Experiencing Food: September 2011

Genre: Italian

Location: Ansan, South Korea

Rating: 8 out of 10

Eunice's Garden is a way out-of-the-way restaurant with a garden area. However out-of-the-way it may be, it is really worth it.

Our journey began with a guess at where this place was located. I searched the web and found a couple of references to it, but not any specific directions. I punched in the address I found and came to see a dot in the middle of a mountain. Well, I thought, this will be an adventure. If you head out there, know you are on the right track if you are driving around a reservoir thinking, "This can't be the way." Trust me, you are almost there. When the road dead ends and you can either go right or left, there is a little brown sign that says "Eunice's Garden" in Korean and points to the left. Go left and pass what looks like a cement factory. You will come up on it on the right on the other side of a little foot bridge. Park and walk across the bridge.

Once we found it, we were in awe of the little garden area. It was really beautiful. But, we were late for our reservation so we were off to the Italian side to eat. Note here that there is a Korean BBQ style section you can dine at, but I suggest the Italian.

The food was amazing. We ordered one set and shared it. There was plenty of food for the both of us. The bread, loved it! They served fresh baked cranberry bread with a side of oil and vinegar. It was delicious. There was amazing soup, a salad to follow, the beef tenderloin was done perfectly, and the dessert "Wowed" us. It was a red wine glace. It was tremendous, full of flavor. Definitely a surprise. The decor was sweet, centering around the dining indoors but feeling like you were outdoors. Very comfortable.

Once we were done with dinner, we headed to the little shop to check out the little fragranced goods. There is tea, candles, lotions and little nic nacs.

Heading back outside, this was the real treat of the evening. Hanging from the tree branches above are these really neat stained glass lanterns. So captivating! They look like something Tinker Bell would live in only way more posh. I wanted to become a fairy and move in. They were everywhere. It really captured the mood. Walking down the path, we were covered with an umbrella of ivy and little white lights. It was very romantic. Every now and then, we would come upon an inset bench. We wondered if we would catch a couple in the middle of a romantic kiss. We never did, but the benches were inviting. Walking on down to a cafe area, we found a place that had a little stage that could easily accommodate a small jazz ensemble. There were tables all around with netting in the trees above, housing more little white lights and lanterns. It was an adult wonderland. We loved it. This would be a perfect place to go on a group date.

Check out the pictures and information below: