1.049

23 (Tue) February 2010

Dal Makhani

3.0

at Everest

-Changsin, Jongro, Seoul, Korea-

with MtG

Hands down, Everest is my favorite Indian joint in the city. Given the name of the place, as well as the accoutrement on display throughout the premises, the restaurant has clear ties to Nepal, but the menu is predominantly Indian; either way, the two countries share a lot of commonality in terms of cuisine. Located in a small alley across the street from Dongdaemun, this humble establishment has excellent food at prices so low, around 8000 won for a curry (around US$6) that we’ve decided it’s better just not to think about how they cut their costs. Some of the items on the menu that require some finesse, like Chicken Tikka, are less than stellar, but no one’s complaining because it’s so cheap at 10,000 won a plate. They also serve draft beer at the pre-turn-of-the-millenium cost of 2,000 for 500cc, as well as soju for 3,000.

Another indication of the owner’s business savvy is that he and his entire staff speak Korean, fairly well, which is still unusual in most foreign-owned/run restaurants here, where English is standard, a sometimes awkward convenience when both the customer and server don’t really speak the language.

For any or all of these reasons, the restaurant is usually at or near or over capacity, especially at dinner time on weekends, filled with both locals and expats.