I.O.U Restaurant, Seoul, South Korea

Service : 10/10

Ambience : 9/10 (You would probably think twice before going in because it is very quiet from the outside. This could be because it is winter and no one sits outside). They have a very nice outdoor area, which would have been perfect during spring, summer, and autumn. Getting there, though, is another story, rather, like a challenge climbing up the elevations!

Food : Chef’s Course –
Amuse – Bouche – octopus with a grape cut in slices, burrata cheese. It was perfect in size, taste, and display. 10/10

Fried Scallop Crab, Raspberry & Fennel Dressing, Green Salad – I like the raspberries in the dressing but not so much the Fennel dressing itself. The crab and scallops were wrapped in a perfectly crunchy fried “skin”. The taste though may not be for everyone. I had mixed feelings on my tongue. It was not bad, but it was not something I enjoyed among the course. 7/10

Gamba, Butter Oil Sauce, Rucola, Red Tomato Pasta – this came as a surprise to me. It was really good, although I wished the prawn would be more tender. Nevertheless, this pasta made me want to try their pasta selection! 9.5/10

Snapper Papillote, Ratatouille, Tomato Coulis – I am not a fish person. I must say though, the snapper did not taste too ‘fish-y’ and with the onions and seasoning, it was edible to me. This rating is probably biased as I am not a fish person. 6.5/10

Tenderloin, Grilled Vegetables, Mushroom Sauce (additional KRW10,000) – as I always do, I ordered my tenderloin medium done. It came slightly more well than the medium I was hoping for. I noticed though that I quite frequently had been getting more well than medium done steak in 2023, climate change in the kitchen? As such, the tenderloin was less juicy than I hoped it would be. The mushroom sauce was good. Overall 8.5/10

Tiramisu & Ice Cream – the tiramisu was perfect! The vanilla ice cream was good too. 10/10

I went back for a second night and had their ala carte menu. I ordered –
Beef Carpaccio – portion wise, would be perfect for 2 pax. Taste wise, with the cheese and cherry tomatoes, I thought it was good. I prefer not squeezing the lemon. 9.5/10

Seafood saffron risotto – the texture of the risotto is al dante, which is not common in Asia, as risottos are either too soft and soupy that your throat gets queasy fast or too hard that it makes you wonder if you had ordered “rice” instead. Yes, risotto is rice too, but you know what I mean. The seafood juice blended well with the risotto without leaving that “extra seafood taste” that every bite taken with different seafood would taste differently. The saffron was really just a hint and that is not so bad because too much saffron can be too overwhelming for you to taste anything else. It also came with a king prawn, which tasted rather fresh. 9.5/10