Seochef Cuisine

About

Cozy Magok Italian bistro helmed by an ex-Shilla Hotel chef, serving authentic Roman-style carbonara and fresh oven-baked pizzas.

Tucked inside the ground floor of the Innermass building in Magok, Chef Seo Cuisine brings classic hotel-level Italian craft to an understated neighborhood setting. Led by a chef with over twenty years of experience at The Shilla Hotel, the restaurant offers an unhurried, composed refuge popular among local office workers for team lunches and quiet evening dates. Guests are welcomed into a warm, comfortable room—accented by whimsical stone door handles—with comforting touches like house-brewed barley tea and complimentary starter bread paired with sweet kaya spread. The cooking leans heavily on technique and faithful Italian preparations rather than heavy cream substitutes. Pasta enthusiasts seek out the traditional Roman carbonara, tossed strictly with rich egg yolk, aged cheese, and cured pork rather than modern cream shortcuts. Another pasta standout is the Roman-style Gricia, loaded with cured ham, sharp cheese, and freshly cracked black pepper, while seafood lovers turn to the vibrant tiger prawn tomato oil spaghetti. The kitchen shows equal respect for texture across its grains and doughs; risottos arrive perfectly al dente, whether coated in an unctuous chicken rosé or studded with earthy mushrooms. Pizzas emerge from the oven with chewy, blistered crusts, notably the tender beef tenderloin steak pizza layered beneath generous pulls of melted cheese. For special occasions, the multi-course tasting menu demonstrates the kitchen’s Shilla pedigree: velvety cream soup infused with aromatic truffle, burrata nestled over textured ratatouille, tender cod steamed with tomato and fresh basil, and an applewood-smoked beef tenderloin steak served under a dramatic cloche with specialty finishing salts. The meal concludes on house-baked Basque cheesecake adorned with chocolate cream and orange. Because each dish is prepared made-to-order by the chef, plates can take time to arrive during busy services, yet the thoughtful plating and hospitality make it a prized destination in Gangseo.