Seocho lunch course with lamb chops and sablefish: Bistro Chai Plus

I tried a Naebang Station course meal at this Western dining spot in Bangbae-dong, which is great for special occasions, with a nice atmosphere and solid food quality.

Bistro Chai Plus lunch set

This is the lunch set at Bistro Chai Plus.

Everything arrived so neatly plated, and the visuals were good! Even the entrance looked stylish.

Parking and the wine shop

There is free on-site parking for up to 16 cars. Large SUVs and electric vehicles can park along the wall beside the first-floor store, and valet help is available if parking is difficult. They also operate a wine shop on the first floor. At the Winery Tenuta wine shop downstairs, you can choose wines from various countries at reasonable prices.

You can enjoy a wine you choose yourself with your meal. The second-floor restaurant also offers wine and baekju (Korean white liquor), so there are choices for different tastes. Corkage for wine from the shop is ₩10,000 per bottle, while outside alcohol corkage is ₩40,000 per bottle.

Inside, the modern mood made for a warm first impression. It was quiet and private overall, so I was full of anticipation before even going in. If you like wine, it is fun to browse before the meal, then buy a bottle you like to enjoy together.

There is a meal voucher giveaway event.

Lunch 1 and 2, chosen on the tablet

Each table has tablet ordering, so you can order course and à la carte items. There are two lunch courses and three dinner courses, and I went with the lunch sets.

• Lunch 1 lamb chop set: ₩58,000
• Lunch 2 grilled sablefish: ₩48,000
• Total: ₩106,000

The private-room setup made it easy to talk without worrying about the people around us.

Salad and seasonal potato soup

A ricotta salad came out first. It was made with lettuce, apple, nuts, and ricotta cheese. It tasted good, and we cleared the plate in no time.

There was seasonal soup, too. It was a smooth seasonal potato soup that went down softly.

As a place known for doing food well in Seocho-gu, the seasoning was spot-on and the carefully selected ingredients made the dishes feel different.

They laid down three little bundles of rolled onion, then topped them with black sesame gangjeong (crisp glazed bites). The toppings over the black sesame gangjeong were vegetables. The gangjeong itself was quite good, too.

The food was distinctive and delicious—definitely a thumbs-up. As a Naebang Station course meal, it came out one course at a time.

Nutty perilla oil buckwheat makguksu

The perilla oil buckwheat makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles) was delicious too, with nutty flavor beyond the limit. This is the kind of place that serves only tasty food for a blind date around Seorae Village.

I twirled it around my fork and ate it. Since this is a place that does food well in Seocho-gu, Seoul, you will be satisfied with the noodles if you go. So much nutty flavor!

Sablefish grilled with three kinds of doenjang

The grilled sablefish had such an elegant appearance. It was a wonderful menu item with its garnish; although it is fish, it felt thoroughly luxurious. The texture was good, too.

The grilled sablefish, with peas, tomato, and scallion toppings, was full of tenderness. The sablefish was marinated in three kinds of doenjang (fermented soybean paste) before grilling, so a deep savory flavor had soaked in, while capers, peas, and cherry tomatoes came together nicely.

Wow... it was the kind of flavor that makes you eat while feeling moved. The texture was impressive too, so we had such a pleasant meal by Naebang Station in Bangbae-dong.

Bistro Chai Plus includes garnishes, which somehow doubles the pleasure of eating. The flavors are easy for anyone to enjoy. It would be fine for a family meeting, business entertaining, or a birthday—the menu is a thumbs-up.

Lamb chops with minari

The lamb chop dish came out too. Lamb is in demand these days, especially with younger diners in their twenties and up, and served like this it is even more enjoyable. The steak-like flavor was tastier than expected.

The sizzling lamb chops came with minari (water dropwort), zucchini, and king oyster mushrooms. It was a delicious steak dish. It feels luxurious enough for a family meeting, and I recommend it for a date too because it is so good.

There was hardly any lamb smell. It had great flavor and a proper meaty aroma, with a melt-in-your-mouth taste.

The meat on the bone was great to pick up and nibble away at properly. It was deeply infused with butter's nutty flavor, and there were sweet aloe gel and wasabi too. It arrived at a good temperature, so we happily chatted and nibbled away around Naebang Station, Bangbae-dong, and Seorae Village.

This is a great restaurant for occasions when you want the time to feel special and happy.

As a date spot for a family meeting, the main dish is cut into bite-sized pieces. The food is neat and luxurious, making for a meal with unusual, richly layered flavors instead of the things you always eat.

Mini patbingsu to finish

There was dessert too. It came with patbingsu (shaved ice with sweet red beans), one slice of peach, round frozen ice, red beans, and mini injeolmi (chewy rice cake). After the Western-style steak and lamb chops, it finished the palate cleanly.

The mini patbingsu was not too sweet, just right. Bistro Chai Plus is a contemporary crossover kitchen with modern finesse and variety near Naebang Station in Bangbae-dong. It is great for dates and anniversary meals, as well as family meetings or gatherings around Seorae Village. The lamb chop steak was tasty, and I recommend it for its elegant-looking, delicious food.