By Seo Dong-shin
Staff Reporter
It has been a while since Tower Palace, the affluent apartment complex buildings located in Togok-dong, southern Seoul, became a symbol for the nouveau riche's luxurious lifestyle.
With residents who have plenty of spare money on hand and a few companies settling around the area, it is no wonder that all kinds of fancy _ or at least aiming-to-be-fancy _ cafes and restaurants have mushroomed there.
The VANTT building, which serves as a luxurious sports center for Tower Palace residents, is one of the hotbeds. The building's first floor houses upscale Japanese and Chinese restaurants in addition to a chic ``boulangerie.''
``Kooan,'' an Italian restaurant, is also located there. The restaurant's name sounds rather suspicious, as in Korean the full name is ``Kuane Masinnun Italian,'' meaning ``The Delicious Italian in It.'' What is ``it'' here? For your information, it could not have meant the VANTT building, as the first branch of the restaurant is located in Changchung-dong, near the National Theater of Korea.
The spacious dining hall of the restaurant, decorated with wooden panels, wine bottles and natural flowers, creates a dark yet comfortable atmosphere. It also offers the view of the chefs busily working to serve the orders, as the kitchen is run openly behind a bar. Only, the sounds of plates clicking and the dishes cooking, combined with the sounds of chattering coming from the nearby tables, do not make a quiet atmosphere one would wish from an upscale Italian restaurant.
Price-wise, however, the restaurant may not be too upscale. Pasta and pizzas are priced between 10,000 won to 20,000 won, a bit cheaper than their counterparts sold in Chongdam-dong.
The ``Simple Set'' _ consisting of a piece of fried crab, a portion of ``Mediterranean'' salad, the soup of the day, spaghetti with porcini mushroom, duck's breast or chicken, followed by coffee or tea with a slice of cake _ cost 35,000 won. The ``Natural Set'' with steak or salmon can be had for 45,000 won, while the ``Chef Selection Set'' is priced at 69,000 won. Ten percent value added tax also tags along.
This reviewer went for the simple set, and was overall satisfied with the taste of the dishes. A few reviews in the blogsphere, which praised the noodles for being especially alive and kicking in ``Kooan,'' seemed to hold the truth. And you are not really disappointed with the quantity either _ most sensible diners at any upscale restaurant here expect a portion of a dish to take up only about a sixth of the size of the plate.
The young and friendly service staff are fairly efficient, to say the least. Maybe too efficient, as they seem to be waiting in dark corners keeping an eye on your table, to pop up and snatch the dishes away when you lay down your fork and knife from time to time.
The diner groups are largely young office workers from nearby companies, or family members apparently from the neighboring Tower Palace buildings. An underground parking lot is available for free for diners. Smoking is not allowed.
Overall, ``Kooan'' is an average, comfortable restaurant that offers a tasty, albeit slightly overpriced, menu. You are not likely to visit it unless you happen to live nearby, but if you do, you may even choose to frequent it, even if you are not a Tower Palace resident.
Located inside the VANTT building, about three minutes from exit No. 4 of Togok Station, subway line No. 3 or Pundang line. For reservations, which are recommended especially on weekends, call (02) 579-7748-9.