A while back I visited Louis Cinq in Apgujeong Rodeo soon after it opened and was blown away by chef Kim Moa’s cooking. I heard she had left Louis Cinq to go study in France, and before I knew it she was back and had opened a French restaurant. It was number one on my list of places I had to visit, and when I finally went, the food was every bit as wonderful as I had hoped.

The table

The very casual vibe suits Haebangchon well. It is quite a climb up the hill, so access is not great, but these days people happily go wherever a place is as long as the food is good. Spots with easy access have rents so high that they cannot keep up the quality.

If the landlords got together and managed things sensibly it would work out, but the problem seems to be that every one of them is playing a game of chicken. If I alone raise my rent there is no problem, but if every landlord raises the rent, the whole district dies. This is not something you should leave to the market’s self-correcting mechanism, but who knows how it will turn out..

The recommended wine

You cannot eat French food without wine.

Cold terrine-style tourte of whole duck, chicken liver and pork, with foie gras and truffle-scented vinaigrette

You can tell at a glance this is no simple dish. Being able to taste such labour-intensive cooking at a very reasonable price is very appealing. I wish it were a bit closer, but honestly these days I hardly get to the places near me either. Life is busy.

White cream sauce pie stuffed with escargots roasted in basil pesto

You can see how this has been refined since the Louis Cinq days. It fits the image of French bar snacks perfectly. Food like this calls for wine, but lately I feel like all I do is go around drinking hard liquor..

Cauliflower mousse & seared scallops

The bisque sauce was really rich. I can imagine how much care went into making it.

Bonghwa Farm duck leg confit with carrot purée and orange

Great ingredients handled with perfect technique. I think this would hold its own anywhere in the world. The standard in Korea has gotten so high.

Whole squid stuffed with squid-ink rice & a poached egg

This dish was astonishingly delicious too. If you get the chance, you have to try it.

Orange soufflé & vanilla ice cream

You cannot skip the soufflé, their signature dessert.

I drank the Paul Giraud 30-year cognac I had brought along with it, and the cognac was superb and went beautifully with the dessert. I might as well stock up on a few more bottles.

Comme Moa, which I visited with high hopes, was every bit as wonderful as expected. Given the nature of the food, it is perfect not as the first stop of the night but as the second, for a few snacks and some wine; the only problem is that there are fewer places in Itaewon for a first stop than you would think. Because of the location I probably will not be able to go often, but I will remember the impression this night left on me for a long, long time.

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