Secret Garden: Fine Italian Dining by Han River
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Craving for a romantic candlelight dinner on a cruise liner? A Season of Secret Garden is no Titanic, but it's the newest and largest among 17 restaurants floating along the Han River, and relies more on its fine Italian dishes than its riverside view to attract diners.
Situated next to Jamsil Dock, Secret Garden has a futuristic facade similar to that of the luxurious Galleria Department store in Apgujeong-dong. A dark wooden door invites you inside, where it feels like a plush seaside hotel lounge with its view of the cityscape and passing boats.
While the place shines with metallic art deco themes, it provides for a lazy, comforting atmosphere made complete with subtle lighting, wine buzz and the soft rocking of the floating building.
The spacious venue features a glass-walled wine storage room that boasts of its contents while chefs can be seen scurrying about in the open kitchen. A bar invites casual drinkers, while private rooms, including a well-equipped business room, provide for more intimate affairs. The tables by the window are ideal for spending quality time with a date or enjoying a glass of wine with friends.
The wine inventory indeed features more than 100 labels, but the ultimate reason for coming to Secret Garden is the exquisite Italian dishes. Lee Man-sik, head chef and director, poured his culinary passion into the menu after perfecting his art at top hotels including the Hilton and Chosun. He was also behind Cheongdam-dong's reputed Italian eatery Anna Bini.
``I have more freedom to do what hotel chefs can't,'' Lee told The Korea Times as he prepared an entree of sea bass, abalone and lobster tail (45,000 won). The chunks of seafood were served chilled with a mix of asparagus, olives, cherry tomato and potato and finally topped with caviar. ``This dish, for example, reflects what's in vogue in Europe at the moment, but it's something unique to Secret Garden because it's made with domestic ingredients and adapted to Korean taste buds,'' he said.
``What's more, we try to make dining a fun and interesting experience for customers by communicating and mingling with them,'' he said, taking the bowl and a teapot to the table. He then poured the contents of the pot, a cold brownish liquid, onto the seafood dish. The sesame sauce made for a unique, refreshing cold seafood broth. The taste was light and subtle, and far from fishy.
While the final steps, throwing everything into a bowl, seemed simple, the dish had gone through a careful process involving over six steps of cooking, from making the broth to adding flavor to the veggies. The restaurant refrains from the use of unnecessary condiments, and the dish tasted savory yet subtle.
We also tried the pan-fried sea bass salad with broccoli, tomato and olive (16,000 won), which tasted fresh, and we couldn't get enough of the homemade breads, such as the garlic baguettes and squid ink puffs. The spaghetti vongole with pesto and basil (21,000 won) was also top notch, with its thick, chewy noodles and tangy sauce. We concluded the tasty meal with a delightful strawberry mousse with fresh fruit. The dessert was expensive at 12,000 won, but the berry flavor actually felt real, unlike the usual sugary artifice.
The closest subway station is Sincheon on line 2, where you can get out of exit 7 and walk for about 10 to 15 minutes or hail a taxi toward Jamsil Dock. It's a basic cab fare to Secret Garden, which is the first building to the left of the dock. Open from 11:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. the following morning. Call (02) 413-5535 or visit www.thesecretgarden.kr.