Published: January 31, 2008

SEOUL - I went searching for a taste of Japan in Seoul and found

it - at Tokyo prices.

With more than a decade in Japan under my belt, I start to salivate

at the thought of Japanese beer after a few months without it in

Seoul.

That's why I decided to head for the Asahi Orien Beer

Restaurant near Yongsan Garrison on a recent Friday night. Asahi is

my favorite Japanese beer, and I've actually toured the Orion - which

is the correct spelling, by the way - beer factory in Okinawa.

My hopes, high when I walked in the door, were dampened more

than a bit when I checked out the menu.

I'm used to paying about $3 for a draft Korean beer, so the $7.50

glass of Asahi Super Dry nearly stopped me in my tracks.

And while the food featured in the menu sure looked tasty, I'll never

know. I wasn't going to pay $14 for nachos, $15 for seafood soup or

$24 for a measly

helping of fresh fruit.

Because I wasn't eating, I had more time to compile this list from

the menu:

Strangest item: Gastropods season (hot). What? Tease me with

delightful details, don't make me think I'm reading - or eating - a

biology book.

Second strangest item: Shrimp potato. The photo actually looked like

some blob of a potato with a shrimp tail sticking out the back and a

lovely line of mayonnaise scribbled across the top. Ummm … no thanks.

Item I'll never order: Roast pork kimchi with bean curd. Because I

respect my stomach. And the word "curd" bothers me.

After my first overpriced beer, I decided to go for the nearly

$9 beer sampler: offering a taste of Asahi Super Dry, Cafri, Red Rock

and Cass.

The waitress made it a point to explain how tiny each sample

was, leading me to believe it's been a point of complaint in the

past.

I actually enjoyed it. It's not hard to deceive a beer drinker, and

the four glasses did the trick. I felt like I had come out on top.

And I'll keep telling myself that!

To see previous

After Hours reviews, go to:

stripes.com/afterhours

Asahi Orien Beer Restaurant,

Seoul

Hours: Varies based on location

Prices: Pricey. Draft Asahi Super Dry runs about $7.50 a

glass; cocktails run about $6.50; and forget about the $240 special

that gets you a half-liter of Ballantines whiskey, three bottles of

beer and a food sampler plate.

Specialties: Food menu tied in to your favorite beer; all

expensive. Eat before you arrive.

English menu: English, Korean and Japanese available.

Dress: As casual as you want.

Clientele: A few people on dates, and a bunch of guys who

looked like they just finished work.

Location: Exit Yongsan Garrison's Gate 1 and cross the

street to the side with Camp Kim. Turn right, walk past Camp Kim like

you're headed to Seoul Station. Just past the first major

intersection, located between the Baskin-Robbins and Kentucky Fried

Chicken, you'll see the basement restaurant.