Geomdan omakase bar birthday dinner with chogye noodles: Matgim

For my birthday not long ago, I wanted a special meal with my mom, so we went to Matgim (맡김), an omakase bar in Geomdan New Town! On a birthday I want to eat good food in a slightly more special setting. I found out about Matgim, which serves omakase (chef's-choice) meals near my home in Geomdan New Town, and the mood looked so good that I booked through Catch Table and went.

To get straight to the conclusion: I was really happy with the food and the atmosphere, and I already want to come back for a date with my boyfriend haha. If you're looking for an anniversary or date spot in Geomdan New Town, Matgim, which I'm introducing today, looks like a good choice~! My mom, who's young at heart, kept saying it felt like a date with her daughter the whole meal, and she was so happy that it made me really proud : )

Where is Matgim, and is there parking?

Matgim is an omakase bar in Dangha-dong, Geomdan New Town, Incheon, located in the Megabox Geomdan building. You can use the building's parking lot, which made parking easy, and they gave us 2 hours of free parking.

Being in Dangha-dong, it's easy to get to within Geomdan New Town. The exterior already felt calm and stylish, and when I opened the door, the soft lighting and wood-tone interior felt really warm.

A quiet place that's good for talking

Matgim is quiet overall, so it was easy to talk, and it has a different charm from a noisy bar. I went with my mom and was very happy, but all through the meal I kept thinking, "I have to come back with my boyfriend next time," because it's such a good date atmosphere. My photos also turned out pretty, so it suits anniversaries and birthdays too.

What's in Matgim's July Matgimchalim 3.5 course?

Matgim in Geomdan New Town runs a chef's-choice course (matgimchalim) whose menu changes with the season. Getting to try new dishes every season is a big plus, I think.

The July Matgimchalim 3.5 I visited for had the following six dishes.

• Octopus sweet corn cob salad
• Grilled baby napa cabbage
• Shrimp chorizo tartine
• Dried zucchini chogye noodles (chilled shredded-chicken noodles)
• Pork tenderloin steak
• Watermelon omija granita

The dishes use summer seasonal ingredients, so you really feel the season, and you can tell care went into every dish of the course.

A satisfying start: octopus sweet corn cob salad

The first dish, the octopus sweet corn cob salad, was so pretty and colorful. The octopus was chewy without being tough, and the sweet-and-sour notes of the various ingredients really woke up my appetite. It started the course off on a great note.

Mild grilled napa cabbage and shrimp chorizo tartine

Matgim's grilled baby napa cabbage came with sauce, cheese and bacon on top of the grilled cabbage. I usually like vegetables, and this one was totally my taste. Eaten together, a gentle sweetness and flavor came out, and it had its own charm. It was a little salty, so I think it would pair well with wine. I'd driven, so eating something this good without alcohol was a real shame ㅠ

Matgim has an open kitchen, so you can watch the food being made and even the fire show, which was a lot of visual fun!

Next came the shrimp chorizo tartine, where the crispy texture and plump shrimp went well together, and the brioche made it quite filling. You could feel the chef's care in every little detail like this.

Most memorable dishes: dried zucchini chogye noodles and pork tenderloin steak

The most memorable dish of this July course was the Matgim-style chogye noodles. Cool and clean-tasting, it suited summer perfectly, and I liked even more that it refreshed my mouth in the middle of the course.

Cappellini? The noodles are thin, so they slurp down easily, and the portion was quite big, so I was already getting quietly full from this dish haha. For the price, the portion felt generous.

The main, the sous vide pork tenderloin steak, was really tender. It wasn't overcooked and had juicy meat, so it had the presence a final main should, and the nutty flavor kept coming the more I chewed, making it one of my favorites.

The peas and orange sauce went well with the meat and cut the richness, so I kept eating even though I was full. I usually prefer seafood to meat, but even though Matgim's steak is pork, it was as tender and tasty as beef, so it was my number one pick..!!

A fresh finish: watermelon omija granita

The last dish of Matgim's July course was the watermelon omija (five-flavor berry) granita. Sweet watermelon and tangy omija jelly went really well together, and as a dessert that cleans up your mouth after the meal, it was satisfying to the end haha. The flow from start to finish felt natural, so I thought the overall quality was high.

A birthday meal with Mom at Matgim

I came to Matgim with my mom for my birthday, and it was a more meaningful time because the two of us could eat leisurely and talk for the first time in a while : ) Having good food and a good time together will make this birthday more special to remember. And above all, the mood at Matgim was so good that I want to come back for a date with my boyfriend next time! It suits not just family meals but also dates and anniversaries.

Why I recommend Matgim as an omakase bar in Geomdan New Town

Geomdan New Town has lots of bars, but I think places where the atmosphere, food and service are all satisfying are fewer than you'd expect. I was really happy with Matgim for these reasons!

• A chef's-choice course that changes every season
• A course built on seasonal ingredients
• Stylish atmosphere
• Friendly service
• Recommended for birthdays, anniversaries and dates

If you're planning a special meal in Geomdan New Town, I recommend visiting Matgim once. I'm planning to go back and try the new course when the season changes~