Italiaje

Turn off from Gyeongbokgung Station toward Samcheong-dong and down a narrow alley, and you'll find a single hanok sitting quietly — that's Italiaje. The antipasto platter is a great way to sample a range of small plates: scallops grilled in the shell come soaked through with herb butter, and the gnocchi, browned to a crisp exterior with a chewy center, is hard to stop eating once dipped in the cream sauce.

For the main, the sea urchin spaghetti built on an olive oil base had a wonderful savory depth. The seafood tomato pasta arrives with a whole octopus leg on top, and the tomato sauce is rich yet clean. The white fish pasta was also not the least bit heavy, and I personally enjoyed it a lot.