HSK Restaurant Review : Mad for Garlic

Mad for Garlic's allure is all in its name. The restaurant serves mostly Italian-themed dishes using...you guessed it--garlic! Curiosity got the best of me and I caved in, not knowing what to expect. I have been a little bit disappointed in some Italian restaurants so far in Korea, so as soon as I saw the menu, I was a bit leary. However, this particular restaurant's menu and ambiance did not disappoint!
First of all, it should be noted that Mad for Garlic is not for the weak in heart. When they say "Mad for Garlic," they absolutely mean it. The dishes are chalked full of garlic and are delicious...if garlic is your thing!The surprises began as soon as we entered the restaurant. KissMyKimchi and I ventured over to the Yeoksam location, just an approximately 5 minute walk from exit 4 of Yeoksam station, on a Sunday evening. It was quite busy, but because the locale has quite a bit of seating, we only had to wait for about 15 minutes. This, however, was not the happy surprise. We were greeted by a friendly hostess who asked us kindly to have a seat in the waiting area and to serve ourselves to the complimentary wine (free refills!) while we waited.

After taking advantage of as much wine as our empty stomaches could handle, the hostess directed us to our table. We had already had our fill of wine, so we stuck with water and we ordered a couple of appetizers. The Garlic Breadtower (6,300 won) and Garlic Fondue (11,500 won) were our choices of poison. Both were excellent and almost filling enough for me to satisfy my meal requirement.For our main course we each decided to try the Chicken & Pasta Combo (18,900 won). The pasta was tossed with an oil based sauce and capers were also included. The chicken was tender and covered sauteed onions. A small salad of mixed greens with a balsamic vinaigrette was also included. It was, indeed, very garlicky, but very delicious.After our meal, we were much too stuffed to try any desserts, but maybe that's for next time!

Check out the website in English to view the menu and locations. Mad for Garlic is a bit pricy, but if you're looking to splurge for a meal, it's definitely worth it!