These days I tend not to go anywhere unless it is a restaurant run by a chef I know. A fine-dining meal usually costs at least 50,000 to 60,000 won and sometimes over 100,000 (and sometimes that gets doubled..), so rather than putting it in a stranger’s pocket, it is a win-win to help out a chef I know. On top of that, the taste is more of a sure thing.

That said, it is not always possible, and sometimes I am asked to go to a restaurant I have never been to. In those cases the gourmet blogs I check every day are a big help. Analysing the recent posts from the food bloggers, Table for Four, Zero Complex and Mingles came into view. Places that bill themselves as classic French feel a bit stale to me, so I focused on places that serve original cooking. Of course, if the person I am going with says they prefer a classic style, I would have to respect that, but luckily that was not the case this time.

Once the shortlist was set, I picked one of them: Cheongdam-dong was a bit of a hassle to get to, and when I called Table for Four they happened to be on holiday, so with no real choice left I ended up at Zero Complex. Well, the day will come to visit the other places too, but there is no need to rush. A good restaurant only gains depth of flavour with time.

The table and glasses

Perhaps because it is a restaurant serving avant-garde food, the interior was modern too. It felt more cold than calm. I suppose they wanted a more casual atmosphere than your typical French place. I liked how open the dining room was, and although it was a Friday, it was not packed with people, which is not great for the restaurant but was nice for me because it felt relaxed.

Gazpacho

Refreshing. A fine appetizer.

White wine

Looking through the wine list, some nice half bottles caught my eye. Half bottles are very welcome when you visit in a small group. To match a full bottle of white with the starters and a full bottle of red with the mains, you need four to six people. Of course, it is a different story for those who drink a bottle each.

Fried mullet with mango powder

The batter was nicely coated and fried, so it went well with the white wine. The style here is a succession of small plates of a la carte-like dishes, and to be honest, before coming I worried that the portions would be small. But once I was actually here, the portions were enough to fully appreciate the flavour. What a relief. If there is a downside to this style, it is that with so much food to nibble on, you end up needing a lot more to drink. Anyway, a good start from the starters.

Cuttlefish, squid ink, corn

Pretty to look at and tastier than I expected. I am not a huge fan of corn, but eaten together with the squid ink it was a bit like mixing rice into soy-marinated crab, and the plump kernels gave it a fun texture. Really creative cooking with ingredients you can get in Korea, I thought. The white stuff on top is thinly sliced cauliflower, which was beautiful to look at and had a nice texture too.

Bread

It was fine, but it reminded me of the Lee Boulanger bread served at Polpo.

Cod, asparagus, basil

Another fish course. Again, both the taste and the presentation were excellent, and looking at the squash laid over the fish, it seems thinly slicing ingredients and laying them on top is this restaurant’s style.

Close-up

The inside seems to be cooked sous vide and the outside seared in a pan, but I had eaten this style at Seren in Pangyo not long ago, so it did not strike me as especially novel. Not that it was bad, just that the styles were similar, which is the kind of mishap that happens when you do fine dining often.

Sirloin, onion, Thai sauce

A steak main can easily turn out ordinary unless very special meat is used, but the sauce and the presentation brought the flavour to life. It really delivered the originality I was looking for in French cooking.

The second wine

A half bottle. Good value for the price. By this point I had been drinking steadily, so even two half bottles had me feeling tipsy.

Apple, tapioca, coconut

The distinctive texture of the tapioca came through nicely. The apple was intense in colour, but the flavour was not that strong. A fine light dessert.

Pineapple, popping candy

The popping and crackling in your mouth is fun. Well, there is not much point in expecting great desserts at a French restaurant in Korea, but this is a decent level.

Mille crepe and cheesecake from Lady M

The lacking dessert is made up for with the cake I brought along myself. I took it out after asking the kitchen for permission. Always bringing dessert when going to a fine-dining restaurant is a shortcut to a more satisfying meal, something I learned during my few months living in Korea. Lady M portions are on the big side, so they are a bit much for a light dessert after fine dining; once Pierre Herme opens here, I have a feeling I will be bringing theirs more often.

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