Seomyeon Western restaurant date with chili-oil romaine salad: Pickles

What is Pickles in Jeonpo, Seomyeon like?

Pickles is a casual Western dining spot on the Jeonpo Café Street side of Seomyeon, near Jeonpo Saitgil and Jeonridan-gil. It was the trendiest, most exotic-feeling place I've been to lately, a genuinely great find, so I wanted to introduce it.

I'd gone to the Jeonpo Café Street area wanting proper Western food for the first time in a while, and found a place that won me over completely, from the exterior to the interior to the plating. It's perfect for a date or a relaxed hangout with close friends, so I'm sharing it, haha.

The place we visited is Pickles, right near Jeonpo Saitgil and Jeonridan-gil, so it's very easy to reach! They say it's a casual dining space that expresses the classic yet natural American culture felt on a trip to New York through its space, music and food. The mood was great from the start...

The basic table setting looks like this, and the table also has sauces you can sprinkle on your food.

Is the inside of Pickles good for a date?

Inside, Pickles has soft, warm lighting and stylish interiors, and the tables are spaced just right, so it's easy to chat over a meal. There are also high table seats near the entrance.

Stepping inside, the soft, warm lighting and stylish interior stood out!! In the daytime the light comes in gently, giving a real New York brunch spot vibe, and in the evening it gets romantic, so I thought it couldn't be a better Seomyeon date spot.

The tables are well spaced and bright, perfect for relaxed conversation over a meal. Plus there are those high table seats by the entrance, which gave a really different, foreign feel!

Pickles self zone

The self zone has pickles and water. Help yourself to as much as you need while you eat.

What's in Pickles' Set2, and how much is it?

At Pickles we chose the Set2 with romaine salad, puttanesca pasta and chicken thigh steak, with orange juice and Coke Zero as drinks. Three dishes plus drinks for 39,0 wasn't bad at all, not expensive.

Sitting down with the stylish yellow menu, I found the signature lasagna and a wide range of pizzas, so choosing was half the fun. We went with the popular romaine salad to whet the appetite, the puttanesca pasta whose name alone made us curious, and the chicken steak, said to recreate the chicken that moved them on a trip to Harlem in the US. (Set2)

We ordered orange juice and Coke Zero as drinks. Three dishes plus drinks for 39,0 wasn't bad at all, not expensive.

Thoughtfully, the glasses for pouring the drinks were full of ice, so they were nice and cold, and the staff were so kind that it put me in a good mood!

How is the romaine salad at Pickles? Ranch sauce with a drop of chili oil

The romaine salad at Pickles is crunchy romaine topped with ranch sauce and bacon chips, with a little chili oil on the side. The sauce tastes similar to sesame dressing, so I scraped the plate clean.

The first thing I tried, the romaine salad, was full of surprises. Generous, nutty, smooth ranch sauce sat on fresh, crunchy romaine, and with salty bacon chips added, the texture was super rich!

The sauce tasted a bit like sesame dressing, which is totally my style T_T I scraped it to the bottom. Best of all, a tiny bit of spicy chili oil comes with it, so it's not greasy at all and finishes clean, a very charming dish. It's light enough for brunch and great to nibble on between bites of the meal.

Is the chicken thigh steak at Pickles a must-order?

The chicken thigh steak at Pickles is smoky grilled thigh meat with a faint curry flavor, served with coleslaw, sauce and a side potato. The writer calls it a must-order, great value.

Next is the main dish, the chicken steak! If you go to Pickles, you absolutely have to order this, the best-value recommendation, haha. The tender thigh meat is grilled very smoky and golden, and it melts in your mouth with an unearthly softness...

The meat has a subtle curry flavor that really lifts it. Fresh, crunchy coleslaw and a distinctive sauce come together with the thigh meat in a perfect three-way harmony, the best dish, wow.

The side potato served with it was crumbly and fluffy, a work of art, and I caught myself looking for a bowl of rice... the meat is a real rice thief (that good, highly recommended).

What does the puttanesca pasta at Pickles taste like?

The puttanesca at Pickles is an oil-based pasta topped with anchovy, olives, cherry tomatoes, celery and crushed pistachios. Salty and deeply savory, it felt like a high-end aglio e olio.

Last, I tried the puttanesca pasta I'd been looking forward to. It's an oil-based pasta generously topped with anchovy, olives, cherry tomatoes, celery and nutty crushed pistachios!

One bite and a familiar yet exotic flavor filled my mouth. Slightly salty with an explosion of savory depth, it felt like eating a very high-end aglio e olio.

The crunch of celery and the nuttiness of pistachio pop with every bite, so addictive I couldn't put down my fork. Western food that isn't harsh!

Is Pickles a good Western restaurant for a Seomyeon date?

I was satisfied with everything: the cozy space, the hip mood, and unique, well-made New York-style dishes that are hard to find elsewhere! If you're looking for a foolproof, romantic Seomyeon date spot, I highly recommend Pickles, great for atmosphere and for pasta.