A family friend who knows I am an avid fan of Lee Seung Gi happens to regularly attend an establishment in his neighborhood and told me about her frequent Seung Gi sightings since his apartment is nearby.  In addition, she tipped me off to a Chinese restaurant that he frequents regularly and told me that she had seen him several times during the times she ate there. According to her, he frequents the restaurant on weekdays between 7:30pm to 8pm KST.  I cannot reveal the name of the restaurant out of respect for his privacy, but I can definitely tell you the food is really delicious.  Here’s my fangirling account. I am offering a translation in Japanese for fellow Japanese Airens as well:

ゆうべ、会議に出席するため、ソウルの江南区のイ・スンギさんの お宅の近くまで行きました。 会議のあと、家族ぐるみで仲良くしている友人にスンギさんのお宅がどの辺りか 教えてもらったのですが、そこから地下鉄で2駅のところだというので、 行ってみることにしました。 スンギさんのお気に入りの中華レストランで食事をして、 そこのマネージャーさんから、スンギさんが親切で偉ぶらない人であること、 厨房のスタッフにもお褒めの言葉を頂いたことなど、お話を伺いました。 スンギさんはそのレストランに黒の野球帽をかぶり、 数人のスタッフと一緒にいらして、 マネージャーさんがオーダーを取るのだそうです。 マネージャーさんによるとスンギさんは、「エビチリ」 「中華風牛肉料理」「スパイシー海鮮ヌードルスープ」そして 「フライドポークの甘酢あんかけ」等がお好きとのこと。 スンギさんは一般のお客さんと同じ席でお食事され、 特別な扱いを求められることはないのだそうです。 親切なマネージャーさんは私に、レジの奥に入って スンギさんのサインの写真まで撮らせてくださいました！ とても感動的な夜になりました。

I happened to have a conference in the Gangnam area tonight and figured since I was only 2 subway stops away from his neighborhood, I would visit the restaurant and take some pictures of his apartment on my way home.  Everyone in the neighborhood seemed to know where the Brownstone Legend apartment was and didn’t seem too excited about it.  I had just finished my conference so it was getting dark.  I managed to find his apartment and took several photos.  Afterwards, I found the restaurant he frequents and tried out the food.  The manager was very kind and there were autographs of several celebrities taped to the wall.   She let me get behind the cash register to take a picture of his autograph and spent the rest of the time telling me about Seung Gi.  Here’s his autograph: It says,”Be happy always!” Lee Seung Gi

There were about 4 other autographs taped next to his, and the staff at the restaurant were very surprised that I recognized his autograph immediately. I guess there are many non Airens out there….sigh…how they are missing out.  The owner asked me not to reveal the name of the restaurant, but all I can say is that Seung Gi has good tastebuds! 🙂

She told me that his van is usually parked in front of his restaurant and that he comes in with several staff members from Hook.  The place is pretty small, but there is a second floor which is the place where he eats.  I was surprised at how humble he was as I heard her first hand account of her experiences with him since she is the only person who takes his order.  She told me that his staff members come in first to check the place out to see if the restaurant is crowded.  If there aren’t that many people, she told me that one of his staff members places a phone call and a few minutes later, Seung Gi comes in wearing a black baseball cap worn low on his head.  Of course, ordinary people recognize him but in contrast to what I heard from the family friend, he does not request that the entire second floor be sectioned off for him.  He eats just like an ordinary person with other people sitting at nearby tables.  When I asked her if people bothered him for autographs, she said that they were very considerate and didn’t bother him.   He eats in plain view in public and is very considerate towards the employees. I heard that he even visits the kitchen regularly to thank the chef for a delicious meal.

The manager was telling me all this while I was eating a bowl of warm seafood noodles in white sauce called 울면 (Ool Myun).  Compared to the same chain restaurant in my neighborhood, this place’s cuisine was outstanding and I finished every last bit of my dinner. The noodles were not soggy and overboiled, they were al dente and just right when paired with the white sauce and plentiful seafood and vegetables.  While I was eating, the manager sat at the table next to me and told me about his politeness and humility.  She and other employees were very familiar with many of his favorite dishes, although I was told that he wasn’t picky about what he ate and that he didn’t have a particular dish that he disliked.  He often asks the manager for recommendations on what is delicious and the staff and manager told me four of his favorite dishes.   I didn’t want to order them for fear of being seen as a crazed sasaeng fan, but I did manage to get pictures of these dishes off the internet including one taken by me during a family dinner to share with you.

Four of his favorite dishes at that restaurant are the following:

#1 Oh Hyang Jang Yook (오향장육) – Peking style cold sliced beef

Photo credit: Me- @elisem1902 on Twitter.  I had a family dinner at an upscale Chinese restaurant in Korea and this is also one of my family’s favorite dishes. ^^

#2 Kkan Shyo Saewoo (깐쇼새우) – Fried shrimp in chili sauce

Photo credit: naver.com

#3 Chap Ssal Tang Soo Yook (찹쌀탕수육) – Sweet and sour fried pork coated in glutinous (sticky) rice powder

Photo credit: naver.com

#4 Sam Sun Jjam Bbong  (삼선짬뽕) – Spicy Seafood Noodles

Photo credit: as labeled via naver.com

After finishing my bowl of noodles, I thanked the manager and the employees for their kindness and told her that I’d be back again.  I could understand why Seung Gi liked this particular restaurant and was glad to hear that the private Lee Seung Gi was as polite and humble as the Lee Seung Gi we know in public.  The manager wished me luck on my blog and just requested not to reveal the name of the restaurant. I told her not to worry as I know how much Seung Gi loves to eat and do not want to prevent him from enjoying food from this particular restaurant.  Please see my next post for pictures of his apartment. 🙂

English to Japanese translation by Elise,Lee Seung Gi Forever