This tiny eatery is tucked into a remodeled hanok near Gyeongbokgung Palace. With high plaster ceilings, wooden beams and barely five tables inside, the establishment could almost pass as the foyer of a private residence. But don't let its size fool you –Tapas Gourmet packs a powerful punch in Spanish small plates.

Owner-chef Kim Moon-jung returned to Korea in 2013 after an 11-year stint in Barcelona that included the operation of Casa Gourmet, a restaurant specializing in Spanish cuisine. Her Seoul venture is an homage to both Casa and to the pleasure of good food, with each dish tailored to be enjoyed over drinks and good conversation. The unassumingly pretty tomato salad with marinated pork tenderloin, for example, is delightfully juicy and best savored slowly. The coca de esparragos is nearly buried under a generous helping of grated gruyere cheese – Ms. Kim is not stingy with her ingredients – and boasts spears large enough to be mistaken for cucumbers. Both dishes are the perfect accompaniment to the luscious house wine, which is a plummy Tempranillo.

If you'd prefer to wash down your tapas with a glass of Barcelona's Estrella Damm beer, try the huevo roto con chorizo, a ham and egg concoction heaped with a mountain of chives.

Tapas Gourmet

Address: 137-9 Tongin-dong, Jongno-guTake Exit 2 of Gyeongbokgung Station. Walk 8 minutes and turn left after MG Credit Union. Tapas Gourmet will be on the left.TEL: 02-6019-2369

Korea Tourism Organization

The article courtesy of Seoul magazine

Spanish