Russian restaurant in Dongdamun

Unfortunately, the plans Kyle designed for our anniversary date were kicked into the gutters.  It wasn't fully explained to me, but we were left with having to search for something last minute. Our British friends suggested wandering around Dongdamun for the evening to see what we could find.  I agreed with the location, but instead of wandering frustratingly around an area hungrily looking for a decent restaurant, only to be disappointed, I took it upon myself to find a glittering gem in the stacks of concrete buildings which is Seoul.  You see, I'm adventurous to an extent. I enjoy discovering new places, foods and I'm not afraid to try things that might be considered bizarre by others, but I'm not much into wandering.  I don't care for the search.  If I'm in the rarely patient mood, I can appreciate the searching aspect, but generally searches come up dry too many times, and I'm left hungry, dissatisfied and disgruntled.  In this way, I'm not your average traveler.  I like to know what I'm getting into. So instead of just maundering, I scanned the internet and came across this foodie blog which described a Russian restaurant in Dongdamun.  Ecstatic to find something other than Korean food, we set out in search of this mysterious restaurant.

A pickled herring salad.  Very strange, but most of the table enjoyed it.

This beer was awesome.  Even I liked it, and I HATE beer.

Cabbage stuffed with pork- amazing- get this.

I don't remember what this was called, but it was like grapevine leaves wrapped around a rice meat mixture.  It was great.

the salmon dish, it was delicious.

Restaurant Kazakhstan
Address: Kyungsung Bldg, 4F, 76-2 Kwanghee-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
Telephone: 02- 2269-7505
Directions: Line 2, 5, and 4 Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station (formerly Dongdaemun Stadium) exit 7 make an immediate right onto the small alley. You need to merge left a bit to keep going straight on the road. Restaurant Kazakhstan will be ahead on the 4th floor.


These directions were provided from the blog mentioned before, but what they didn't mention was that you had to walk blocks underground in the newly built subway addition.  The steamy air beneath stuck to our sweating skin like a fly on fly paper, and the design of the subway was reminiscent of a star-trek film. Walking through the station, we all felt a sense of science fiction surrealism.  We walked so long underground, I began to wonder whether we'd ever reach the surface and if we did surface, if it would we still be on planet Earth. Once we did reach the surface however, we found ourselves in the Russian part of town, in a strange alley.  The restaurant was located, oddly enough, in an apartment building.  Entering what looked like a renovated apartment, we sat down at the glass table observing our surroundings. The decorations were a mixture of grandma's house, and modern art.  A t.v. in the corner played entertaining Russian music videos as we scanned the extensive menu.


There was an added concern in our search, one of our friends was a vegetarian, and Russian foods are not well known for their vegetarian options.  However, this restaurant offered several fish options, including a lovely salmon dish.  The boys bought imported Russian beers, and we all split a bottle of wine for only 25,000 won.  Not only were all the dishes reasonably priced, but they were absolutely delicious.  Instead of purchasing a dish for each person, we ate family style, sharing each dish, which I highly recommend.  If you are an expat in Seoul and looking for a new restaurant to visit, try Restaurant Kazakhstan, you wont regret it!  It was a perfect anniversary evening with fantastic friends and delicious food.