Vegetarianinkorea

Comfort Food

And a long day of trekking thru the snow filled streets of Seoul hunting down chocolate shops (I know, I KNOW- my life is very hard), I really wanted to just sit down to a nice dish of hot pasta.

 

I stopped by Catherine's- a little pasta bistro outside the Ichon Station stop.

It was my 2nd visit there (its in my apartment complex, and proximity is everything!) and I opted to get the same garlic pesto pasta dish that I got on my first visit. 

It was a 3pm meal, so I was the only customer in the small but not cramped restaurant.

The dish was amazing. Just as I remembered it. And the portion sizes are huge! I think the portion sizes are the same for lunch and dinner- despite the price difference of $12,000KRW for lunch and $15,000KRW for dinner.

(very roughly- $11 lunch and $14 for dinner)

I've met "Catherine", one of the owners, and this time I met her partner as well. I didnt catch her name, but she spoke English well and was there to put up some new peices of art on the walls. Sisters or friends, I am not sure, but they were both very nice and accomodating.

I really love their pasta, but on both visits I missed having some bread with my meal. Call it my American upbringing- but I love bread- epsecially with pasta.

(I know! Carb overload. I KNOW)

So, I decided that life is simple too short to continue to visit their restuarant, eat great pasta, but always walk away feeling a little empty. 

As I was paying for my meal, I told the owners that I (and I did reference all Americans) would really like some bread with my pasta next time. It's kind of expected in America, and I think their American customers would really appreciate it. Considering the location of the restaurant is right outside a US Army base, and in the bottom of a high rise apartment complex filled with probably 30% Americans, I was hoping they would be receptive to my advice.

And they were! They thought it was a good idea! And they said that on my next visit, if bread does not automatically come with my meal, I am welcome to ask for it and it will be provided.

Three Cheers for Catherine's!

You can find Catherine's Bistro on the street level of the Park Tower Apartment buildings, just outside Ichon Subway Station and the Yongsan Military Base Gate 17. Nestled near the Doughnut Plant.

Service available all day starting at 11am.

Catherine

Nestled in the bottom of Park Tower-a luxury high rise apartment complex- is a new little Italian restaurant called Catherine, after the owner of course.

 

Catherine's is located just across the street from the Ichon Station on blue line #4.

 

 

The menu is small, a few salads, pasta dishes and some random Korean eats.

 

My dining partner and I opted for pasta dishes.

 

My basil pesto was fantastic and filling although a little on the pricey side at $15,000KRW.

 

My dining partner's tomato basil pasta was $12,000KRW.

Catherine's was quiet, we were the only guests for our 9pm dinner. We didn't receive any water during our meal, a huge fault in my opinion, and for the price, we both felt like some good bread would have been the perfect match alongside our pasta plates.

I'll go back though.