In my opinion, a weekend isn’t truly great until you’ve sat down to recap the events of the last night over great food. Enter brunch. Brunch is the meal that allows for the perfect fusion of eating and socializing. A great breakfast, or brunch, can be hard to find in a city where seafood stew is a traditional breakfast eat, but the Flying Pan in Itaewon manages to create a meal that will satisfy even the most critical of diners looking for brunch in Seoul.
Located near the subway station in the popular foreigner district, this small restaurant does quite the business. I’d recommend showing up early on the weekend, or get ready to wait (they will take your number, allow you to leave, and call you when your table is ready). The dining room consists of a few mismatched tables and chairs, over sized vases filled with flowers, and cute knickknacks that give it a homey feeling.
More importantly, the food is delicious and memorable. The breakfast menu is made up of a variety of sweet and savory options that are both creative and classic. My favorite from the sweet side of things is the french toast stuffed with ham and goat cheese. Topped with a generous helping of maple syrup, the sweet and savory compliment each other nicely.
The berry and ricotta french toast. Another great sweet option.
The savory menu is just as tasty, and for me, even more tempting. There are the brunch classics of eggs benedict, omelettes, and scrambled eggs. And then there are Flying Pan’s ingenious creations. I always enjoy the beef and mushroom crepe, a rye pancake filled with beef, mushrooms, and a cream sauce, topped with a fried egg. Another favorite is the Flying Pan breakfast which consists of a poached egg, leafy greens, potato salad, brie, and roasted tomatoes.
The beef and mushroom crepe.
It can be easy to overlook the lunch menu with all the tantalizing breakfast treats, but you won’t be disappointed if you decide to go the sandwich or salad route. All the sandwiches are prepared on freshly baked bread and filled with fresh ingredients. The chicken avocado sandwich is light and creamy with just a hint of sweetness and comes out as my favorite. The salads aren’t your average salad and are made up of ingredients, like goat cheese and brie, that you often don’t find on menus in Korea. They are large enough for a meal and the presentations are eye popping.
The Flying Pan serves brunch all day, everyday and, if you’re anything like me, you will be returning often in an attempt to eat your way through the entire menu.
Directions: Take Line 6 to Itaewon Station. Go out exit 2 and turn left into the first alley (when you see Homegrown Coffee). The Flying Pan will be on your right, down a couple of stairs just past My Thai.
Contact: 02-793-7974
