The Magistracy "Private" Room

Décor of Magistracy Dining Room definitely appeals to certain type of people – those who read and dreamed all about the Victorian era glamor or binge-watch on Downton Abby, for example. Probably same can be said about their style of dishes but to a lesser extent; after all old-school British cuisine never got a good reputation even to the locals. That mixed impression set the tone of my mood as I set foot into the restaurant – now in its second year of operations - for the first time recently and checked out their latest menu, reinvented by Chef Alyn Williams who just came on board. 

Soigne

Soigne looked more “industrial” than I imagined and I didn’t know what gave me such impression when I visited the restaurant for dinner one night, whether it was the location in the lower floor of an office building, the bright white lighting or the open kitchen with light color decor that felt like a lab, or the quiet dining room with furniture that looks more like corporate office.

Strong Contender

Work brought me to Seoul for a few days in January and I did find time to check out a few restaurants on my free time. I was quite looking forward to the trip because it's literally been decades since I last set foot in Korea, but then I wasn't as excited when I knew Korea is freezingly cold at this time of year. (one morning the temperature changed from -6C the previous day to -2C and they called this warm - go figure)

New Hokkien Place

New restaurant openings in this area were not common let alone a decent one, so Ming Pavilion came as a welcoming addition when they opened their doors inside Island Shangri-la. The restaurant specializes in Hokkien Cuisine from Fujian Province, surprisingly another rarity in local dining scene.