The Chef 더 셰프

The Xef is a Spanish restaurant at 33 Baekbeom-ro 77-gil in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. A Spanish chef runs the kitchen, and the menu is structured around tapas for sharing and paella cooked in a broad pan. Pulpo a la Gallega places tender octopus with potato, olive oil, and paprika. Fresh squid appears as a grilled plate with vegetables and as fried rings under a light coating. Other small plates include scallops with jamon, shrimp carpaccio, and croquettes, so the table can be built from several distinct preparations rather than one large main course. The paella selection includes a seafood version with mussels, clams, and shrimp as well as a black version colored with squid ink. Rice is spread in a thin layer across the pan to take in the seafood stock and form the base of the dish. A homestyle eggplant course roasts a whole eggplant and fills it with minced beef ragu, keeping the softened vegetable and meat sauce in the same serving. House-made bread arrives with pan con tomate, a mixture of tomato and olive oil that is spread over the bread. Sangria is prepared with fruit, and a nonalcoholic version keeps the same fruit-led format without wine. Bottled wine is also part of the drinks list. The compact dining room combines standard seats and high tables, with the kitchen positioned close to the tables and Spanish decorative details throughout the interior.