Belles & Beaus Brighten Up Restaurants
Eateries Sell Not Only Food, But Style & Beauty
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
What are your standards for a satisfying restaurant experience? The three classics have always been great taste, service and decor. But recently, a fourth ``new value factor'' _ as Prof. Leo Sang-min Whang, a psychology professor at Yonsei University, called it _ is drawing in customers to certain eateries here: Attractive belles and beaus who serve, adding to the tasteful flair of popular restaurants.
This plus factor was well illustrated in the hit TV series, ``Coffee Prince.'' The trend-setting and trend-spotting MBC drama featured a specialty coffee shop with four adorable waiters serving the mostly female clientele. Here are several actual restaurants that offer not only great food, but appeal to customers with style and beauty.
Models Catwalk at Walking Slowly
This chic cafe/restaurant serves organic ``slow food,'' as opposed to unhealthy fast food. The spacious, superbly lit interior is edgy and modern, and the decor tastefully defines urban-chic while the use of natural materials like wood, paper and stone is in sync with its organic food menu. The outside terrace is also perfect for the warm autumn days.
Walking Slowly offers delicious soups, salads and pastas but the Korean specialties, like chili seafood tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes) and green tea bingsu (shaved ice topped with ice cream and red bean sauce) are a must-try. The prices are on the high side, but it's well worth it if you want to savor a slow, lazy evening or enjoy a leisurely weekend brunch.
You will immediately notice the tall, sleek male models strutting around. After opening its first store in Sinsa-dong in 2003, Walking Slowly established itself as a corporation in 2006 and acquired the modeling agency Modelline.
Koreans used to patronize physical beauty, believing beauties were doomed to a short lifespan and plagued with bad personalities, said Prof. Whang. ``Unlike the old paradigm, the new paradigm (of the new generation) values prettiness. Beauty makes anything forgivable… There definitely exists a changed attitude toward physical appearance,'' he explained.
Situated right in front of Dosan Park in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul, Walking Slowly offers peace and quiet that is rare in this busy city. Nearest subway stations are Sinsa and Apgujeong on line 3, but you will need to take the taxi (basic fare) to get to the restaurant from either station. Call (02) 515-8255.
Walking Slowly recently opened a second chain in Daehangno, north of the Han River. It's located near exit 2 of Hyehwa station on line 4; call (02) 765-5335. You can also visit the Web site www.walkingslowly.co.kr, and check out the menu as well as photos of the models.
Pretty Boys Wait at Googies
Offering ``Great food and great fun,'' the New York franchise here inserted seafood to freshen up its menu when it opened in April.
At this pub-like family restaurant, ``Crab Princes'' serve savory mud crab. Googies is the real-life version of ``Coffee Prince'': Hordes of ``fan'' customers flocked here after a UCC (user created content, such as video clips), featuring the four handsome young waiters, spread like wildfire on the Internet.
``We wanted to give our restaurant a distinct color. Although we created a great menu, there are lots of competing restaurants here. We didn't plan on marketing Googies with pretty faces from the start: We held this special event with KTF, and hired four models or aspiring models as servers, and everything just happened,'' Nam Gyeong-ho, the general manager of Googies told The Korea Times.
While this marketing tactic of drawing customers with beautiful waiters isn't anything new, its omnipresence points to the changing attitude of Koreans toward beauty. ``There is nothing new about appealing to 'basic instinct,''' said Whang, who is also widely known here through the late night TV show ``1,000 Minds'' on SBS.
``I can promise you that I've never seen a repulsive-looking person serving at a high-end restaurant,'' said Whang. This trend seems to have reached the masses in popular restaurants.
Now, three young aspiring models serve in replacement of the original four, who had to go back to school and/or work. ``It's great that looks can be an advantage. A lot of fashion-related people eat here and I'm offered audition opportunities,'' said Seo Seong-deok, 19, one of the ``Crab Princes.''
Googies is clean, cozy, and bright during the daytime, but transforms into a dimly lit pub after dinner. It is located in the neighborhood dubbed the ``Soho of Seoul,'' near Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong, near Apgujeong station on line 3. Call (02) 516-9981.
Sexy Waitresses at Hooters
The notoriously sexy American chain sent a buzz throughout Seoul when it opened here earlier this year. A cross between a sports bar and a family restaurant, Hooters boasts being ``Delightfully tacky yet unrefined'' with pretty ``Hooters girls'' in skin-tight tank tops and micro mini shorts. They serve American favorites like Hooters Wagyu Burger (15,000 won) while flirtatiously mingling with customers.
Some look upon Hooters negatively, even accusing it of promoting the sexual commercialization of women. The Apgujeong store, however, appears to dodge such judgment: Located out in the open near a large intersection, its interior is completely exposed through a glass facade.
Its location in a considerably posh part of Seoul is notable, according to Prof. Whang. ``Something that can be classified as `low-grade' can come off as being `upper class,''' he said.
``People are naturally attracted to beautiful men and women, and associate this positive response with the food, and this creates a great restaurant experience,'' said Hong Jang-mi, head of the marketing department at Hooters Korea.
``Culturally, Koreans have a sexually ambiguous attitude,'' explained Whang, a psychology. ``They appear austere on the outside, but in other ways are very liberal. When Americans go to (Hooters) they do not relate the act with personal integrity; they casually accept it as a fun activity and even say they enjoy it. No matter how much we (Koreans) enjoy it, we never say we do… I am curious to see how society judges people who go to Hooters,''
Hooters girls here are bright and cheerful, creating the friendly ambiance of T.G.I.F. _ a family restaurant chain, except that it is geared toward an older crowd. The range of customers is highly colorful, from young American soldiers to middle-aged businessmen and a good number of women. Still, some may feel uncomfortable with the revealing uniforms of the Hooters girls.
Hooters Gangnam: Located near exit 3 of Gangnam station on line 2; call (02) 587-7854. Apgujeong: Located near exit 4 of Apgujeong station on line 3; call (02) 3448-1231. You can also visit www.hooterskorea.co.kr for more information.