This is my second time at Il Cipriani. I don’t usually go back to the same restaurant twice, but this place is handy whenever I have plans near Jongno, so I ended up visiting again. It’s easy to get to, the prices aren’t all that high, and the atmosphere is calm. I’ve heard rumours that restaurants of this level have multiplied lately, but none come to mind right away north of the river. Well… with the exchange rate being what it is, my small wish is to go to Pierre Gagnaire next time.
We ordered the two special lunch courses. I don’t remember their names, but we took the two most expensive ones… Since the menus are different, it’s nice to be able to try both.
Bread
This is the house’s pride. The black squid-ink bread in the middle has a few nuts in it, so the nuttiness and chew are something else. For Korea, this level is really well made… If I hadn’t had other plans that day I’d have taken some home, but I had to walk around for quite a while after lunch, so I left without it. A bit of a shame.
Pumpkin soup
Ordinary
Cream soup
It seemed to come out a little cold… You don’t need to expect perfection down to the soup, but it’s still a bit disappointing.
Probably a mozzarella salad
The vegetables are fresh and the mozzarella is decent. The slightly sweet sauce goes well with the cheese.
Turban shell salad
My companion said the portion of turban shell was small… It brings back memories of Hommage, which is in a similar price range. Though I suppose you have to compare like with like…
Gorgonzola ravioli
A bit gummy and stuck together, but edible. It seems the right call is to pick dishes that rely on the freshness of the ingredients rather than cooking skill…
Abalone tomato spaghetti
The abalone was cooked well. It was maybe a touch too soft, but I was satisfied… Pasta tastes like pasta, after all..
Now for the mains.
Hanwoo steak
Good quality meat. Of course, if you took this money to a Korean barbecue place you could eat better than this ^_^ but I’m satisfied that they served a dish that wasn’t sloppy.
Lobster and Hanwoo steak
A lobster this size is a bit of a hassle to pick apart… but it tastes fine. Lobster and beef arriving together makes a big visual impact too. It’s a 50,000-won course, so it has to deliver at least this much for you to feel you’ve eaten well, right?
We skipped dessert and tea because we were short on time. When I asked them to pack it to go, they wrapped it up nicely. I went straight to Payard for dessert. A very satisfying combo ^_^ I don’t know if I’ll have a reason to go again, but for now it’s highly recommended. (Even if I don’t eat there, I’ll probably still drop by to buy bread…)