Vegetarianinkorea

Berlin

(This was one of my articles for the October issue of Groove magazine)

On a hill overlooking the gateway to Itaewon sits a restaurant that would likely go unnoticed if you were walking by. Berlin isn't flashy; it's sophisticated. Their menu is eclectic, with a range of choices from Indian and Thai to Japanese and Italian. Can a restaurant striving to excel at a variety of international dishes really meets its mark?

Yes.

I stopped in to Berlin for after dinner drinks and dessert (fabulous!) and saw several vegetarian items marked on their menu. I made a mental note to make plans ASAP to return for a full meal.

(Do you know how exciting it is to see a menu denoting the vegetarian dishes with a little "V"? It's like they are saying, "Vegetarians! We know you are out there and we care deeply about your happiness!")

I started my return visit off with a tofu and avocado canape. The presentation was outstanding. The chilled tofu and avocado slices were layered with a spicy chutney style sauce that made my mouth crave every bite. Yes, it was that good.

For my main dish, I ordered a green curry Thai pasta. Again,the dish was visually stunning. The vegetables were fresh and colorful. The sauce with enough heat to keep my water glass running low, but not so much that it interfered with enjoying all of the other flavors the dish offered.

I'm not one to skip dessert, so I ordered a slice of the blueberry cheesecake to round out my mid-day meal. The cheesecake was very soft and creamy. The blueberries- not fresh, but a great topper none-the-less.

I am ecstatic to find a restaurant with so many appealing vegetarian options from around the globe.

Berlin

located near the archway into Itaewon, just up the hill from the Money Exchange.

02-749-0903

Monday- Sunday 11:30-2am

Check out their face book page under Berlin Cafe & Lounge

Berlin

Berlin is located at the Noksapyeong end of Itaewon, just up the hill as if you were headed to Petra. You might not even notice it if you were walking up the hill, its very non-descript. But inside, it is a swanky restaurant and bar with many vegetarian options marked on the menu.

Did I happen to order any of the vegetarian options? Well, not exactly. We ended up in Berlin to top of a great dinner at Petra with some dessert and cocktails.

Cocktails were very reasonably priced. My white russian was $5,000KRW.

This lemon drop double martini was $9,000KRW.

 

We noticed bananas foster on the menu, and being one of my husband's favorite desserts, we ordered it. Our waiter placed it on our table and then lit it on fire for our amusement. 

Hmm. Bananas dont really photograph to well, do they?

There was also a lava cake on the menu, which is my FAV dessert. I was forewarned that it would take 20 minutes to prepare, but the wait was worth it.

Very decadent.

Berlin has a variety of international dishes on their regular menu. Italian, thai, indian, etc. I was impressed with their ambition.

I am hoping to head back to Berlin this week to see if their ambitious menu meets its mark.

Check out their facebook page here.

From Noksapyeong Station:
Go out exit 1. Cross the overpass. Go right. Follow the curve around and Berlin is the first business on the right.

From Itaewon Station:
Go out exit 1. Walk straight about 5 minutes. Go up the alley across the street from McDonald's (look for the yellow Money Exchange sign). Follow the curve around and Berlin is on the left.