Food review: Restaurant De Seoul (Korean)

Unpretentious and homely, Restaurant De Seoul feels as though it came straight out of an alley tucked away in a sleepy neighborhood in Seoul.
A television blares Korean soaps when you come in through the door, and the harsh fluorescent lighting – though not particularly aesthetically pleasing – made me feel back at home.
The service here is particularly noteworthy.The whole operation has been run by a family for decades; it’s not uncommon to see the owner, Oh Sae Jun, sitting behind the cash register. They unfortunately speak little English or Hindi, but they’re very friendly - if you happen to speak a little Korean, you can hear their story about how they come to Delhi years before the more recent Korean arrivals.
Keeping pace with the décor, the food tasted very much home-made. Like most Korean places, Restaurant De Seoul brings out a bewildering variety of side dishes, most of which are worth sampling, but the real stars here are the meat dishes. Their samgyupsal (grilled pork belly) was excellent – crunchy, juicy slices of heaven, while their fried and marinated pork was also a heart-stopping winner, with spicy, garlicky, oily sauce coating crisp pieces of succulent meat.
Unfortunately, the other dishes weren’t quite as good. Though the dwenjang-jigae (soybean paste stew) was hearty with soybean flavor, the tofu in it tasted off, as though it had been sitting in the fridge too long. The naengmeun (chilled buckwheat noodles) broth was too sweet and required lots of mustard and vinegar. But overall, the faults of these dishes were definitely overshadowed by the delicious mains.
If you come for lunch, make sure to get one of their lunch set menu deals. For 700 Rs, you get everything – side dishes, a main, and a meat dish, one of the best Korean lunch deals in town. If you’re looking for a real, rustic, home-style Korean meal, there’s no better place in Delhi than Restaurant De Seoul.
Food: 3.5/5 Service: 5/5 Décor: 3/5 Price for 2: Rs1500 Address: C Block, 3rd Floor, Ansal Plaza, Near Siri Fort, Khel Gaon Marg, New Delhi