Cycle 17 – Item 73

Post 5,715

19 (Thu) March 2026

Spaghetti Vongole

3.5

at Awesome

-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-

with W and IZ

Try Every Italianish Eatery in Wirye (TEIEW)

Since our first visit to this restaurant almost exactly 1 year ago, prices have gone up.   The tomahawk, the priciest steak on the menu, previously 98,000, is now 112,000. The salchisal (chuck tail flap) had been 45,000, now 52,000 (see for comparison 16.075 Salchisal (Chuck Tail Flap) Steak).  The ansim (tenderloin), the cheapest steak, previously 35,000, now 42,000.   Even though the cost of imported beef (US) hasn’t really gone up over the past year, certainly not enough to justify a 20% increase in price.

Fortunately, the price of pastas remains capped at 16,000.   The restaurant’s vongole, which comes with at least 50 claims, probably more, represents the best value for this dish that I’ve ever encountered, at any restaurant in Korea – by comparison, the vongole at The Corner Kitchen, with maybe 20 clams, costs 26,000.  We will miss Awesome, at least the pasta, when we move to Oksu.

(See RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)

(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See HANSIK)

(See BOOZE)