7.195 Porchetta

7.195

18 (Mon) July 2016

Porchetta

3.25

at Ramie’s

-Itaewon, Seoul-

with the family, the folks

The Home Stretch : Day 4 (see previously 7.194 The MIL’s Typical…).

At long last, the time has come.  Arrived in Seoul on Saturday.  Here for a week to pack up and ship our stuff to the Philippines, where we’ll be reunited to live as a family after 2.5 years.  Flying back together to Manila next Saturday.

img_4534
Ramie’s is a western pub/restaurant.   Located in Itaewon, in the ever-gentrifying alley behind Hamilton Hotel (that red-brick building to the right).
img_4535
One benefit of eating dinner with old people, like my father, who insists on being seated no later than 1800, is that the early reservation typically allows for choosing a primo table.

Fortunately, my father’s birthday happens to be this week, so I was on-hand to participate in the celebratory dinner (see previously 6.194 Lobster Spaghetti with Rose Sauce).

Sufficiently impressed by the sampling of dishes at Ramie’s a couple days prior (see generally 7.193 Mineo Hoe), I’d made a reservation for this special occasion, knowing that Dad likes this kind of food.

img_5236
The so-called “NEW AMERICAN PLATES” aren’t updates of classic American dishes, such as burgers and steaks, but rather a hodgepodge of world cuisines — which is ultimately what American food is all about.

Porchetta is an Italian pork dish.  Traditionally a whole pig, seasoned/marinated, stuffed with herbs, slow-roasted.  Now often made with smaller cuts, such as a slab of pork belly.

img_4548
We were informed that only 6 portions of porchetta, not on a standard menu item, were available first-come-first-serve  — another benefit of early-birding with old people!
img_4552
The porchetta earns the honor of being today’s featured item by way of its inherent grandeur.

The food was good across the board.  The porchetta was great : perfectly cooked, crispy out, juicy in; the flavor was a bit mainstream, tasting like a typical “ham,” though that’s not inherently a bad thing — the kids loved it.  Personally, I preferred other dishes, such the calamari and the octopus (see below).  Anyway, an excellent meal overall, and reasonably priced.

img_4536
Ramie’s Salad, Baby Tomato, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Provolone Cheese, Golden Raisins, Pomegranate Vinaigrette (2.5)
img_4541
Oxtail Arancini, Romaine Sauce (2.5)
img_4544
Pan-Seared Sea Scallops, Sweet Corn Veloute, Black Garlic, Chorizo Crumbles (3.0)
img_4543
Crispy Herb Calamari, Smoked Tomato Fondue, Citrus Aioli (3.5)
img_4540
Red Wine Braised & Grilled Octopus, Peperonata, Romesco Sauce (4.0) : the best dish of the evening.
img_4546
Mac N Cheese (2.5)

2 thoughts on “7.195 Porchetta”

  1. This post is total food porn. That porchetta. Those scallops. I’m so hungry now!
    What I definitely notice when I go to Korea though is that it doesn’t matter HOW “Western” the menu or concept is, the taste is very “Koreanized”. Is that the same case at this restaurant?

    Reply

  2. one of my favorite pet peeves while living in korea, and it still holds painfully true to certain cuisines, like Chinese and Japanese, but I’m beginning to think that they’re getting pretty good at the western stuff, except delivery pizza. then again, i haven’t lived in the States for over a decade, so maybe my palate has been koreanized.

    Reply

Leave a Reply