Pier 17. My new favorite place to eat out with friends in Seoul. It’s particularly awesome because it’s the only Cajun restaurant I’ve come across while living in Korea. I wouldn’t have known about this God send without my friends Veniese and Rebecca urging me to go. Hesitant doesn’t begin to touch how I because I couldn’t fathom Cajun food being done right in Seoul. How wrong could I be? Totally.
First thing I noticed was that Pier 17 wants to put you smack daub in the middle of a Louisiana bayou buffet. It’s all rough worn wooden tables and exposed concrete with red neon splashed across the walls and floors like a spilled hurricane straight from Bourbon street. Atmosphere suitably established I dived into the menu and began murmurs of appreciation as I mentally checked off each item that define Cajun cuisine: Gumbo? Check. Oysters? Oh, yeah. Jambalaya? Bingo. Crawfish? Yup.
With the mainstays on hand I felt at ease and my stomach grumbled in anticipation of an evening of good eatin’. I have to say the opening dish of oysters Rockefeller came up a bit short mostly due to being on the bland side. I began to fear, but my qualms settled with the arrival of the calamari salad. Crisp greens and veggies tossed with perfectly breaded and cooked squid equals bliss. The fries and breaded shrimp had that perfect golden crunch. The oyster po boy sandwich was difficult to manage. The baguette was too long and unwieldy, but it tasted great. The jambalaya hit it out of the park and sealed the deal for me. Succulent chunks of sausage, chicken, shrimp and shellfish all mixed in a spicy hearty dish.
To celebrate the frivolity of it all we ordered a couple rounds of their signature cocktail the shark attack! It’s blue margarita that arrives with a shoot of strawberry red goo in a plastic toy shark. Attack the margarita glass with the shooter and you get a bloody red mess of fun that lasted way beyond the drink. They should send those little sharks home as souvenirs.
Prices: W7,000-W28,000
Hours:
Phone: 02-549-5324
Address: 532-4 Sinsa-dong (13 Apgujeong-ro 10-gil), Gangnam-gu
Website: Facebook
Directions: From Sinsa exit 8 walk straight toward Garou su Gil, but take the street just before it. Keep going straight and you’ll come upon Pier 17 on your right, second floor of the Masa building.
