Style: Spanish
Location: Hongdae, Seoul
Price: approx. w120,000 for two incl. wine
Hours: 5pm-11pm or 12am everyday, depending on business
Contact: 02 741 5841

With Latin fever in the air all over Korea this summer The One One Four will be offering up some of our favorite Spanish restos in Seoul over the next week. Spanish food has always been out shined by France and Italy in the mediterranean but is not finally getting some of the attention it deserves, although usually under the pseudonym “tapas.” With its sweet and smoky paprikas, its succulent olives and world famous hams Spanish has a depth and mystic that old staples in the region have lost. Peppered with Arab influences from south and blessed with one of the best growing environments on the planet Spanish food is finding its place in the mind space of diners around the world and Korea is no exception.


The first in our four part series is Hongdae’s Albaizyn. The Hongdae location is one of two locations in Seoul, the original is in nearby Dae Hak Ro and has the same menu but is a little smaller. The head chef of both locations spent time in Granada, Spain learning the art of cocina Española from a 65 year old woman famous in the region as a chef and teacher. He is also a painter, (he did the murals in the Hongdae location), photographer and novelist. The manager also spent time in Spain after studying fashion in Paris, and he still designs in his free time.

Al Baizyn, named after a district of Granada, has been in Hongdae since 2007 and has been a local favorite of Yongsei professors and Hongdae hipsters alike. The menu has shrunk over the years, much to our chagrin, but it has reduced those curse-inducing incidents of apologetic head shaking when something is “not available.” One thing you can always count on though is fresh ingredients and authentic preparation. The bread is also a highlight and is great dipped in the garlicy jus in the pil-pil or wrapped in ham. The Paella is solid but a little light on the saffron. Most of the spices in the kitchen are imported directly from Spain and generally they aren’t stingy with them.

The staples, of course remain, like Paella and Pil-Pil (Basque country classic made with a whole head of garlic in one dish, I’m not kidding you) but the jambon imberico has been replaced with serrano ham (which tastes surprisingly like Costco procuitto). The wine list is small but there are a lot of good wines at very reasonable prices. The Protocolo Tinto 2006, a Tempranillo from central Spain, is a great choice at on w39000 and pairs well with the tapas.

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