When I left the hotel for lunch this morning, I was experiencing an unexpectedly uneasy feeling. While looking forward to my return trip to Mingles after 5 long years, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty of not bringing my family along. Guilty pleasure? I tried but was unable to find a date on our itinerary where they could accommodate the four of us. So, there I was as a solo diner.
Mingles relocated to the other side of trendy Apgujeong-dong in 2019, one year after my previous visit. This area near Apgujeong Rodeo Street is slowly starting to get a little crowded with fine-dining restaurants like Jungsik, Kwon Sook Soo, and L'Amitié (we're paying them a visit in 2 days) all sharing the same postal code.
Like most Michelin starred restaurants in Seoul, Mingles only serve one tasting menu with virtually no option these days (except for dessert). Normally, I love choices when it comes to fine-dining but not today when my fate is in the capable hands of Chef Kang Min-goo and his talented team.
Seasonal bites – I started the meal off with a seasonal Korean clam served on ice. The sweet clam had been marinated in gochujang (Korean chili paste) which had it bursting with exciting flavors. The extra kick was toned down a bit by the saltiness of caviar on top.
The delicious clam was immediately followed by a further amuse bouche consisting of two small nibbles. The first one, a fried hairtail fish and gamtae roll with the green seaweed providing some nice, crispy texture to the fish.
More complex was the Hanwoo beef and smoked eel tart, with Hanwoo beef tartare and purple onion both hidden underneath the slices of smoky eel. There was an interesting mix of flavors and textures in this amuse, highlighted by the mild acidity of the pickled purple onion and smokiness of the sliced eel. A real treat to the palate.
Spring – A medley of spring vegetables including sun dried tomato, heirloom tomato, (porcini?) mushroom and acorn jelly was my first starter this afternoon. The vegetables were piled up like a snowball with the surprisingly intense pine nut sauce delivering an earthy finishing touch.
Mingling Pot – Next up was a delicious clam and chicken broth with morel mushroom and cabbage ssam, beef tendon, steamed abalone and sea cucumber. The broth came with a bit of heat from ginger but thankfully, it was not powerful enough to overshadow the umami-rich flavors of the seafood and vegetables.
A heartwarming dish highlighted by the super-tender abalone and crunchy sea cucumber. And of course, there was the cabbage ssam stuffed with meat. Very nice for a cold, rainy day like this.
Jeju Fish – The seared tile fish from Jeju Island was matched with a special dried fish porridge made with sushi rice.
The crispy black rice and sesame played the role of the fish skin perfectly, adding texture and flavor to the mix.
Black chicken – There was only one thing standing between me and my Hanwoo beef, a minimalist black chicken skewer.
The black chicken blended with mushroom purée in the middle, was finished off nicely with a black vinegar glaze. The strawberry that came with a ginger and honey glaze, served well as a palate cleanser.
A cleanser in the form of a fruity kombucha was served up following the black chicken dish. Extra flavors from parsley and clove oil helped to get my palate ready for the next dish.
Hanwoo – My 1++ Korean beef at last! There were two servings of this, some tiny cubes of ribeye cap (right) and two thick (but small) pieces of tenderloin (left). Both were barbecued to perfection. The prized beef was paired with a homemade soy sauce, Jerusalem artichoke chips and sticky rice.
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Some pickled turnip as well.
Perhaps I was a little too hyped up for this dish, so expectation was high but well, I thought the beef was good but nowhere near great. The ribeye cap had better marbling but I liked the meatiness of the tenderloin more. It's more of a personal preference I think.
Sweet Bibimbap – I had a feeling that they would blow me away with their sweet treats like they did last time and looks like my sixth sense was right on the money again. The first dessert was rice ice-cream and pudding decorated beautifully with seasonal greens and sesame oil.
I was supposed to add a few drops of soy on top of the rice pudding. This was a clever play of sweet and savory. Very nicely played, with the contrasting texture and flavors.
Jang Trio – I had a choice between the seasonal creation and their signature dessert "Jang Trio", and I could make this call in a heartbeat.
The name "Jang Trio" was obviously referring to the trio of jangs (sauce in Korean). Doenjang creme brulee, Ganjang pecan and Gochujang puff all came with different textures and slightly varying crunch. I didn't realize how much I missed this dessert until I finished my first bite.
Korean sweets – Last but not least, the petite fours. My server came over with a big container full of goodies. I was hoping I could keep them all but I guess it's going to be just one piece each.
The Omija pepper macaron was pretty interesting. The Omija, or magnolia berry which was commonly used in traditional Korean tea meshed well with the fillings of white chocolate, pepper and sweet-sour Omija jam. I thought the crispy and buttery peanut sable, crispy had an interesting sweet-savory taste to it that went perfectly well with the tea I ordered.
Yes, I was offered a pot of Korean tea to go with my Korean sweets. Guess what flavor of tea I picked?
Freshly brewed Korean green tea. Smelt so good and I could relax and enjoy this without little nugget yelling behind my back. That was priceless!~
Food Rating: 8/10
Price: ₩₩₩₩
Address: 2/F, 19 Dosan-daero 67-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Closest Metro Station: Apgujeong Rodeo
Tel: +82 02 515-7306
Website: www.restaurant-mingles.com
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 10:00pm (Tue - Sun)
S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants: 71st (2022)
S. Pellegrino Asia's 50 Best Restaurants: 28nd (2023)
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