Relish Chic Urban Dishes at Fifty
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Whether it's for a leisurely brunch or a quick bite, afternoon tea or a round of drinks at night, Fifty is the place to be. The restaurant-cafe defines urban chic with healthful bites of mean meals and savory desserts.
Sitting out on the patio or inside the open space with its high ceiling and white-plastered brick wall, it's like being at a hip Meatpacking District eatery in New York, or a Parisian bistro with the French menu written across chalkboards.
Tarines, a slice of crispy bread topped with various combinations of meats and veggies, are a must here. Meat-lovers, fancy the tartine carpaccio boeuf cuit (grilled beef), and vegetarians, relish leafy tartines with tomato and mozzarella cheese or les champignons avec le vin saladier (mushroom salad with wine dressing).
You can see the owner and chef Chang Yong-han, 35, serve guests with a big smile. The former designer studied at the prestigious culinary school Cordon Bleu in France, where he specialized in both cuisine and patisseries.
50 Tresor pasta, with huge chunks of mozzarella cheese, grilled onion and eggplant, is delectable. Fruits de mer creme pasta (seafood cream) is also popular and boeuf sautee rice (sauteed beef fried rice) is savory.
Though servings are not large, each dish (11,000~15,000 won) is whipped up with plentiful ingredients in the kitchen upstairs -- you can see the cook scurry back and forth through the window. A homemade mini baguette is offered with meals.
The brunch set (Sat.& Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 15,000 won) includes a bowl of hearty soup du jour, yogurt with fruit, brunch box (bacon and egg tartine, French fries, sauteed mushrooms), muffin or cake and coffee or tea. Add pasta, rice or tartine for an additional 4,000 won each.
Fifty has a wide variety of hot and iced drinks, like juicy anana-coco (pineapple-coconut) or banana caramel shakes (9,500 won), and Serendipity ice choco (9,500 won) -- a homemade spin-off inspired by the Big Apple's original drink.
One free refill of Americano for all coffee orders (7,000~10,000 won) and hot water refills for luxurious French teas (thes marriages freres, 9,000 won). Beers, 7,500~8,000 won. Wine, 45,000~135,000 won.
Don't forget to taste the gateau chocolat or rich dark chocolate cake (6,000 won).
The decor is light and stylish: groovy music is paired with a fun mix of wooden furniture, glass chandeliers and stainless steel panels, along with brown paper menus and baskets holding American diner-esque utensils.
As the wall reads ``no stress cafe'' in bold red letters, Chang hopes Fifty can be a place where everyone can relax and have fun.
Manger, boire et bavarder, or eat, drink and chat in style! Bon appetit!
