Recommended on the Internet for a good breakfast and their famous Eggs Benedict, I put Suji's on the list until I bumped into it by coincidence. Accompanied by a friend, we decided to give it a try. All day breakfast and a deli, the place is inspiring.
The Itaewon location: Not the best of first impressions. Tight, dirty stairs, no signboard but wait until you've opened the restaurant's glass door. Music from the Sixties, positive vibes, beautiful colors and a display of cakes and drinks.
The restaurant is located on the first floor of a building overlooking a main road in Seoul. A wooden floor, American music, colored plates and funky placemats, a long bar facing the windows and an open kitchen. Food was served after 5pm, I waited ten minutes for the eggs and ordered a cinnamon chocolate roll in the meantime.
That roll was good. Lightly heated, it has a warm fluffy heart and topped with chocolate sauce and chocolate chips. Everyone's welcoming around this city, but the language is a big issue. It is hard to communicate! Here the menu is clearly written in English which makes things easier.
We might be coming back for the eggs, but unfortunately it didn't work today. The kitchen was opening in thirty minutes (5:30pm) but I had to move. Why write "all day breakfast" on the menu of those eggs are served after 10:30am and after 5:30pm?
The next morning I visited the Coex branch for the Eggs Benedict and again, wrong info on the menu, what's called "all day" starts at 10:30 so we ended up having their selection of breakfast items and not the eggs. Shouldn't anyone ask if we need a coffee? Or probably serve it to everyone as a welcome drink?
Soup of the day, rice burger, mini croissant, egg salad sandwich, grilled cheese sandwich, croissant sandwich. So we ordered one of each.
The place looks nice. It's a blend between an American diner and a classy French cafe using fresh materials, light wood, colorful placemats and an open kitchen. Colorful plates, Tabasco and Heinz, menu explained in English and the New York map drawn on one of the walls. They claim to be famous for the best sandwich in town.
- Bacon and cream soup. Even though it tastes good, it's bizarre to start your day with it. Creamy and more of a lunch item served with toast on the side.
- Molten cheese sandwich. Nothing bitter or sophisticated, but a simple mix of different cheeses in a tender square bread. That's good!
- Two mini croissants... The presentation is interesting, two mini croissants with a bunch of colors, balsamic vinegar, pesto, cherry tomatoes and slices of cheese. Too much garlic for a morning treat, but the taste is good.
- Egg sandwich with slices of bacon. The idea of putting boiled eggs in the mix is interesting considering many fry them. Mayonnaise for the juiciness but why the onions! Eggs and onions don't match.
- The rice burger is a must try! Minced meat inside two layers of rice. Very good, a cocktail of flavors in something that looks and tastes great.
- Croissant sandwich with chicken, crunchy lettuce and juicy tomatoes. That's yum!
Beautiful ideas, fresh ingredients, a reasonable price, for a great start to the day. This is where you want to have breakfast in Seoul.
