Tried & Tested

Restaurant Check: Blooming Garden

28 Feb 2010

FIRST IMPRESSIONS Seoul enjoys a balmy weather during spring from April through May and autumn from September to November, which is perfect for alfresco dining, and the Blooming Garden caters for those who appreciate the great outdoors. The Italian bistro and café is located in Garosugil, which means “tree-lined street”, in the upmarket Gangnam district. The Blooming Garden tends to attract a trendy crowd, with two other branches opened in upscale Apgujeong and again, in Gangnam.

The three-storey, contemporary-style facility also has an indoor dining area with large glass windows providing daylight, which give the illusion of space – and lots of it. Level three offers fine dining.  

THE FOOD Food is Italian with a Japanese flair. The menu lists a variety of soups, salads, pastas, pizzas, seafood and steak, with Fresh Sea Urchin Pasta and Blue Crab Pasta being the restaurant’s signature dishes. Diners can choose to order a set meal or à la carte. I particularly like the thickly battered calamari served with a yogurt sauce; the seafood was cooked to my liking and neither too oily nor too salty. The dessert selection includes chocolate fondant, tiramisu, cheese cake and homemade sherbet.

DRINKS The usual offerings of soft drinks and juices, beer, iced or hot tea and coffee, including Caribou coffee from the US.

SERVICE Although Korean was spoken mostly during the meal service, the staff impressed us with a reasonably good grasp of English.

VERDICT The ambience is inviting and suitable for casual business lunches. For formal entertaining, just ask for a table upstairs.

Julian Tan


PRICES Set lunch per person starts from KRW28,000 (US$24) which includes a main of pasta, KRW33,000 (US$28) for fish and KRW40,000 (US$34) for steak. A six-course dinner starts from KRW55,000 (US$47).

CONTACT 623-4 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, tel 82 2 3466 1962, www.bloomingarden.co.kr

OPENING HOURS Daily from noon to midnight

 

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