Apgujeong and has since moved; I’d heard both the vibe and the food had changed, and that they now do cochinillo, roast suckling pig, so I got a group together and went. True to form for an SG Dinehill place, the people behind Butcher’s Cut and Blooming Garden, the lighting is atrocious. Great for a date, but a headache for taking blog photos. So this time I don’t have any decent pictures.
A glass of sangria
The sangria here was pretty pricey. I figured the portion would at least be generous, but no.. At most Spanish restaurants you usually start light with a sangria, but I switched to beer halfway through. It costs next to nothing to make, so I wish they’d bring the price down a bit; I don’t really get the policy. Maybe it’s their way of saying order wine.. Well, it’s such a popular place that I doubt the price of sangria matters much to them.
A chickpea dish. Salchicha con Garbanzos.
We started with the lighter dishes. Everyone else said it was fine, but for me the chickpeas were overcooked and drowned in too much sauce, so I didn’t find it particularly good.
Salad
I forget what kind of salad it was, but it was so-so.
Callos, beef tripe stew
I actually had high hopes for this, but it was just okay. The tomato was a bit thin, and whereas Japanese offal dishes have no gaminess or off-flavors at all, this one was rather rough, maybe because it’s done Korean-style. My palate has turned Japanese by now, so I couldn’t really get used to it. I’d also just been to a top-notch Spanish izakaya on a recent trip to Tokyo.
Tortilla
It’s kind of like a Korean pancake..
Tomato bread, Pan con Tomate
A bit soggy, so just meh..
Jamón and cheese croquettes
These didn’t feel especially Spanish either.
Cochinillo
At last the main course arrives.
Salad
Maybe because it’s expensive, it comes with a salad too.
Served onto plates
It was a bit grotesque, and the meat had a strong gamey smell, so this one was just okay for me too. Maybe I need to hurry up and go live in Japan..
Squid ink paella
They say it’s a crowd-pleaser.. and the taste was decent. If I hadn’t had the same dish in Japan, I’d probably have praised it..
Seafood paella
It does the basics right.
As you’d expect from an SG Dinehill place, the food is decent and the flavors aren’t bad. The atmosphere is nice too, so I can see why it’s popular, but personally I don’t feel any urge to go back. Everyone else seemed happy with their meal, so my opinion probably doesn’t matter much. With a palate this picky, eating in Korea is really tough..