Vin Vino and Pieroth Wines website
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For more information, call Vin Vino at 02-711-9171.

It’s Tuesday night. Starving? Check. Broke? Double check. Whether it’s your belly or bank account that’s grumbling you can enjoy delicious food at discounted prices on Tuesdays in Itaewon, where restaurants, bars, and pubs offer deals on some of their most popular dishes.  From finger food to a hearty meal, there’s something for everyone. Tables fill up at a frightening speed once dinnertime approaches, so go early or get ready for a wait.

by Shirley Hwang

3 Alley Pub
WHAT: W300 wings (Minimum 10 wings + drink order). Popular flavors: honey garlic, hot.
WHEN: 5 – 10 pm.
WHERE: The alley behind the Hamilton. Itaewon Stn., ex. 1.
CONTACT: 3alleypub.com, 02-749-3336

Dillinger’s
WHAT: Burger and fries for W5,000 (half price)
WHEN: 4 pm – late (kitchen till 11:30 pm)
WHERE: Itaewon Stn. ex. 1 past Outback Steakhouse
CONTACT: dillingersbar@gmail.com, 02-793-7232

Hollywood Grill
WHAT: 250g New York Steak with baked potato or french fries for W13,500 with a drink order.
WHEN: 4 – 11:30 pm.
WHERE: Near Itaewon Stn., ex. 2.
CONTACT: 02-749-1659

Naked Grill
WHAT: Chicken or beef tacos for W3,000 each.
WHEN: 11 am – 4 am
WHERE: Near Itaewon Stn., ex. 3.
CONTACT: 02-794-4225

Panchos
WHAT: Free taco with an imported beer. Choose from soft or hard shell, chicken, beef, or bean.
WHEN: 5 – 10 pm.
WHERE: Near Itaewon Stn., ex. 3.
CONTACT: 02-792-4767

Rocky Mountain Tavern
WHAT: W300 wings (Minimum 10 wings + drink order). 11 different flavors, including popular “creamy cool.”
WHEN: 6 pm – midnight.
WHERE: Walk straight from Itaewon Stn., ex. 3 and it’s on the right up the stairs.
CONTACT: rockymountaintavern.com, 010-5775-2327

Roofers
WHAT:#1: Your choice of Cheeseburger/Istanbul Spicy Chicken/BBQ Chicken Burger with potatoes, coleslaw, and draft beer for W10,000. #2: Your choice of BBQ Steak/2 BBQ Boerewors with potatoes, coleslaw and draft beer for W12,000.
WHERE: Take ex. 3 from Itaewon Stn. and turn right up the hill by the fire station. It’ll be on the third floor on your right.
CONTACT: 02-749-2970; roofers.co.kr

Sam Ryan’s
WHAT: W500 pork ribs (Minimum 10 ribs + drink order).
WHEN: 4–10 pm.
WHERE: The alley behind the Hamilton above 3 Alley Pub. Itaewon Stn., ex. 1.
CONTACT: samryans.com, 02-749-7933

Vin Vino
WHAT: W2,000 tapas with each glass of wine. Tapas include spicy potato wedges, steamed mussels, pasta bowls, and bruschetta.
WHEN: 5–11 pm.
WHERE: Next to IP Boutique Hotel (Itaewon Hotel).
CONTACT: vinvino.co.kr, 02-711-9171

Wolfhound
WHAT: 2-for-1 fish and chips for W12,900.
WHEN: 12 pm – closing.
WHERE: Across from Hamilton Hotel take first right.
CONTACT: wolfhoundpub.com, 02-749-7971

June 8th

In response to increasing interest in European wines, the IB Hotel Group in Daegu has organized a wine festival involving several Spanish bodegas (wineries). The wine-tasting event will take place on June 8th for W25,000 per person. Last year over 600 people attended this event, and the numbers keep increasing with each year. With the Inter-Burgo Hotel only 5 minutes away by taxi from the KTX station in Daegu, it’s an easy trip from Seoul. Those who attend or even simply call the IB office for details can also get a 50% discount on all stocked Spanish wine.
053-602-7113 (Deagu ), 02-413-4871 (Seoul)

Okay, it’s not cheap, but it’s still an incredible deal. That’s because this wine dinner includes five incredible courses prepared by Master Chef Sebastiano Giangregorio, all paired exquisitely with wines from the Bava Vineyard in Italy, and in attendance will be Roberto Bava, owner and operator of Bava Vineyards. If this were being held at a hotel, it would cost you two or three times the price, but at Antonio, owner/operator  Rodolfo Patella puts together this incredible feast for only W110,000+. There are just a few seats left – call soon if you’d like to reserve your spot. 02-3443-4333.

Did we mention that this event is being held this coming Thursday, May 20th and Friday the 21st is a holiday?

Words by by Joshua Hall and shots by Shawn Parker

Spanish music, flamenco and wine in the suburbs of Seoul? No, it’s not a kimchi western but a bar called Bodega in Jamsil. And the wines are shocking—shockingly cheap! I enjoyed a great sparkling brut for W55,000 and a lovely albariño blend for W80,000 (Spanish white wine). They also have a wide selection of tapas, seafood and cold cuts, which are also incredibly inexpensive. Bodega is owned by a Korean fishing company with connections to Spain so they import the wine and food directly and pass on the savings.
While it may be out of the way for some, Bodega offers a quiet and informal atmosphere for a date or dinner meeting. Located next to Seokchon Lake in Jamsil, it has a large open pub-like space and three private dining rooms for groups or couples. Twice a month, there’s a flamenco dance performance with a set menu. You get salad, steak, tapas, dessert and glasses of house white and red wine for W60,000. Best to check the website for performance times.
Bodega is Spanish from top to bottom, so if you’re looking for French wines or Italian pastas you’ve come to the wrong place. It’s Spanish wine and food only. The food could be better: the desserts lacked imagination and the fried prawns were simple and rather boring. However, the grouper steak with clams was a great hunk of white flesh. Fresh, satisfying, and a good match with the albariño blend from Terras Gauda (D.O. Rias Baixas).
The prices here are great but the downside of Bodega is finding the place. Once you get there, the wines speak for themselves. And don’t forget about the flamenco.

Palacio de Bornos NV Brut
This value-for-money sparkling had a touch of sweetness on the bouquet and creamy chocolate mousse notes that were very enticing. A structured flavor profile and clean line from entry to finish. Composed with some minerality. Fresh citrus and grapefruit on the finish, slightly yeasty and creamy. Very moreish. W55,000 a bottle.
Getting There It’s a 10 minute walk from Jamsil St. (line 2) behind Lotte World. Take exit 2, walk 5 min towards Seokchon lake, then turn left after crossing the Seokcheon lake bridge. Turn right at the next intersection. Cross diagonally at the next intersection to your left. It’s in the basement of the Inter-Burgo building. Open every day 11:30 am – 11.30 pm.
bodega.co.kr, 02-3432-8686

If you’re tired of paying too much for a quality bottle of wine, the Busan Lotte Hotel has the perfect event for you.

Marking the 13th anniversary of its opening, the Busan Lotte Hotel presents its Wine Market.

It started this Thursday and will continue through Saturday, March 27th, beginning at 11 am in the hotel lobby.

More than 200 wines from countries including Italy, Chile, France, Australia, Spain, and the USA are on offer at prices lower than you could find at most department stores and retail outlets.

Events include the “Famous Vintages of 1997″ including great world-class wines like
Mouton Rothschild, Haut-Brion, Lynch Moussas, and Ausone, all at discounted prices. There are also 13 “must have” wines on display at a special price.

You can even find top-quality wine glasses and other accessories produced by the Austrian company Riedel, and perhaps most importantly for the cheese-impoverished Westerner in Korea, 24 kinds of cheese including Camembert, Gouda, Emmental (Swiss), and Gruyère.

Even if the Lotte Hotel doesn’t manage to bring together ALL of “the wines of the world in one place,” it still will give you the chance to browse through bottles ranging from W5,000 – W180,000 in price to fill that gap in your wine rack.

If you’re looking for reasonably priced wine in a quiet backstreet near Gangnam St. (line 2), then Sideways is the place. It’s casual, relaxed, and the people are friendly.
Sideways is owned by French winemaker Anthony Dufour, who spends half of the year in France and half here with his Korean family. His wine, Agapê, is on the list, as well as plenty of others from around the world. However, the wine list is a little unfocused and skims over some major wine regions, including New Zealand. Still, there are enough choices here to keep even seasoned wine drinkers happy. Anthony updates the wine list every three months (a rarity in Korea), so you don’t have to worry about the vintages on the list and vintages you’re served being different.
The interior at Sideways is modern, yet relaxed and friendly. If you want a weekend seat on the white leather sofas, always popular with couples, be sure to make a reservation. The lighting is low and soft, too low for my old eyes to read the wine list, but great for chilling out at the end of a long day.
There are some decent pastas and salads on offer. We had the gorgonzola pizza and lasagne. The thin-crust pizza looked somewhat less than appetizing, but thankfully it tasted better than it looked. My friend liked it; I was unimpressed. The lasagne, however, was fantastic. Based on Anthony’s mother’s recipe, it was hearty, wholesome and meaty. We ordered another. I would visit again just for the lasagne.
Sideways is a chance to get away from the masses and enjoy some good wine without breaking the bank. It’s a nice place to meet people too.

Graffigna Malbec Grand Reserve 2005
Argentina does Malbec well and this value-for-money bottle is no exception. Violets and old-fashioned roses on the nose. Smooth cherry and strawberry core with animal musk and dog fur running round the edges. Clean finish. Great with food but splendid on its own. W59,000 a bottle.

Getting There It’s a leisurely 10 minute walk from exit 7 of Gangnam St. (line 2). Turn right at the second alleyway, just between City Theater and Holly’s Coffee. If you keep going straight up the hill till the road curves to the right, you’ll see Sideways on the right side. sidewaywines.com, 02-555-9925

Words by Joshua Hall

Photography supplied by Sideways

If you’re looking for a wine bar with style, sophistication and a wine list with breadth and depth, then this is the place for you. Sure, it’s pricey—but intelligent service, a live jazz band and Apgujeong real estate don’t come cheap.

The interior of Vin Ga is designed to emulate a “wine cave” with plenty of brick and wood and warm lightning. It’s a lovely interpretation of a wine cellar, but it’s a bit short on charm. There are just too many hard surfaces, although the racks of bottles in the cellar are pleasing to the eye. They have a private room available, which could come in handy for tastings with friends or corporate dinners. There’s live music every evening including good jazz. Thankfully, the performance won’t drown out your conversation.

Vin Ga is located in the basement of Podo Plaza in the Apgujeong area of Seoul, which houses the Korean branch of the Wine and Spirits Education Trust wine school, a wine shop and a culinary academy in addition to the wine bar. Vin Ga offers the standard variety of side dishes, salads and cheese and fruit platters. They don’t do dinner; the focus here is on wine after dark. Stick to the basic cheese platter to avoid ridiculous prices.

The staff here are well-trained, fluent in English, and know how to think on their feet most of the time. The wine list is formidable for the average drinker, but the staff are quick to help out with a recommendation. Classy and refined, this wine bar is all about business. If you’re entertaining clients with expensive tastes, Vin Ga is the perfect choice. Be sure to book ahead for a Friday or Saturday night.

It’s easier to drive there, but Vin Ga is also accessible by subway. Take ex. 2 out of Apgujeong St. (line 3) and hang an immediate left, right, and left. Stay on this street until you pass the middle school on your left and reach the main road. Podo Plaza is the distinctive building just across the street. It’s open from 6 pm to 2 am every day but Sunday. 02-516-1761, Podo plaza 634-1 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. podoplaza.co.kr         by Joshua Hall

Duckhorn Goldeneye Pinot Noir 2006 is a sexy wine from the Anderson Valley north of San Francisco. It’s firm and rich with lush cherries and molten density. There are cinnamon, dried herb and orange zest flavours with a hint of cedar. It needs time but is a real treat now. Wine Spectator gave it 90 points and I would agree with that. This good pinot goes for a mean W190,000 a bottle, but it’s worth it if you love Pinot as much as I do.