It’s been such a long time since I’ve updated my list of delicious finds, but I’m happy to announce that I’ve found a place that is quite possibly my favorite restaurant in Seoul.
I read about The Flying Pan White when I first arrived in Korea in a magazine and checked it out about five months ago. Since then, I’ve made it my go-to bruncherie and have introduced it to dozens of locals and foreigners who all gave high approvals.
I’ve brunched at unmemorable diners and at overpriced hotels in Seoul, and I think that FPW offers the freshest and most innovative and appealing mix of ingredients (e.g., ricotta cheese with pancakes, as opposed to flavored butter and compotes you’d find at Butterfingers, for example) that run about 15,00 won ($12) per dish. My favorite meal to split is always the fig tree or banana walnut pancakes and the farmer’s open omelette. I’ve spotted and tasted other colorful plates during my many visits, but I find this combination of carbs and protein most satisfying. If you find the pancakes too sweet or the omelettes too oily, you can opt for one of their fresh green salads too.
While FPW offers something delicious for almost everyone, it’s a very feminine place by design and flavor. Every once in a while, I’ll spot an awkward group of two or three men huddled in the corner, nursing a bottle of Corona and looking very out-of-place. The Flying Pan’s delicate white interior with strategically placed arrangements of fresh flowers is an estrogen fest by day, and a date destination by night when slow-burning candles replace ceramic vases. White-balance your DSLRs and bring your girlfriends.
The Flying Pan White
540-22 Sinsa-dong, Kangnam-gu
Seoul, South Korea (map)
Phone : 02-514-5585
(There are two more Flying Pan branches: a Flying Pan Blue in Itaewon and Dear Flying Pan elsewhere, but I’ve never been to them)