The basement of "THE WORLD'S LARGEST DEPARTMENT STORE" may hold some cheap tasty treats, but it's the ninth floor where more serious eaters lurk. Alongside the Macaroni Market Grill and some pricey Korean restaurants is the Anna Bini Trattoria.
It's a small square shaped restaurant with the Kitchen placed at the centre, so it feels as if you're eating in a delicate glass sided alleyway. It's not unpleasant, but the place does have a slightly odd feel.
The food is not cheap (you're looking at almost 20,000 won for a plate of pasta), but if you have a hankering for Italian nosh and your money is burning a hole in your wallet then you may as well head here.
I opted for the spaghetti alla gorgonzola con filetto di manzo grigliata (sauteed beef and cream spaghetti with gorgonzola cheese) for 19.500 won as well as a plate of fritti misto (deep fried seafood) for 15,800 won.
While waiting for the dishes to arrive, we were served a rather odd bread hot plate. A selection of different breads with the addition of a small potato and a slice of purple corn. It's certainly not something I've seen before in an Italian restaurant, but the odd combination worked well and the parsley dipping oil provided was delicious.
The crispy insects and inverterbrates of the sea came out first and were perfectly cooked and delightfully crispy on the outside. A modest portion for the price, but tasty enough.
Next, the main event. Overcooked beef can often be a let down with this dish, but the bite sized morsels of steak were still beautifully bloody and the rich gorgonzola cream sauce was far better than most Korean Italian offerings. Plenty of mushrooms, plenty of steak, a well made plate of pasta that's bound to satisfy.
Not everything about the restaurant is perfect, some of their english translations could lead to great confusion...
To get the Anna Bini Trattoria head to the Shinsaegae Department Store at Centum City Station in Busan and go up to the ninth floor. You can call them on 051 745 1953 or visit their website here.
2 comments:
I've heard of the Seoul outpost of this restaurant. It's popular with the fancy Gangnam girl set. Glad to see that it's actually good!
Side note: I ate at an Italian place by the Seoul Finance Center the other day that ALSO served a little potato with the bread basket. What the heyyy?
Well I do like to think of myself as a bit of a Gangnam girl...
Strange that the potato and bread phenomenon seems to be spreading. I shall keep a look out for more wheat and tuber pairings.
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