Brunch bistro in Seochon, Seoul: sea bream & sparkling, Teen Seoul

Where is Teen Seoul and what kind of place is it?

Teen Seoul (틴 서울) is a bistro in Seochon, 270 meters from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 2, with a paid parking lot behind the building. Between the romantic mood, the wide wine list and food from a chef who trained at Le Cordon Bleu, it's known as a go-to date spot in Seochon, so I went to see for myself.

Teen Seoul opening hours and break time

Teen Seoul is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a break time from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

I came for brunch with my older sister from Anyang, who traveled all the way here for her little sister whose head is a mess about one thing and another.

Teen Seoul's exterior: a detached building that's even more romantic

Teen Seoul isn't a small restaurant, it's a whole detached building. It was my first visit, and from the name alone I'd pictured something tiny, so I never expected this. And the romantic feel of the exterior gave me a feeling before we even ate: "Oh... this is a hit."

Guys may be wondering what I'm on about, but ladies, you know. You arrive somewhere and the outside is exactly your taste? Your mood instantly lifts, right?? No wonder this place is famous as a Seochon date spot! If you're looking for a date place near Gyeongbokgung, take note!

Teen Seoul seating: the inner 1st-floor seats and the 2nd floor

Teen Seoul has a 1st floor, a 2nd floor and a terrace, and this is the space next to the kitchen on the 1st floor.

It's on the same floor as the kitchen but tucked deep inside, so it's private and cozy, and it felt reassuringly safe to me, a hardcore introvert who hunts for a corner wherever she goes.

I loved the deep-set 1st-floor seats, but my quick-footed sister had already gone up to the 2nd floor. If she's on the 2nd floor, so am I. Hmm... a moment ago I liked the snug 1st floor. Now I like the 2nd floor.

What are the 2nd floor, terrace and hanok view like?

From the 2nd floor of Teen Seoul you get a city-and-hanok view: tall buildings and traditional hanok eaves at the same time.

The 2nd floor was cute and cozy.

The terrace has a yellow awning that freshens up your eyes, and beyond it, hanok roof tiles stacked in neat rows make a view that's both exotic and unusual.

Amazingly, hanok have a charm that only hanok can give. Maybe because you can enjoy that as your view, this terrace felt a little more special and unique. Midday might be too much, but on a cool breezy evening, a glass of wine here and I'd be drunk on wine and romance.

Even in the big 2nd floor, the two of us still ended up in a corner. The table setting was neat and stylish.

What did we order at Teen Seoul?

For mains we ordered the grilled sea bream, which comes with parsnip purée and grilled young radish (yeolmu), and the grilled prawn linguine, made with fresh-made linguine and a prawn bisque sauce.

Soon a gorgeous spread was laid out in front of us. I'm a taste-first person who says food just has to taste good, but seeing the natural colors of the ingredients fill the white table, I have to admit we do eat with our eyes too.

Does Teen Seoul have sparkling wine as a house wine?

Yes, Teen Seoul has a sparkling house wine. On a special day like this, wine is a must, and since we're both lightweights we skipped the bottle and ordered a glass each of the house wine. House wines are usually just red or white, no sparkling because of the bubbles, so I was so happy that this place has one.

The house sparkling that day was Maison Castel: moderate acidity, a sweetness that isn't overdone, a smooth finish and nice bubbles, which made it a good aperitif. With a fragrant sparkling start, it was time for the real meal.

Teen Seoul's grilled sea bream and yeolmu: how do they taste?

I heard Teen Seoul was opened by a chef who was sous chef at Quay, the three-hat restaurant in Sydney, Australia, and at Rockpool, the two-hat restaurant in Melbourne. So I tried the sea bream with high expectations.

Even the crisply grilled sea bream skin is lively. The firm, dense flesh was soft like pressed cream, yet had that clean, mild flavor only fish has. In this hot summer weather, the restaurant's reinterpreted grilled yeolmu was fun too.

Teen Seoul's grilled prawn linguine: how is the fresh pasta texture?

Teen Seoul's grilled prawn linguine is fresh linguine topped with arugula, grilled herb-marinated prawns and prawn bisque sauce. Red prawns and green arugula made this one plate bloom with color.

I love thick noodles so much that even with Korean noodles I only eat kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), so hearing the linguine was made from fresh pasta raised my expectations even more. Plus, we're both prawn fiends who can eat 100 prawns in one sitting, so this plate had everything we love.

You can see with your own eyes how well the sauce clings to the noodles. Yes, this is fresh pasta. Soft and moist, with that signature chewiness, it soaked up the sauce in big gulps.

On top of that, the smokiness of the properly fire-grilled prawns seeps into it, which made it feel like an even more special sauce.

Is Teen Seoul's raspberry sorbet a must-order?

Do order Teen Seoul's raspberry sorbet. I planned to go to a café afterward and skip dessert, but it felt a shame to just leave, so I ordered the raspberry sorbet too. Ah... you have to eat this. What if I'd left without it?

It's not a crunchy, icy sherbet texture but a chewy, gelato-like one, and it's incredibly intense. It tastes like raspberries concentrated several times over, with a fresh tartness I can't even describe. Your mouth is refreshed the moment you eat it, such a happy dessert.

What occasions suit Teen Seoul?

Teen Seoul is a Seochon bistro with a romantic, sentimental mood, like a converted detached house, where you can also see the skills of a chef trained at Le Cordon Bleu.

With this charm and atmosphere, it's also a great Seochon date spot for a blind date or a wine get-together.