Paste – Michelin Star Thai restaurant

Paste is a Michelin-starred restaurant located on the 3rd floor of the Gaysorn Village. The head chef, Bee Satongun, is dedicated to restoring and preserving traditional Thai cuisine while adding a modern touch. The restaurant’s interior features contemporary Thai decor, with a large centerpiece of sinuous strips of silkworm cocoons. The high ceiling, airy dining space, and warm colors create a comfortable dining experience. The staff wore traditional Thai-inspired attire.

Spanner crab on a seaweed sesame cracker

The amuse-bouche was exquisite – rich umami flavor.

Old-style hot & sour soup of crisp pork leg, char-grilled shallots,
jackfruit seeds, and roasted tomatoes in a smoky chicken broth.

The soup was lovely and very appetizing. It was tangy and smokey with a reasonable amount of heat.

Loas-Vieng style sour orange curry, line-caught seabass
with roasted mung bean and drum stick flowers

The fish was very fresh and tender. However, the curry was a bit bland; I preferred a spicier, intense-flavored curry.

Complimentary orange sorbet

The sorbet was a sweet, refreshing ending to the meal.

Overall, the service was attentive, and the food was of excellent quality. However, I have mixed feelings about the restaurant. I was not blown away by the food; the dishes did not justify the price for me. I was expecting more from a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Still water 80 baht

Hot and sour pork leg soup 750 baht

Sour orange seabass curry 1300 baht

Riceberry 150 baht

Paste

Website: https://www.pastebangkok.com/

Opening hours:

Daily
Lunch 12:00 pm – 14:00 pm
Dinner 18:30 pm – 23:00 pm

Telephone: +66(0)2 656 1003

Address: 3rd Floor, Gaysorn, 999 Ploenchit Rd., Lumpini, Bangkok

Ibagu, traditional tea house

Tucked away in one of Insadong’s alleyways is a quaint traditional tea house – Ibagu. The tea house is housed in a traditional building. The soft lighting and background music added to the ambiance. Our server was friendly and spoke reasonably good English.

The menu consists of a variety of Korean teas, desserts, coffee, and Western teas. There are also four set menus of different dessert-drink combinations.

We ordered a set menu and a roasted 5-grain smoothie.

The set menu we ordered included a long white rice cake, sweet red bean porridge, and a coffee. The red bean porridge had a smooth consistency and was unexpectedly savory with a hint of sweetness. The rice cake was interesting. Before this, I have only had Tteokbokki (spicy rice cake). The warm rice cakes were covered in soybean powder with a syrup drizzle. If you like the Japanese Kinako mochi, you will like this.

The roasted 5-grain smoothie was the highlight! It was rich, creamy, sweet, and nutty. It was one of those drinks where you have to have another after the first sip. The drink resembles a peanut smoothie but is more fragrant; my most memorable drink here in Seoul.

The prices here are a bit high but worth a visit.

Set menu 3 ( 2 desserts and a beverage) 19,500 won

Roasted 5-grain smoothie 8,000 won

Ibagu

Opening hours: Daily 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Telephone: +82 2-730-2088

Address: 5 Insadong 6-gil, Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Osulloc Tea House, Myeongdong (permanently closed)

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Osulloc is a famous premium tea brand in Korea that has been selling tea (mainly green tea) from Jeju since 1979. The Osulloc tea house in Myeongdong has a cafe and a store. The contemporary design reminds me of Starbucks. The cafe offers teas, lattes, cakes, and ice creams. You can purchase gift sets or teas from the store. One interesting thing sold at the store is their green tea milk spread.

The hojicha latte was delicious. It’s like a mocha but with tea. It was creamy with a roasted nutty flavor. Jeju tangerine milk tea is one of Osulloc’s popular drinks. Both teas were not overly sweet.

Osulloc is a must-visit for green tea lovers.

Jeju Tangerine Milk Tea 7000 won

Hojicha latte 7000 won

Osulloc Tea House, Myeongdong

Website: https://www.osulloc.com/kr/en

Opening hours: Daily 10:00 a.m. – 22:00 p.m

Telephone: +82 2-774-5460

Address: 12 Myeongdong 7-gil, Myeongdong 1(il)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea