Buena Vista

Tired of Starbucks?  Fancy some live music with your coffee?  Here's Buena Vista.

A cool, independent coffee shop, in the trendy new area being developed just beside MBCine.  Buena Vista was apparently started up by the gentleman who used to run Little Jacob's, by Gyeongsang back gate.  The location has changed, but the coffee is as good as ever and the decor is arty cool, from the ceiling to the toilets - which have incredible industrial-grade iron doors and locks.  Indie Jinju is sometimes very easily pleased!

So what does Buena Vista offer, except nice coffee,and nice views on a rainy day?  Well, it offers variety, for one thing.  Drip coffee for W4500 comes from a variety of sources.  This drinker plumped for the Buena Vista Blend, but they had Columbian, Kenyan and several others, for around the same price.  It may sound a bit steep, but as it came in a pot, there were almost two cups, and refills are only W1500.  The value gets better on espresso-based drinks, which were slightly cheaper and had W1000 refills, I believe.

They also have alcohoic drinks, which is nice to know.  Domestic bottles were a reasonable W4000, while imported beers run at a crazy W7000 - W8000 each.  Nevertheless, it's nice to have the option.  Maybe when Little Jacob reads this, he'll consider a little discount on his priciest offerings!

And finally... live music.  The jewel in the crown; the icing on the cake - hopefully!  Thursday nights are live music nights.  Kicking off at 8pm, Indie Jinju waits in anticipation.  The full review will only be possible after a Thursday visit. 

Buena Vista is certainly trendy-looking, with prices to match, there's no doubt about that, but despite the too-cool-for-school design, the clientele was distinctly down-to-earth.  This was a plus, and helped get Buena Vista a cool 8 out of 10. 

Do

Looking for an unexpected delight? Tired of independent places constantly going western, in their attempt to be alternative? These were some of the factors delaying the latest Indie Jinju entry.  Luckily, the drought ended at Do.

Initially, this place looks like any of the other extortionate, alternative places down the road at Gyeongsang Uni front gate, with a trendy menu board, punctuated with decimals to make the pricing look cool, modern and (possibly) low. This unfortunate fashion however, does nothing to undermine the genuine quality and value that lies down the stairs of Do.

Located in a modest basement, Do makes the best of its location with pleasant arty decor, nicely designed furniture and - importantly - clean, segregated toilets! The ceiling is high, and there's none of the stuffy or smelly unpleasantness that can come with basements. The staff also help. Sharp and attentive, both the owner and waiter do their best to make diners feel welcome. This certainly works for Indie Jinju.

And the food? What a refreshing change - two types of curry! I mean, they had other stuff, but the sight of 'Hot, Spicy Curry Rice' at W4000 was enough for this hungry writer. It didn't disappoint either. An interesting style of curry, which was spicy, but nothing to blow one's socks off. The power was all in the taste and presentation, which was just so different from standard-fare Korean or Japanese curry. This was served with fresh (I mean really fresh and crunchy) salad, white radish kimchi, with a cup of tea or coffee for dessert. The other dishes on the menu will have to wait for another day, or night - the place opens till 3am, which brings us nicely to the next, intriguing point...

Do is a budget, student-orientated restaurant,but it's also a pub. This dimension has just been explored, but you can count on Indie Jinju to do it again, before the week - and the month of April - are out.

Marks out of ten? A solid nine, for a good value and alternative eating experience. With the benefit of a night time visit, Do remains worth 8 out of 10. This is after experiencing the mood after dark, which, with the benefit of the very reasonably-priced and varied selection of booze on the menu, was okay. It did however, lack the bright, cheery atmosphere of lunch time, due to a sparsity of drinkers.  Let's hope things pick up from here on!

Bandal (now Dal Oasis)

Indie Jinju likes to keep abreast of new developments, and at risk of being too Gajwacentric, it is once again the back gate of Gyeongsang University that has spawned the newest kid on the block: Bandal chicken.

As most people who've lived in Korea a while will know, Korean fried chicken is great, even to those who never touch the stuff back home. Well, Bandal takes it up a level. This tiny, independent chicken hut is run by three women, one of whom was apparently a chef at Outback Steakhouse in Seoul for several years. The training obviously paid off, as the stuff she dishes up here is way better than anything from any chain I've visited.

Okay, so it's fast food, time to calm down. What do they make exactly? Well there are lovely tortillas at W3500, chicken tenders  for the same price and fries for W2500. The tenders and fries come with a very tasty, and well-presented selection of dips, which help set this place apart.  Bandal also serves coffee and a few other extras, that help complete the dining experience.  It's priced slightly above McDonalds, but the golden arches doesn't even come close. All this with a cool, minimalist interior, and equally well-designed, tasteful packaging to take away, makes this the Gaj's top fast food joint.

And the final verdict? 9 out of 10. Full marks could only have been achieved through expanded seating and menu options, including beer, though this would arguably be to the detriment of the overall ambience and ethos of the place. Happy dining - I'm sure it will be.

Bandal has since closed and reappeared as Dal Oasis in Pyeonggeo Dong. A full write up is on the way.Dal Oasishttp://indiejinju.blogspot.kr/2013/06/dal-oasis.html

Indie Jinju Launch

Indie Jinju is a blog with a simple aim:

To share information on independent cafes, bars, restaurants and the like with the wider community.

It's great to have you reading.