1st anniversary course dinner in Bangbae-dong, Seoul: Bistro Chai Plus

Our first wedding anniversary has already arrived! 🎉 Since it's such a special day, I wanted somewhere cozy and atmospheric to celebrate with my husband, and after some thought, here's where we landed.

It's [Bistro Chai Plus], well known as a favorite spot near Naebang Station! Every single seat here is a private dining room, which made it perfect for a quiet, special meal just for the two of us 👍🏻

Parking and corkage at Bistro Chai Plus near Naebang Station

Bistro Chai Plus is on the 2nd floor at 51 Seochodae-ro 27-gil, Seocho-gu — really close to the subway station, so it's super accessible by public transit! If you're driving, there's plenty of parking in the building's dedicated lot, so no need to stress about that 🚗

And here's a corkage tip for anyone visiting! The standard corkage fee is ₩40,000 per bottle, but if you buy a bottle from the wine shop on the 1st floor and bring it up, it's only ₩10,000 per bottle! 🍷

Just tell the wine shop staff "I'm heading up to the 2nd floor restaurant~" and they'll kindly recommend a wine that pairs perfectly with your chosen course — definitely worth buying downstairs first.

All private rooms: what the Bistro Chai Plus interior looks like

The moment we stepped into Bistro Chai Plus, the clean, modern interior caught my eye. It's a space that feels luxurious and sophisticated at the same time. And the best part — every single space is a private room!

The owner joked, "Everyone's been here except the President~" and I instantly understood why it's so beloved for important gatherings 😊 Every menu here feels polished, making it truly ideal for a private meeting-the-parents dinner, a business meeting, or — like us — an anniversary date.

What's in the Bistro Chai Plus dinner course?

We went with the full dinner course! Each dish that came out was impressively complete, so let me walk you through them in order.

1. Two amuse-bouches

The opening amuse-bouche! On top of savory, crisply toasted bread sat omija (schisandra berry) cream on one, and sea urchin mousse with caviar on the other, beautifully plated.

Even at finger-food size, the flavor filled my whole mouth so richly that I was already looking forward to the next course! 😋

2. Seasonal soup: cauliflower soup

The seasonal soup made with in-season ingredients was cauliflower soup. It was savory and light as a given, but the texture of the cauliflower pieces you bite into here and there was really appealing. Course starters are usually small in portion, but here they gave us so much that I thought, 'If I finish this, I'll already be full!' 😂

3. Ricotta salad

A ricotta salad that could easily be ordinary was made fresh with a cinnamon dressing! The crunchy nuts along with the faint hint of cinnamon elevated the crisp vegetables to something more refined. Even a simple salad here doesn't come out plain! 🥗

4. Asparagus with seared scallop

This dish was too well made to just call it an appetizer. The combination of crunchy asparagus and moist, tender scallop was pure art! The doneness was absolutely perfect 👌

5. Casarecce ragu pasta

Instead of the usual long spaghetti noodle, the ragu pasta came with chewy casarecce noodles! The meat used here is apparently No. 9 grade Korean beef only.

With the sauce and pasta clinging together perfectly, plus the just-right seared tomato, one big bite made me smile without even trying... ❤️

6. Hyangchae-dak (crispy chicken with tangy sauce)

Freshly fried, piping-hot chicken with a sweet and tangy sauce, topped with crunchy melon and cucumber as garnish — this is the hyangchae-dak, done yurinji-style!

This refreshing, crunchy combination was better than expected. By this point I was really full... but the main course was still to come! 🤤

7. Lamb chops and pan-seared sablefish

The lamb chops were the main, seared with Isigny butter melted onto a hot stone plate. Cooking with premium butter instead of regular oil gave it an outstanding richness, and it paired beautifully with the minari (water dropwort) garnish.

I worried the strong butter aroma might feel heavy, but because they use such carefully selected butter, all that remained was an elegant savoriness 🥩

We swapped one of the course mains for pan-seared sablefish and shared it. I worried it might be dry, but the moment the knife touched it, it fell apart with incredible tenderness!

Paired with the green pea sauce that came alongside, it was thoroughly satisfying.

8. Dessert: patbingsu (red bean shaved ice)

The meal wrapped up with cool patbingsu (red bean shaved ice)! 🍨 Sweet red beans generously piled onto cold, sweet milk ice gave a clean, satisfying finish.

Is Bistro Chai Plus in Bangbae-dong worth it? Final verdict

Overall, the pacing and timing of each course was so perfect that I almost wondered, 'Is someone watching us eat from somewhere?' — that's how much attention to detail there was.

Even for a private course meal, the portions were so generous and satisfying that it actually felt like great value for money. But above all, what I loved most was that 💡every space is a private room💡.

If you're looking for a favorite spot near Naebang Station or around Bangbae-dong for an anniversary date, meeting the parents, or a family gathering — somewhere private with a great atmosphere for course dining — I confidently recommend Bistro Chai Plus! 👍

A letter to my husband on our first anniversary

And today, as we finished this delicious meal, here's what I really wanted to tell my husband! 💕 Thanks for putting up with me for a whole year~ (?) 🥰 To my husband who's always been warmly by my side and loves me tenderly every single day, I'm endlessly grateful. I'll do even better in the days ahead! Happy first anniversary, and I love you so much! 💖