Cycle 15 – Item 208
31 (Wed) July 2024
Snapper al Cartoccio
3.0
at Festiva
(Hotel in 9)
-Samseong, Gangnam, Seoul, Republic of Korea-
with the Family, Mom & Dad, maternal kin
Having already celebrated my father’s 80th birthday (with his brothers) (see 15.196 Shrimp & Fluke Ceviche in Mustard Oil), we did it again (with my mother’s side of the family).
Alas, the quality of the food continues its downward slide, even while the prices climb. 3 years ago, the dinner set cost a quarter less (99,000 won) but was twice as good (see for comparison 12.313 Seafood Oil Pasta).
Another problem is the inconsistency of the menu. Not a single dish that’s been covered in prior posts is still available (see for example 12.313 Seafood Oil Pasta, 13.197 Deep-Fried Gnocchi, 14.096 Orecchia di Mare) – which isn’t to say that a restaurant should offer the same stuff forever, but at least retain a few classics for regulars to rely on. The à la carte menu has also shrunk to a single page, offering just 2 appetizers, a soup of the day, 3 pastas, 2 mains. I suspect that it’s largely because the chef keeps changing, as evidenced by the clearly different plating techniques, but also because the lack of customers force them to concentrate only on what reliably sells. My favorite dish, Snapper al Cartoccio, is out, but they made it specially for me, even though today’s rendition was a paltry representation of its past glory (see for comparison 12.302 Snapper al Cartoccio).
These days, my mother seems to display a quiet yet urgent desperation to please my father, which makes me wonder whether – I’m going to say it out loud – one of them is dying.
Happy Birthday, Dad (again)!
(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)
(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)
(See also BOOZE)