2.180

4 (Mon) July 2011

T-Bone Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy

2.5

at Richard Copycat’s All-American Diner

-Itaewon, Yongsan, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with W and DJ

In honor of American Independence Day, an American meal at an American restaurant seemed appropriate.  Last year, I made chili-cheese dogs on a camping trip that coincided with the occasion (see 1.179 Chili-Cheese Dogs).  This year, without anything specific in mind, I took the family to a place whose name sounded right for the general idea.  In the end, the plan was well-intentioned but not very well-executed.

Other than the name, the decision was based on its reputation for certain items and a positive-though-limited experience just a couple nights earlier.  10 Magazine, an English-language glossy that covers various expat topics pertaining to Korea, ranked All-American Diner #4 for best burgers and #10 for best wings in its June issue entitled “Best of the West.”  The reviews had prompted me to drop by last Saturday, after dinner, to sample the wings, which I didn’t like, being too heavily breaded, reminiscent of the wings at Hooter’s, but I was impressed by the service and the generosity of the whisky doubles.

However, looking more closely at the menu on this my second visit, I quickly realized that I’d made a mistake. Focused on the “All-American,” I’d failed to consider the “Diner”: other than breakfast fare, burgers, sandwiches, and wings, the options for dinner entrees were limited. I should’ve gone with a burger to play it safe, and to verify the #4 ranking, but I’d just eaten a burger yesterday – if I’d really thought this through, I would’ve saved the burger for today.  W did order the bacon cheddar burger, which was excellent.  Anyway, I knew that I wasn’t going to enjoy a 23,000-won steak from a diner.  My dumbass question to the server: “Is it good?”  Server’s noncommittal response: “It’s one of our best sellers.”  My dumbass follow-up: “But is it good?” The decidedly less-than-stellar response: “It’s good for the price.”  But I hadn’t had a t-bone in ages, and I didn’t feel like experimenting with something called “Chicken Fried Chicken.”

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