Bamboo House

A lunch course that consists of the main meat dish, appetizer, salad, soup, side dishes and dessert

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Finding a barbecue restaurant in Seoul is easy. But many of them are noisy, and it is often difficult to find a place with good meat accompanied with decent side dishes.

Bamboo House in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul, provides top quality beef in a sophisticated and cozy atmosphere. Opened in 1995, the restaurant is known for its excellent quality meat and service, but the price is also high with its most expensive 280 grams of sirloin flamed with Henessy cognac reaching over 120,000 won. The restaurant now offers a lunch course highlighting the best of “hansik,” or Korean food at an affordable price starting from 36,000 won.

Bamboo House’s lunch menu is created with in-season ingredients and changes every month. It includes some of the most popular dishes from Bamboo House.

When this reporter visited, the lunch began with beet soup. Its bright red color and simple flavor tempted the appetite in the muggy early summer weather. A bowl of fresh salad with yuzu dressing was served next. Tangy yuzu dressing goes well with crisp vegetables.

Pan-fried sweet rice cake with azalea petals / Courtesy of Bamboo House

The lunch continued with squash pancake. Most of these pancakes are made with sliced squash, but Bamboo House’s pancake is unique since it is made with shredded squash and glutinous rice, which gives it an interesting texture.

Crispy buckwheat sprouts rolled in soft and moist salmon presents a contrast of taste and texture, while grilled prawn adds a savory flavor to the course.

The highlight of the meal is the grilled meat, the most famous at Bamboo House. The meat is served fully cooked, without the hustle and bustle of barbecuing on the dining table.

After having the meat, each guest can choose to complement it with rice and “doenjang jjigae” (soy bean paste stew) or “somyeon,” Korean-style angel hair noodle. The jjigae is not too salty or spicy but showcases the true flavor of Korean fermented food, and the noodles are simple and deep. The meal is served with seasoned vegetables and other side dishes, like an ordinary Korean lunch table.

The meal is deliciously wrapped up with wild berry yogurt, which presents a nice balance between fresh raspberries and rich, creamy yogurt.

While the lunch is a simplified version of “hanjeongsik,” or a Korean table d’hote meal, a more elaborate course is available for dinner. Bamboo House offers customized dining with the finest ingredients possible, some of them straight from the restaurantgarden.

Bamboo House has a long list of celebrities who have dined at the restaurant from former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Japanese entrepreneur Masayoshi Son to Tom Cruise and Mariah Carey and the food proves why they loved Bamboo House.

The restaurant has 14 private rooms and Sky Bamboo, the rooftop garden, is available upon reservation for a group of 10 or more. The place is popular for various events such as dinner parties, launching parties and wedding receptions.

Address:

658-10 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul,

Directions:

Located behind CHA Gangnam Medical Center near Yeoksam Station on subway line 2

Phone number:

(02) 566-0870

Price:

A la carte from 12,000 to 13,000 won; lunch course from 36,000 to 66,000 won; customizable dinner course from 100,000 won

Opening hours:

Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner is served from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Closed on Sundays.

Parking:

Free parking available

Reservation

: Required for Sky Bamboo and private rooms

Private rooms:

Fourteen private rooms, a hall and Sky Bamboo roof garden

Total seating:

250