FOOD/DRINK
The Grand Lady of Daegu’s Fine Dining Scene Written by Michelle Van Balkom Translation by Sehee Lee Dijon has long been the frontrunner in Daegu’s fine dining scene. Located on Rodeo Street, which has grown up around it, it no longer fits in with its surroundings. Nonetheless, that is how owner and executive chef Sang-Young Choi wants it. Dijon was opened in 2000 after its sister restaurant Into (1992) became a commercial success. The original owner wanted to open a fine dining restaurant that expats could go to get authentic French/Mediterranean dishes. In 2001, Mr. Choi joined the staff as the executive chef and when he took ownership of the restaurant in 2007, he decided to preserve the concept that his predecessor established. However, he has made some slight changes. Chef Choi has streamlined the menu so
that the dishes appeal to both foreign and Korean palates, since he felt some of the original dishes were too boldly flavored. He says that Dijon introduces simplified French dishes that also incorporate some of Daegu’s style and flavor. Still, he insists that Dijon’s flavors are authentic and often gain praise from French customers. Dijon does not offer a large variety of alcohol choices (although it has a very decent wine list) and Choi says this is deliberate. Unlike many of its neighbors, it does not want to be known as a drinking establishment. He wants Dijon to maintain its high-class atmosphere where people can really focus on the food. And so it does. Dijon has a high number
of regular customers who return time after time. Foreign customers enjoy the salads and seafood dishes, but the most popular is the stuffed chicken breast. For Korean customers, the beef tenderloin and the paella are the most ordered. Chef Choi also says that the restaurant’s pastas are quite popular with the younger crowd. My companions and I decided to go to Dijon at lunchtime when it wasn’t so busy. I was a little apprehensive, as Dijon’s food could be too rich and heavy for the middle of the day. We decided to sample the lunch specials. At 17,000won for the pasta set and 19,000won for the beef, they were both quite reasonably priced. Each set came with a soup, salad, entrée, dessert, and tea or coffee.
The soup of the day was potato. It was mild and creamy, but for my palate a little bland. However, my Korean companion said she’d never had potato soup before and thought it was interesting. The salad course was light and crisp. It was dressed lightly with red wine vinegar and olive oil and had a variety of greens topped with delicious olives. The pasta course offered three options: forest mushroom and bacon cream spaghetti, fresh clams with wine and basil sauce spaghetti, and a classic Bolognese spaghetti. We selected the forest mushroom and bacon cream. The pasta was properly cooked and sauced not just noodles floating in soup. The mushrooms were earthy and provided texture, but the bacon could have been smokier. The beef set offered up sautéed tenderloin in hot pepper sauce with pimento rice. Grilled green and red peppers, zucchini, onions, and garlic joined the beef in a rich, spicy sauce served over rice. While I would say the menu is more fusion than authentic, I enjoyed the zippy vegetables and sauce and the rice was light and fluffy. The only disappointment was the beef which was overcooked. Finally, our meal finished with a dark chocolate mousse and our promised tea and coffee. My initial fears were realized when we couldn’t finish our entrees but the staff kindly allowed us to take home our leftovers. If you are interested in fine dining in Daegu, Dijon has to been the first stop on your culinary tour. ■ address: #21-9 Samduk 1ga, Jung-gu, Daegu phone number: 053-422-2426 grown up around it - 함께 성장한 ■ streamlined the menu - 메뉴를 간소화하 다 ■ high-class atmosphere - 하이클래스 분위기 ■ regular customers - 단골 손님 ■ time after time - 자주 ■ Apprehensive - 걱정되는, 불안한 ■ For my palate - 내 입맛에는 ■ Clams - 조개 ■ Zippy - 살아있 는, 생생한 ■ Fluffy - 솜털 같이 부드러운 ■ culinary tour - 음식투어
The Tasty Treasures of the Bukbu Bus Terminal Written by Erin Petrey Translation by Merea Lee
I have heard many praise the virtues of the Southeast Asian markets, near the Bukbu bus terminal. Despite my curiosity and desire to diversify the flavors of my home cooking, I somehow never made it over to the area, until recently, which was a grave mistake on my part. The area doesn’t look like much from the outside; a fairly nondescript strip of small shops line the service street extending from the terminal. However, upon closer inspection, words uncommon in most of Korea begin to stand out, such as “Halal.” The colorful signs boast an array of international flags, indicating the origin of many of the wares to be found inside. Roughly six such stores line the street and many carry similar items, with certain stores carrying a more diverse inventory than others. If you seek out a particular item, I suggest you visit each store, as they are so closely located. My most successful stop was Ace Mart, wherein I purchased hard to find items like curry powder, coconut juice, fresh
cilantro, lentils, lime juice, and even a large Tsingtao beer for good measure. The shop also offered other rare groceries like lamb, desiccated coconut, prepackaged Indian dishes, and a large selection of spices. Thankfully, a desire to zest up your usual grocery shopping won’t come with a heavy price tag; offerings from every store are very reasonably priced, being that they are all imported. For example, a box of curry powder and a bag of lentils ran 4,000 won each. Even the liquor and beer selections are very affordable and offer a welcome change to the all too fa-
miliar Family Mart selections. Regardless of the specialty items these shops carry, don’t expect a special vibe from the area. Each store is pretty straightforward, and the displays are more functional than aesthetic. Most establishments featured floors lined with boxes blooming with Vietnamese instant noodles, rows of slightly dusty cans of tropical fruits, bags of large frozen pupae, and a wealth of items that I was at a loss to identify. If you’d care to change up your grocery shopping routine, the Bukbu bus terminal
markets are easily accessible by bus (202, 323, 309, 356, 724, and 726). Once you disembark, look for signs featuring arrays of colorful flags. Also, if shopping makes you a little hungry, a few tasty ethnic restaurants (such as the popular Ali Baba Indian Restaurant) are located near the shops. ■ nondescript strip - 별 특징 없는 ■ zest up - 맛의 풍미를 높이다 ■ a special vibe 특별한 분위기 ■ aesthetic - 심미적인
august 2011 ■ InDaegu ■ 15