Balat — Restaurant in Seoul

We were very excited to have lunch here based on the menu, pictures, and reviews we have seen. Unfortunately, we were greeted by the rudest and most unkind waitress we have ever met.

The waitress gave us a menu in Korean. That was fine. We are used to using Google translate. We also did some research before arrival so we knew what we wanted.

We asked for the set menu; the waitress said no, and pointed to a la carte. I pointed to the time of the set menu availability (11:00-15:00) and she insisted no despite the time being 13:30.

While we were deciding the a la carte menu, her colleague carted over what we know is in the set menu to another table. So we pointed that to the waitress and said we want it. Then she said we must order for 2 people.

Her colleague overheard our conversation and said something to her in Korean, and we heard ‘English menu’. Our waitress shook her head to her colleague. So after she walked away, I asked her colleague for an English menu. And guess what… a beautiful, well-written English menu explaining the philosophy of the restaurant and its dishes!!

Why did she not want to give this to us? It explains EVERYTHING!

The set menu we order was pretty big and included poached octopus tentacle, assorted raw molluscs, and sashimi. However, we just started to eat a few pieces of the starter and the same rude waitress started serving us grilled fish, then beef bulgogi and all the main courses, pushing the dishes literally into our bowls because the table was packed!

We thought maybe they had to rush to close but then we saw they had private rooms who came before us BUT their food was served slowly in sequence. By the time we finished, they were just served halfway through.

Food: starter of raw molluscs and fish was quite nice. Abalone and scallop were really good. Cooked baby squid was okay. Prawns were overcooked. Sashimi was okay. Fresh but we really couldn’t enjoy much because we were bombarded by other dishes. grilled fish was REALLY good. Fresh and succulent. beef bulgogi also fantastic. fish soup was also very good. Hearty with a kick of spiciness. uni bibimbap: A MUST! It was so good. We know there was a lot of food but we thought we had to try this and it was really worth it. The nice waitress warned us it’d be too much but we pretty much finished it!

Overall… really nice food.

If owner or manager cares about feedback, please talk to the waitress who has her hair tied back. She was so rude and unwelcoming. The other two waitresses with curly hair...

"Balat” is the Korean word for “sea”. And just as its name suggests, this restaurant specializes in seafood. The dinner menu is a bit pricy, but you can enjoy their lunch at a reasonable price. It’s located in Apgujeong, right at the center of Gangnam, where there are many famous talent agencies nearby. I’ve recently had to make many trips to Korea, so I researched restaurants that I thought would be good for regular visits, and this place really was a hit! I ordered the bulgogi and grilled fish (Both were side menu items, but it’s actually much closer to a Japanese-style set meal. Check photo for reference.). Anyways, what’s great about Korean cuisine is the various Banchan (side dishes) that are served with the meal. These were all delicious, all prepared with much care, and using fresh, seasonal ingredients. The seaweed soup was especially delicious! It closely resembles the popular Naruto-haiboshi seaweed from Japan. It was so good, I had to help myself to a second serving (which is free!). The main dishes were also delicious. The bulgogi came out sizzling on a traditional charcoal grill, which was really great! The authentic flavors and consistency were just perfect. The grilled fish came with 3 different types of seasonal fish. I really had a full belly after this meal! But don’t forget dessert! The baked sweet potato was excellent! You can have the course meal for about 27,000 Won, but I think the a la carte items (about 15,000 Won) are more than enough! The environment is not too fancy, not too casual, and they also have private rooms. It’s definitely...

Meal budget per person (without drinks) Category 2 (under 130000 KRW, 100 USD)

Balat is an old Korean word for Sea and specializes in fresh seasonal seafood. Along with A la Carte, there are set menu at reasonable price with good configuration of salad, seafood, grilled fish and beef.

My recommendation is the Balat Story (100,000 KRW) which includes seasonal salad, Tropical Oyster, sliced raw (or boiled) Octopus, Seafood platter, Raw fish platter, Grilled beef and Grilled fish. It is a perfect menu composition not to be greasy and tired of. The Tropical Oysters contain the scent of the sea intact and savory. ** The Sliced Octopus is chewy and matches very well with the seasoned water parsley.

• The Seafood platter is with very fresh seasonal seafood and with generous amount. ** The seasoned grilled beef (so called Bulgogi) is delectable with full of charcoal flavors. (But it should have been much better if it is served with charcoal grill so that the beef doesn’t cool down.) Above all, the side menu of Seaweed soup is so tasty, deep and light. For those who feel that the set menu will be too much, the a.m. 4 dishes (from A la Carte) along with the complimentary Seaweed soup are very...