Gunsan Restaurant Review – Gaehwadang

(French cuisine in Jigok-dong

  Looking back through the blog, I cannot believe that it has been almost 2 years since I have done a restaurant review in Korea!  Well, time to break the slump and review a quaint, romantic restaurant I found in Gunsan!  The strange thing is I have never really had much experience with French Cuisine, outside of French Toast and French Fries ( I can just picture my good French Friends Florence and Dennis rolling their eyes!).  So I was not quite sure what to expect. 

  One of the dangers with trying new food in Korea, is that you are never sure just how authentic it is!  Gaehwadang was no exception!

  During my first visit, I ordered the mushroom salad to start, with a fresh baked almond baguette with olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.   As someone who bakes bread at home, the bread was awesome!  It had a moist crumb, and surprisingly a soft (not hardened with steam) crust that most Americans would associate with French bread.  I am hoping someone with more experience or a native of France can comment if a bread has to have a crunchy or hardened crust to be considered real Banquette.

  Ahh.. I got completely side tracked by the bread, back to the mushroom salad.   I cannot heap enough praise on this salad.  I love mushrooms, and this work of art did not disappoint.  The 2 types of mushrooms flavor complemented each other, and went very well with the romaine lettuce and parmesan cheese!  If you are a fan of edible fungus, I highly recommend this for your appetizer. 

  Also on my first visit, I ordered a French Lasagna, Yes..  I know. I did a double take as well, and thought Lasagna is Italian!  Okay, it Italian, but the French have introduced a key twist, while Italians use Parmesan cheese and Ricotta.   The French would use Comte or French Emmental.  Additionally, to season the pasta dish, herbs de Provence is used along with the traditional Italian herbs of oregano and basil.

  The lasagna was rich and hearty flavored, and had a nice smooth texture, the mean went perfectly with the house red wine.

  My dinner companion had the Beef Bourguignon, which joking I though just looked like a beef pot roast with potatoes, I did get to sample a few bites, and I must say it was delicious!

  We found out that there is a special beef en croute on the menu, but you must call ahead to reserve it.  I do apologize to my French friends once again, because I keep comparing the dishes to dishes from other countries and I must do so once again.  The dish to me looked like simply a beef wellington without the mushroom duxel.  Though in a sense it is, a filet mignon or beef tenderloin wrapped in puff pastry.

  Again, the dish was delicious, it was cooked a perfect medium rare, the filet was tender, perfectly seasoned and went really well with the puff pastry.  I just with the service size was larger.

  For desert we were offered a chocolate mouse, and a plate of blue berry cheese.  Both excellent.

Gaehwadang is a nicely furnished, quaint “hole in the wall” restaurant, perfectly styled for a nice romantic dinner for 2, or a quick bite to eat by yourself.  There is also a large semi private table in the rear that would be good for larger parties. The atmosphere is quiet, nicely decorated, and clean.  If there is anything to nitpick about, is that I wish the serving sizes were larger! 

  I highly recommend Gaehwadang.

Hours –
Lunch 1200 – 1500
Dinner 1730 – 2000

Phone Number 063-464-7057

Mappable Address-
566-7 Jigok-dong, Gunsan-si, Jeollabuk-do

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