Seoul for Foodies: September 29, 2026 Continued
Feel free to browse the photos… or for those not interested in food (???) just ignore this post.
One thing I’m not is a food photographer, but I did my best. Galopin restaurant was about a ten minute walk from our charming hanok. We had booked the reservation from the states, having read something about it and also because it was close to our part of the city. It is actually a French restaurant… and Mike’s immediate comment when he heard I booked it was …”French restaurant in Korea?? Why?” Well he certainly changed his tune as the meal began to arrive. Galopin is located in a very very non-descript three story building. From the street, you’d probably change your mind. There was a small sign announcing the restaurant and stating that it was on the second floor. The building seemed deserted and as we climbed the stairs it felt like there was no way there could be a fine French restaurant in this unassuming building with the ugliest stairwell and railing! But when we got to the second floor, it was like a transformation with an absolutely simple, well-designed space with seating for only about 16 people at five tables and an open kitchen. Galopin is owned by a young couple; the restaurant is six years old. We’ve eaten at many wonderful restaurants all around the world, and many have had Michelin stars. I’d rate this among the best we’ve been to. No detail is overlooked. I immediately wanted the simple light fixture on the tables, and I’d trade in my dishes for the beautifully displayed dishes and bowls they used for each dish.
It’s just the couple. No one else works there. He is the chef.. .she does the pastries. Their English is modest, but they were able to explain each dish. While he lived in Paris for a while (I think two years) he did not train there and he did not work in the food biz there (at least that is what I understood from our conversation). He did apprentice at a famous French restaurant in Seoul, but that restaurant is no longer operational.
I forgot to keep the menu, so I’m hoping the pictures conjure up the menu and that what I’m going to list is at least partially accurate:
- 1. Amuse Bouche — bite size slice of salmon with brioche and homemade onion butter; 2. a canolli-likepastry roll stuffed with halibut and potato sitting in a pepper sauce; 3. shrimp, including head and grapefruit, served with an amazing aioli made with yogurt and garlic and some herbs (tarragon and chervil maybe); 4. fish wrapped in cooked cabbage with a chive sauce; 5. Korean beef tenderloin with a mushroom mochi or at least that’s what I think they described; 6. a palate cleanser of orange, squash, and cinnamon sorbet; 7. baby lambchop that melted in your mouth with amaranth, sesame seeds, sage and other herbs; 8. dessert #1: some kind of mango, passion frui, and apple concoction; dessert #2: Paris breast and caramel ice cream; dessert #3: an assortment of tiny sweets including a chocolate truffle, something walnut, and a small fruit gel.
We waddled back to our hanok and enjoyed our final night in the Bukchon neighborhood. It was totally peaceful and beautiful. No one outside, no tourists (because they are not allowed after 5:00), no traffic… just total calm. What a change from our normal life. Tomorrow we change hotels and will bve staying in one of the most hectic neighborhoods (a mecca for young people, we are told… so we will definitely fit in!). More tomorrow.
