Bamboo House (Seoul Korea)

Going to an authentic Korean BBQ was on top of the to-do list in our visit to Seoul. We went all-out and visited Bamboo House, considered a high-end Korean restaurant by many reviews and guides.

The restaurant serves beef of excellent quality. Note that Korean beef is not exported to other countries and its marbling rivals that of Japanese Wagyu. At Bamboo House, the beef is cooked at the grill by the staff in front of you, making the experience more enjoyable. You will pay a premium price, as did many celebrities with their photos on the main wall.

Details:
Bamboo House
658-10 Yeoksam-dong
Gangnam-gu
Seoul, South Korea
http://www.bamboohouse.or.kr/

Olio (St Leonards)

The family has chosen to dine at Olio on a few occasions due to its central location. Here we were again for a quick dinner.

The menu seems to blend various flavours and dishes across the Mediterranean. The mezze plate gave us a good start of the meal with its mix of tastes from the region. However, the trout pasta dish was a bit underwhelming – more trout may help perhaps?

Details:
Olio
Shop 1, 'The Forum'
St Leonards Station
Sydney 2065
http://www.olio.com.au

Guillaume at Bennelong (Sydney)

For my birthday, the wife took me to Guillaume at Bennelong inside the Sydney Opera House. Given its pending closure end of year, we would make it our ‘farewell’ visit.

The service was immaculate from the start and the food certainly matched its 3-hat status. The squid ‘pasta’ entrée with sea urchin sauce was intense with seafood flavor. The signature mulloway rouille dish was superb, but the very tender lamb was even better. And you wouldn’t go wrong with the chocolate soufflé or nougat glace for desserts.

Looking forward to its re-opening at another venue!

Details:
Guillaume at Bennelong
Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
http://guillaumeatbennelong.com.au/