Crafty Burger

Crafty Burger's ordering area opens out onto the street. A ladder leads the way upstairs to the seating area. The kitchen (complete with giant rotating burger grill) is crammed into the tiny downstairs ordering area. Note that Crafty is also quite venerable, having been apparently established in 1894.

The burgers cover all the bases: juicy, fairly large, not too complicated when it comes to toppings. On the whole, a fine discovery in the Gwanghwamun area. My only complaint is that the burger patty was not as juicy as some of the better burgers in Seoul.

Here's the burger itself:

And their rotating grill:

Directions: Go out Anguk Station Exit 2 and walk straight. You should eventually see Crafty Burger on the lefthand side of the street. Zoom out on the map below to see its location in relation to Gyeongbokgung Palace and other nearby subway stops:

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Diner Pub, Apgujeong

(Directions at bottom of post)















Diner Pub has a good little thing going. Dishing out a good selection of beers, and some really high quality bar food, including 6,000 won burgers. Indeed, as the name suggests, Diner Pub walks the line between restaurant and bar, landing, in my opinion, more on the side of restaurant. (I guess this is the Seoul equivalent of the new breed of establishments: the “gastropub.”)

The atmosphere is jolly. Located right in the heart of the Apgujeong restaurant area, the place is packed with wealthy young Koreans, without that much of a foreign crowd. (This is Apgujeong, after all, not Itaewon.) As a result, the menu is a bit more experimental, since it isn't tied down by the restraint of catering to expats craving an exact replica of the food from home.

There are fried strands of spaghetti on the table to nibble on (see picture below). The burger is not exactly a standard burger. Rather, the texture is more than of cream-chipped beef on toast. Imagine a toasted cheese sandwich, with a sizeable amount of especially juicy ground beef and rich, darkly colored lettuce added to it. On the whole, I would describe this burger as smooth, like a “melt.”

And objectively delicious.

For quality atmosphere, fine beers, and extremely high quality bar food, you can't miss at Diner Pub.

Directions: Go out Sinsa Station Exit 8 and walk straight. Turn at the third left. This is the main Garosu-gil street (shown in yellow and running north-south on the map below). At the first opportunity, head left to cross over one block, to the next street that runs parallel to Garosu-gil. Walk up this parallel street and Diner Pub will be on your left. See the map below:

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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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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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Bobby's Burgers and Shakes, Hongdae

Bobby's Burgers and Shakes (locations in Hongdae and Apgujeong) has a retro, 50s feel to it, with shiny whites and oranges dominating the interior, and smooth graceful seats. The burgers are about 8,000-10,000 won; the shakes are expensive, of course, running about 6,000 or 7,ooo won, and the fries, sides, cokes, etc. are all about what you'd expect (think roughly Kraze prices).
The quality is good, though. These are American-style burgers; and they're delicious. I think they're a bit below Burger B (down the street from the Hongdae location of Bobby's Burgers), but they're juicy and meaty, and they definitely crack the top ten. (And Meg really liked the fries, btw. They're the kind that taste like they have mashed potatotes inside, if you're into that. Personally, I prefer a less mashed texture to my fries, though.)

Directions:
Hongdae: Go out Hongik University Station Exit 5 and walk straight. Turn left at the first intersection (but not at the street that is right outside Exit 5). After you turn left, walk up the street for a while; eventually you'll come to the end of the street at a three-way intersection (which is where Hongik University itself is). Turn right and Bobby's Burgers is right there.

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Apgujeong: (directions coming soon)

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Valance Burgers

(Map of all six locations at bottom of post.)
Imagine Kraze Burgers, only without the inflated prices. Then you have Valance Burgers. I am guessing that Valance is supposed to be "Balance," since their logo has a scale on it. Regardless of the poor spelling, however, Valance gets an A for easily being the best-value burger in the city. It's only 4,500 won for their classic burger, which comes with an egg on top and easily rivals Kraze for quality. Indeed, the amount of fresh onions, lettuce, and tomato piled on top make it hard to bite into - always the sign of a fine burger in my opinion. Now, they do go a little sauce heavy - and the sauce is of course on the sweet side - but that can easily be remedied by requesting no sauce, or maybe asking for just the mayo or just the ketchup.
I also tried the Honey Chicken burger, which surprisingly also comes with an egg on it. It was good for a grilled chicken sandwich, and it was about the same price as the Classic Burger, so once again, Valance Burgers has a huge win on value.

Directions:
There are six locations:
1. Gangnam-gu (near Hakdong Station/Gangnam-gu Office Station)
2. Yeongdeunpo-gu (near Yeongdeungpo Station)
3. Seoul National University of Education
4. Hanyang University
5. Konkuk University
6. Bundang (near Ori Station)
Here is a google map showing all six locations:

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Brooklyn Burger Joint, Seorae French Village

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe I have found the best burger in Seoul.

Last week, I was wondering around the French Village in Seorae when I stumbled across a place called Brooklyn Burger Joint. It's small and tucked away where it's unlikely to be found. The burgers are huge and juicy. There is no overpowering seasoning to detract from the beauty of the grease and meat. The bun is not too stiff but not too soft, a wonderous sesame seed bun from heaven. On my burger, I got cheddar cheese, bacon, and horseradish. They have milkshakes, root beer, or you can get a regular beer.

Perfection. Of course, the burgers are a bit pricey, but not really when you compare against Korean standard prices for quality burgers. Mine was $10. The prices range from $8, I think, to maybe $12.

Directions: Get out at Express Bus Terminal on Line 3 or 7. Walk out Exit 5 and cross the street. Turn right and walk down the street for a while. Eventually, you'll see a European-looking building, and there will be a sign that says "Montmartre Park 800 m" (If you pass a GS25, you've gone too far; this isn't on the main street of the French Village). Turn there and walk down the street. You'll eventually hit Brooklyn Burger Joint.

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