SeoulFood: MADE Restaurant

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I love to mix and match. My favourite thing to do at a restaurant is order a whole bunch of dishes with friends and have nibbles here and there to satisfy every craving. Beyond the unlimited, cheap, and cheerful wine, why do you think I love Ashley’s so much? When a friend suggested we check out MADE Restaurant in the chic area of Seoul called Apgujeong, I was desperately hoping everyone would be down to share. Imagine my surprise when I got to the restaurant and found that there were not only amazing-sounding dishes, but they were customize-able, too!

The Atmosphere

MADE Restaurant is a pretty small and cozy place. The industrial style lighting and exposed bulbs made for a pretty cool atmosphere. While the restaurant itself was at about half capacity, people spoke in fairly hushed tones. It was warm and relaxing. I felt like my party was really welcomed when we arrived, but none of the staff were breathing down our necks. We were even seated at a cozy 8-top banquette, which I’m sure could have been shared comfortably if another small party were to arrive. When we wanted the bill it was presented quickly. Then, we were seamlessly out the door.

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The Drinks

When I go out for brunch I’m typically all about the unlimited mimosa life (RIP unlimited mimosas at Haeundae Smokehouse). MADE Restaurant serves a white peach bellini and a blood orange mimosa and a few other key cocktails. The value is really in the wine, however. Our reservation was late enough to be deemed “lunch”, so we didn’t mess around with OJ. We got straight to the good stuff. We ordered a sparkling wine. It was sold out, so our server suggested the Longue-Dog Rose (Languedoc, France 2015 KRW 45,000). Anywhere else this would be a cheap and cheerful bottle, but import/ export costs are exceptional in Korea, so we were pleased enough.

“Longue-Dog Rose, Pays d’Oc is just like berries and cream with a dry finish – a delightful rose. Pale pink with scents of fresh strawberries, raspberries and cream, the soft round palate fills out to a surprising weight and persistence as the flavours linger on the tongue. This is an easy drinking wine with a slightly dry tangy finish. Take it easy, relax and enjoy a glass chilled with some shellfish and pretend you’re in the delightful vineyards of southern France. Maybe a dog’s life isn’t so bad after all…..” – KWOFF Limited

The Food

Mushroom Arancini • 9

We particularly enjoyed the arancini! Had I known they would be absolutely laden with truffle oil we probably would have ordered a second variation (the pesto, maybe?). Normally my motto is “never enough cheese”. This may have been an exception as the amount of cheese in the mushroom arancini was perfect. I felt like all the flavours worked well together. The cheese, truffle oil, and marinara sauce worked well together and no ingredient overpowered another. I would definitely order these when on an appies and drinks date!

To be candid, I would have been really disappointed if I have only ordered this as my entire entree. 3 meatballs on a small pond of polenta? Come on. Since we had ordered this to share, I was still a little sad to only have one meatball to try, but I wasn’t left bitter and hungry. The one I did have was seasoned really nicely and was tender and juicy. The polenta was blended well and still kept a bit of the grainy texture one comes to expect. My Korean dining companion had never tried it before and was a little confused by the flavour and texture at first, but concluded that he enjoyed it. Polenta’s not very popular in Korea, it seems. This was my first time having it at a restaurant in nearly 2 years!

The Verdict

All in all I think our 2 appetizers (I wouldn’t call our meatball dish an entree even though it was supposed to be entree-sized), entree, and a bottle of wine came to about KRW 85,000. I think this is pretty good value, especially considering the area and the ingredients. We left feeling jolly (hello, rose) and satiated, but not overwhelmingly full. We continued on to another event where there was plenty of food, but I didn’t end up snacking. I would return to MADE Restaurant in a heartbeat. It’s a great venue for intimate conversation and good food – next time I’d just read between the lines when it comes to portion sizes!

Check out MADE Restaurant’s Website and Facebook page for more information and photos!

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