Sicily, the well-known seafood pocha from Yeonnam-dong, has opened a branch in Sinsa-dong. They said it opened about two years ago, and I am only finding out now. I had been meaning to go, but opportunities to drink soju do not come around that often. The friends who would enjoy this kind of place are all busy, so it was not easy to line up our schedules.
Hallasan
Unusually, they had Hallasan soju, so I ordered it. It is slightly stronger than regular soju and has a sweet edge to it. Those who like it really loved it, but I prefer plain, lower-proof soju.
Sanjeok skewers
This is a dish I tried in Yeonnam-dong and was blown away by, and they have it here too. It seems almost the entire menu is shared. The seating is roomier than Yeonnam-dong and the atmosphere is pretty nice, but every time I go there are a lot of empty tables, which is a bit of a shame. I should at least go more often myself.
Red snow crab ramyeon
I had not eaten before coming here, so I ordered ramyeon as a meal substitute. There is not much meat, but with a whole crab boiled in, the broth is really good. The noodles had not gone soggy either, so it looks like they have some trick for cooking it well.
Whole steamed squid
It is packed full of innards. I feel like I used to eat squid this good all the time, but these days I cannot even remember when I last had it.
Assorted grilled fish
We were short on food to go with the drinks, so I ordered this, and the portion is substantial. I wanted to order things like sashimi too, but for various reasons this was all we ate that day. Next time I want to round up a crack team and work through the whole menu.
Sicily is not a cheap place, but every single dish is highly satisfying. When things are as busy as they are these days, there is not enough time to go around eating out, so a place that is reliably delicious matters more than price. I hope this place keeps doing well for a long time.
For round two we went to Wonhae Chicken, an authentic American-style fried chicken place at the Sinsa Station intersection that has apparently been running since 1976.
Fried chicken
The taste is old-school fried chicken. It is not the trendy flavour of today’s chicken shops with seasoning piled on, and I think that is exactly what gives it an edge.
Yangnyeom chicken
The yangnyeom was surprisingly good too. I preferred the plain chicken, but depending on taste, I imagine a lot of people would like the yangnyeom better.
It had been a while since I had a drink in Sinsa, and it seems Sinsa has more good places than I expected. I want to explore it whenever I get the chance.
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