Le Vert: Burgers, Sandwiches, Salads, Pizza in Haebangchon/Itaewon

Le Vert is a quaint, open-air restaurant with a vaguely French feel to it. The menu has burgers, sandwiches, beers, etc. It is on Haebangchon-gil (up the street from Itaewon; see bottom of post for directions), nestled among other Haebangchon foreigner bastions such as Phillies, Indigo, and Pita Time.

I got a burger, and Meg got a turkey sandwich.

First, the burger: The burger prices aren't too bad for Korea: there's a standard cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, and onion for 8,000 won (includes fries). You can get the same burger and fries with a load more toppings on the burger (including a fried egg and bacon) for 10,000 won. I chose the deluxe version. One of the draws is that the burger comes on a ciabatta-like bun. The main downfall is that the patty is on the small side, and very well-done. It's a little lump buried amongst a sea of toppings. The moisture in the burger did not come from the juice dripping off the meat as it does in a primo burger, but only from the array of toppings and sauces that surround the meat. However, the fries were large , the portion of fries was generous, and they came with a delicious garlic mayonnaise. On the whole, a B+ burger and fries.

Now, the turkey sandwich. Here, there was some real disappointment. When you visit a place like Le Vert that has several classic American sandwiches on its menu (all in the 10,000 to 12,000 won range), you expect a turkey sandwich to have a large stack of sliced up deli meat (see Suji's and the All-American Diner down the street from Le Vert). This sandwich literally had at most two slices of turkey. It was on ciabatta bread, which was nice, but on the whole, a rather anemic turkey sandwich.

I would say that Le Vert is a place to hang if you're more interested in a cafe-type atmosphere than in actual food. As far as the Itaewon/Haebangchon area is concerned, there are many better places nearby. Keep in mind, though, you'll have a decent meal if you go to Le Vert, but compared to the surrounding establishments, it's unfortunately a B+ restaurant.

Directions:Go out Noksapyeong Station Exit 2 and walk straight down the street. When you get to a large collection of kimchi pots, veer onto the street where the pots are and walk up. (Use the interactive google map below.) You'll pass Pita Time, and La Vert will be across the street from the bar Phillies.

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La Bocca, Italian Sandwiches in Itaewon

My stomach loves me today because we went to La Bocca for lunch. We ordered the Veneto Panini and Insalata di Patate. The panini was filled with pork tenderloin, spinach, provolone cheese and grilled mushrooms. What made this sandwich so delicious was the bread. It tasted like authentic Italian bread, really chewy and thick, and drenched in olive oil on the interior of the sandwich.
A literal translation for the name of the salad I ordered would be simply "potato salad." For me, the thought of potato salad conjures up images of potatoes swimming in a pool of mayonnaise. This was definitely not like that. This salad was made with baby potatoes, arugula, thyme, and home-made beef bresaola in gorgonzola dressing, drizzled with olive oil and lemon. Being a hater of bottled dressings, this dressing made from real gorgonzola was really to die for. And it's amazing to realize how much one can miss bread made with olive oil. It's the best bread I've had since being in Korea. Beef bresaola is aged salted air-dried beef. Basically fancy jerky.
La Bocca also has pastas and meat on the menu as well as an extensive wine list and a very enticing dessert counter full of Italian delicacies you'll find it difficult to say no to. The cheapest sandwich on the menu is the chicken Caesar for 11,000 won. The sandwiches are high-quality but expensive.

Directions: Leave Itaewon station exit 2 and walk for about 5 minutes. It's on your left on the main road.

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Burger B, Hongdae

Burger B is recommended 100%. They make good, solid burgers. Moreover, they cook their burgers to order (medium, well-done, etc.) They bun is toasted well; there is lettuce tomato, and onions. Overall, a fine burger. In my opinion, one of the best in Seoul. See picture:

The interior of Burger B is homey. The staff is pleasant and agreeable. There are also quesadillas on the menu, and perhaps a few other things besides burgers. (Unfortunately, I don't remember the full menu, since I only had eyes for their burger.)

Directions:
Go out Hongik University Station Exit 5 and walk straight for a short ways. Turn to the left at the first intersection (not the intersection with a KFC that you'll be at immediately after leaving the subway, though). After you've turned, walk straight for a while until you hit Hongik University itself (it will be right after passing a Lotteria). Then turn right and walk for a while. Burger B will be on this street, on the right side. Use the map below to help you (you can zoom in and out, and move the map selection):

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Cafe 1812, Sandwich "Art Cafe" in Hyehwa

(Directions at bottom of post.)

1812 is a so-called "art cafe." This means that when you walk inside, you are greeted by tables full of books featuring art prints. And you are also greeted by an upscale interior and a waitress who is almost too polite. If you're rocking some beat-up jeans and an old sweatshirt, you might feel a little out of place, but yeah, they'll still serve you.

Anyway, the food is all right. Basically sandwiches for about 7,000 or 8,000 won. Lunch sets are offered at about 10,000 to 12,000 won which is a good deal, seeing as how you get the sandwich plus the soup or salad plus a coffee for an extra 1,000 won which if you were ordering it on its own would be closer to 4,000 won.

I got the crab sandwich, which came on regular ol' white bread with a bit of crab salad tucked in between. I enjoyed it, but in reality, it actually wasn't that many rungs higher on the sandwich ladder than one of the pre-prepared sandwiches from a GS25 or Family Mart. Meg got the salmon sandwich on a bagel, which unfortunately had only the tiniest sliver of salmon. They paired the salmon with swiss which was a little out of the box since most cafes pair salmon with cream cheese.

The most enjoyable part of the meal was the soup I got along with my sandwich as part of a lunch set. It was a strange, creamy blackish-gray soup that had a gruelish texture and a flavor which I couldn't identify. Meg suggested - and I believe her completely - that it was black sesame soup. So I got to try a whole new flavor of soup at 1812 that I never knew existed, which is always a plus.
Directions: Go out Hyehwa Station Exit 2. Follow the map below:

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