山村訓長但知覓

Everyone knows that if you're going to have ethnic food, you've got to go for the authentic stuff. There's no point in wasting your time with the Korean rendition of the Australian version of Vietnamese rice-paper dumplings, for instance. Because all of those intermediate steps just get between you and the culture that you are trying to experience.

So it goes without saying that what you want is authentic food.

While you're at it, the Sanchon Hunjang says that it never hurts to bump that "authentic" up a notch and eat traditional ethnic cuisine. Because it might be authentic but some weird kind of local dish dreamed up in the recent past. Not what those people have been eating since the dawn of time. And if you're going to experience a country with your tongue, what they've been eating since before there was a history gives you much better insights into the culture and the people.

But why stop at just traditional ethnic food? Especially when that ethnicity is Korean and you're in the cradle of Korean civilization. Of course 한정식 is a nice Korean meal and all. Heck, it's even traditional. But what you really need is that little shove that pushes it to the limit. The extra initiative that pushes the envelope until you can ask yourself, "Like, how much more traditional could this be?" and and you find yourself answering, "None more traditional."

That's what they have in 인사동 at the 한정식 specialty boutique 섬진강. An extra step beyond. Because they are the Korean traditional ADVANCED restaurant.


Indeed, I think I'm safe in saying that this is the most advanced restaurant in the whole country. I guess you're picking up the phone right now to call for reservations. Bon Appétit ^^