Hanmiri

By Kim Da-ye

Interiors of the restaurant / Courtesy of Hanmiri

In Seoul’s central business district near the Gwanghwamun Station with a myriad of fine dining choices, one rarely needs to go to the same restaurant twice for important occasions.

In the case of this reporter, Hanmiri, an upscale hanjeongsik restaurant, has been an exception repeatedly picked for lunch meetings. Those who suggest dining at Hanmiri came from all sectors. They included businessmen, a former lawmaker and university representatives.

The restaurant is an all-rounder that has got every aspect right with no significant flaws.

It does great food and serves only courses for both lunch and dinner. There isn’t a particularly famous or outstanding dish, but anyone — Koreans or foreigners and the elderly or the young — would like each food that constitutes a course.

No dish is too spicy or fishy or contains ingredients that people aren’t familiar with. They are still flavorful as they are seasoned with sweet and sour sauce or soy sauce. The courses consist entirely of traditional Korean food, but because of the mild taste, they can be compared to fusion cuisine. Furthermore, the venue offers a vegetarian course for 45,000 won at lunch and 62,000 won at dinner.

Some of the recommended choices are skewers of grilled beef and sticky rice cake, mung bean jelly mixed with vegetables and stewed beef ribs. The perilla seeds soup served in a hot pot has won good reviews from the people this reporter dined with.

“Duteoptteok” — a sweet rice cake that contains yuzu, adzuki beans and a hint of cinnamon — served as a desert is the most famous item here, and is available as a takeaway.

For this reporter, the highlight of the restaurant is the beautiful Korean tableware including pots, spoons and chopsticks made of brass and white porcelain plates in various shapes.

The interior is traditionally modern — a light wooden tone is consistent throughout the venue while a couple of colorful Korean paintings hang on the wall.

The reason for Hanmiri’s popularity is that its flawless food and service and quite ambience makes it a safe choice. The restaurant has 18 private rooms, and if booking in advance, just two people can dine in a room, quietly and undisturbed.

Food is served on elegant tableware including brass pots and plates and white porcelain.