This post was written in 2014. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.

Galleria Department Store has a luxury-concept dining floor called Gourmet 494. It is known for having all the famous restaurants in town under one roof. I was curious what it was like, so I went to check it out.

The general vibe

Tartine, the famous pie shop from Itaewon, is here too. The place feels clean and polished, and it was surprisingly big. And there were a lot of families around.

The cheese skirt burger from Brooklyn The Burger Joint

Brooklyn The Burger Joint, the famous place from Seorae Village, has a branch here. Getting all the way to Seorae Village is not easy, so I had never given it much thought, but this was my chance to try it. It makes a big impact, but it is not easy to eat. I had the feeling a plain burger would have been better. I could not really tell whether the meat was any good either.

Caesar salad from Trattoria Molto

Being able to eat dishes from Korea’s top restaurants in one place is probably the biggest strength of Gourmet 494. It is a bit of a shame that with so few of us we could only order two things..

Gorgonzola pasta

The cream was seriously rich. I was worried because of the casual setting, but the quality is no different from the main branch. There are not many places in Korea where you can eat pasta this good. And the ones that exist, the prices.. I should visit the main branch too when I have time.

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