French Blue - A Taste of San Francisco in Seoul!
Seoul is flooded with pseudo-French and European restaurants. But after you go to one… you’ve been to them all. Pasta with red or cream sauce. Thin pizzas with Gorgonzola cheese. Mixed green salads using the bitter greens (like Kale!). Prosciutto and melon gone horribly wrong. Paella made with white rice. And some attempt at steak, salmon, and sea bass. OK, so it’s overpriced and you tell yourself it’s only a matter of time when someone other than an imported hotel chef will raise the bar.
Why San Francisco? Anyone who’s been there for at least five meals will find something odd there. Harldy any chances for fast food meals. And no matter which eaterie you go to… from the donut shop with Vietnamese sandwiches to the Slanted Door in the Embarcadero… the food is at a level beyond any transcendent (note I almost typed transgendered!) competition. In other words… it’s really the bomb diggity good yo. The community standards that people have for public decency may be non-present in SF, but perhaps all that energy has gone into maintaining quality food.
Well, fellow Seoulites. The time has come for the city! It’s like the beacon of Barack Obama shining down on Seoul portending brighter days ahead. What is this place I’m talking about? A little restaurant tucked away in a busy alley in Daechi-dong right near Seolleung Station Exit #2! The name? French Blue!
The restaurant is reminiscent of a San Francisco eatery in the mode that good things coming in small packages!
So many cute girls here sitting alone... drinking wine and eating salad.
Camembert Cheese salad. The first restaurant I've been to with a balanced balsamic vinaigrette and good mix of greens.
I want to individually point out the elements that show this salad is a cut above. Left to Right: A breaded and deep-fried wedge of Camembert cheese, bacon, candied pecan, and tomato. Sorry, I took a bite out of the tomato. As a combination, it is divine.
Chicken sandwich with tender meat inside a delicately toasted baguette. The sauce had one of those 'Vietnamese Sandwich aahhh' moments... though the flavor was less tart and cilantro-esque than that. Anyhow... beliisimo! at 4,500 won.
Mussels with Cream Sauce. When a chef has 'IT' you know what I mean. A flavor that shuts down any food critic and turns one into a sensual being without words... just delighting in the slippery, savory flavors. A good deal too at 11,000 won for a bucket more than big enough for two people.
Espresso con panna. Bellisimo. Or Bellissima. Is espresso male or female? Anyhow very delicious and strong as they use Illy Coffee.
Another look at the flourless chocolate cake. It truly had the right recipe with the right hands making this cake. How else can you say this... The chef deserves a bravo at the end of the meal. It was a meal that reminded us that life is worth living just another day based on the glorious things we can make with god's creations.
Oh how could we forget the wine. A lovely dry white Italian wine went wonderfully with the mussels, cheese and sandwiches. Only 29,000 won.
The ambiance encourages incredibly intimate conversations. Sara looks fine and normal... even a touch soft here. But let me tell you... no let her tell you over some ribeye steak - the best thing on the menu - about all the drama that's been going on. I keep telling her it's her karmic moment to clear the bad of the past and change her life torwards the good. But it might take a few more flourless chocolate cakes for that. I don't mind one bit. Whatever it takes for a friend. 
This is the ‘neighborhood restaurant’ with world class food we’ve all been waiting for. Can we send a big thank you chant from Buddha and a big Amen from Jesus for this ambitious young chef who opened up his new restaurant? I happened to ask the owner/chef if he had spent time in the US studying… especially San Francisco. And he said he’s never been to the states. He learned everything here in Korea from a chef who worked in the UK.
This shows a beacon of hope. You can develop taste right here in the city for the international gold standard for a french style menu. May French Blue be a role model for the rest of the city to follow. There is nothing but undying thanks for a beautiful meal. Nothing was comped for the Seoulite - we paid in full. May this restauranteer continue to propser and hone his talents to create even better meals in the future.
French Blue
Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Daechi-dong, 897-8, First Floor
Seolleung Station Exit 2. Make a left after the Burger King. French Blue will be on your right within the first block.
02-566-7940
Open 10AM - 2AM
Food: 5/5 — We have a superstar genius here. As long as he cooks, your food will be amazing. A case where the chef has given you the spirit of the food and himself along with the taste. Thank you.
Service: 5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Tags: Camembert, Flourless Chocolate Cake, French Blue, French Restaurant, Korea, Mussels, Restaurant, Seoul, Seoulite, Wine
December 1st, 2008 at 11:18 pm
are you sure those are roma tomatoes? i’ve never seen one in korea in 6.5 years and i have begun to doubt anyone even imports them. slightly oval in shape? because the only logical way to cut them has always been along their perfectly circular axis. tho i would agree that could pass for one quartered lengthwise and then bit in half. hmm…
December 14th, 2008 at 11:51 am
[...] One of the Seoulite’s friends almost eats one meal a day here. For the original post click here. Here are some additional dishes that were sizzlingly fierce. Right above is the Croque Monsieur. [...]
October 27th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
[...] Seoulite’s friends almost eats one meal a day at this restaurant. For the original post click here. Here are some additional dishes that were sizzlingly fierce. Right above is the Croque Monsieur. [...]