By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
``Buona sera'' is the Italian greeting for ``Good evening.'' In Seoul, Buonasera may soon be synonymous with fine Italian dining.
Buonasera, a stylish restaurant located near Dosan Park in Sinsa-dong, is known for its authentic Italian dishes. The secret behind its authenticity lies with its Italian executive chef Paolo De Maria.
De Maria told The Korea Times he makes sure Buonasera serves traditional Italian dishes similar to the style and flavors that he was used to while he was growing up in Turin.
Buonasera introduces new dishes in its menu twice a year, for the fall/winter and spring/summer seasons. ``We are serving stronger dishes, and cheese-based dishes during winter. During spring, we serve lighter dishes, less cheesy and more olive oil-based dishes,'' De Maria said.
Around eight to 10 new dishes are introduced, but old favorites like pasta carbonara, seafood pasta and clam sauce spaghetti remain on the menu. De Maria said Buonasera doesn't serve the usual side dish of pickles (a staple in Italian-style restaurants in Korea), since it is a fine dining restaurant. Pickles will only be served at the request of the customer.
Even before the meal was served, Buonasera gave complimentary starters and a generous basket of bread. For an appetizer, I chose the Prosciutto di San Daniele with sweet melon. The dry-cured Italian ham was flavorful, and contrasted perfectly with the juicy melon slices.
Next came the Strozzapreti pasta Calabria, with spicy salami, red onions and cherry tomatoes. The hand rolled pasta has none of the artificial taste, while the sauce has a rich flavor with a kick of spiciness. Incidentally, strozzapreti means ``priest choker" in Italian.
For the main dish, I ordered the swordfish in grissini crust Messina style. The grilled swordfish was covered in grissini, which are crispy, thin breadsticks usually served with pasta.
Dessert is always the highlight of any meal. Even though I was stuffed, I couldn't resist trying the Buonasera tiramisu and gelato. The tiramisu was perfect with a cup of cappuccino. The pumpkin flavored gelato was smooth and creamy, while the strawberry gelato was fresh and tangy. De Maria said the restaurant makes fresh Italian gelato every day.
Buonasera offers set lunch menu, such as basic set of appetizer, main dish and coffee (19,000 won) to a complete set of appetizer, two main dishes, dessert and coffee (37,000 won).
The restaurant is getting rave reviews for the quality of its dishes, and was recently included in the 2008 Blue Ribbon list of top restaurants in Seoul.
Located beside Buonasera is the more casual Italian bistro, Stasera. Here you can get pasta, schiacciata, panini and even take home Italian desserts, chocolates and gelato. Schiacciata is a thinner, lighter and crispier version of pizza.
Stasera has a gelato menu that indicates the fat percentage of each flavor, for example the strawberry gelato has zero fat, while green tea gelato has 8 percent fat.
Buonasera opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m. daily. For information, visit www.buonasera.co.kr and www.stasera.co.kr. For reservations at Buonasera, call 543-6668.