I was rather early for GiwaKang cos I was done with prior appointment earlier and had nowhere to go. So I was just loitering downstairs along the streets before I decided to finally go up. The place wasn’t big. You walked through the kitchen and was then led to the dining space, and for me, right at the end in a private space hidden from view

It’s a very homely kind of space

The table had quite a set up. Makes it feel like they want to set the mood for your meal

Caviar Jeotgal & Dongchimi

We started with the first course soon enough and they brought out the star of the show – caviar

They call it caviar with kimchi

The one-bites were good. The tart was made so thin it would have crumble with a little more force. I liked how they emphasize the flavour of the caviar yet you could also enjoy the other components as well. The second one-bite with prawn was decent though I found the leaf abit too raw. The last white kimchi cold soup left an impression. You could taste the sourness of the kimchi with a touch of spiciness. Served ice cold, it was a rather refreshing starter emphasizing on the flavour of the kimchi itself

Soy Marinated Crab & Black Truffle

I was shocked when they brought out the entire crab. But they told me this was just for photos. They would serve in smaller portion for me after bringing this back to the kitchen. They also said this was their signature dish, and had never been taken off the menu

I have to say this was really delicious. The addition of the shallots made a lot difference. And when you mixed it together with seaweed crisp and black truffle, the flavours danced around on your palate, bringing a rich yet umami taste

Seasonal Fish – Sawara

Fish was cooked well. It didn’t have the fishiness of sawara but it was fresh and sweet, which was rather different from the usual Sawara I have. The Korean wasabi was quite flavourful and it did give a kick when you mixed into the broth. The kale leaf felt a little extra but I get they needed some crunch and freshness to wrap the entire dish together. But personally, the fish on its own with the broth was good enough

Palate Cleanser

I had a champagne on the house, which went really nicely with the palate cleanser

Chicken Terrine

It’s not bad. Honestly, I thought the whole dish was delicious. But I would have preferred something else like abalone or something. lol. I thought it was a rather Interesting choice to serve chicken terrine as part of the meal

Giwakang Korean Hanwoo Beef

This felt like a full course as they brought out more things on the table. The sirloin was good enough and the sides were a nice touch. Asparagus soup was rather decent too but at this point I felt that the beef course at Alla Prima was better. I’m not sure if it’s cos there were too many things being served such that it took away what was supposed to be the highlight – the beef, or it was the cut or the flavour of the beef that failed to make a lasting impression

Mugwort

Desserts here were definitely better. I’m not sure how mugwort tastes like exactly but this was simply a very nice dessert to me. It had a good balance of sweetness and texture, that made you want more of it

Petite 4

Ending with some sweets to end the meal

Honestly, service was great here. They didn’t have the wines I wanted, but they gone above and beyond that to make sure I have enough drinks. It didn’t feel like there was a lot of courses, but it sure will leave you feeling full. Personally, I thought food here was good enough but not enough for me to go back again. Still, I had an enjoyable experience though I definitely was looking forward to the last lunch reservation I have for Seoul!

GiwaKang

South Korea, Seoul, Gangnam District, Nonhyeon-ro 152-gil, 9 4층