61page

61 busIness has been good sInce the restaurant opened only months ago, and It’s no surprIse: the spread ranges from handmade calzones and thIn-crust pIzzas to Korean frIed chIcKen, from craft beers to vIn chaud (hot mulled wIne) and shooters wIth names lIKe ‘gIn destructIon’ and ‘o.J. sImpson bomb.’ housing a decidedly un-Korean dish: With onions cooked slowly in a butter and white wine sauce, soft potatoes, bay leaves and a top layer of mozzarella and cheddar cheese, the French onion soup is the highlight of the meal. Vincens whips out yet another tool before we’re allowed our first taste; this time it’s a blowtorch. He lightly browns the cheese a foot away from us and places this exquisite soup in front of our de- lighted faces. We paid 7,000 won for this artful masterpiece. While the space is devoid of cloth napkins and starched white tablecloths, Brew 3.14’s handmade food is of a quality much higher than the setting and price might suggest. The menu is also varied enough to eat there often, and repeat visits offer chances at quiche, handmade chips and salsa or sometimes even Russian beer. The service is excellent, the atmosphere homey and intimate and the staff friendly and sociable. They’ll happily leave you to your evening or help you decide what destination to visit next in Seoul. It’s up to you. Brew 3.14 isn’t your average pizzeria; nor is it a bar. It’s an experience, and a good one at that. The decision to head there should be a simple one because, as it says on the menu itself, “craft beers + good food = happiness.” GETTING THERE c Anguk Station, exit 4. Walk two blocks and turn left at the Crown Hotel on Samil-daero. Brew 3.14 is in an alley on your left, past the Ibis Hotel, with a circular sign out front. Turn left at the sign, and the restaurant is just around the corner.