Yamaya Yeouido: Unlimited Pollack Roe Lunch
The restaurant I'm introducing today has such a split personality between lunch and dinner that I debated which one to write about. Still, the unlimited myeongranjeot (salted pollack roe) I had for lunch kept me in a state of awe the entire time I was working, so I'll focus on the lunch experience.
When you walk in and sit down, they don't serve separate side dishes; instead, the myeongran and gatkimchi (mustard leaf kimchi) are already waiting for you. I slightly opened the lid to find a heaping pile of pollack roe. After seeing the quality of the roe, my menu dilemma shifted from "what would be delicious?" to "what pairs best with the roe?" I figured a dish that could neutralize the saltiness would be best, so I ordered the Chicken Nanbanzuke. For reference, this place's signature dish is motsunabe (beef tripe hot pot). However, I don't eat tripe, so I cleanly ruled it out.
After a short wait, the food arrived. As soon as the rice came out, I put two pieces of roe on top and mixed it in. Taking a bite of the roe rice followed by a piece of chicken created the perfect balance. Since the rice is refillable, I loaded it up with roe to make a "roe bomb rice," which was absolute heaven. They are fundamentally great at cooking, so the chicken had a nice texture and was delicious on its own, but pairing it with the roe... no other place can beat this for lunch.
I was so moved by the meal that I went back the very next day. This time, I got the pork ginger roast set. I was worried the ginger flavor might be too strong, but there was no need to fret—it just added a subtle savory note. I immediately washed down the greasiness with my roe bomb rice. I found myself going "Mmm~" while eating the pork, and then letting out an emphatic "Mmmm!!!" as soon as I ate the roe.
Even as I write this, the memory of that salty roe is making my mouth water. It's a premium roe, not your average kind, so the flavor isn't overwhelmingly strong. When you mix it, you can literally eat it half-rice, half-roe. It balances perfectly with any item on the lunch menu. The motsunabe is probably rich and greasy, so I bet it pairs wonderfully too.
The only downside, of course, is the price. Everything in Yeouido (Seoul's financial district) is just so expensive. In a neighborhood where it feels like only "expensive and delicious" or "expensive and bad" restaurants exist, I think I can justify coming here about once a week to eat pollack roe to my heart's content.
This post started with roe and ended with roe, but their dinner menu is also excellent. Since they are fundamentally so good at cooking, I'll write an additional post if I ever go for dinner and take photos.