Located down a hill in a wealthy neighborhood in northern Seoul, Mr. 8 (Palseonsaeng in Korean) might make customers wonder whether they have just stepped into an old tavern from a period Chinese movie.

A single-story wooden house with a small front yard welcomes customers while red lights and wooden furniture such as long-legged chairs and a round table create an exotic feel. 

Named after China’s lucky number, Mr. 8 serves a variety of dishes to give diners a new experience and maybe some luck.

The menu varies from regular dishes easily found in any Chinese restaurant in Korea, including black bean noodles (jajangmyeon), spicy seafood noodles (jjambbong) and fried pork with sweet and sour sauce (tangsuyuk), to their signature dishes such as Beijing-style chewy fried pork with sweet and sour sauce, Taiwanese beef wrapped with lotus leaves and Chinese braised pork.

Spicy black bean noodles are highly recommended for those craving spicy food but want a change from the Korean way. With red peppers added, the spicy black bean noodles awaken the palate. The traditional fried pork with sweet and sour sauce goes well with the hot noodles.

Mr. 8 tries to keep the price for the basic dishes such as black bean noodles at just 4,500 won despite the recent skyrocketing food prices. The chewy fried pork with sauce is priced at 14,000 won and fried dumplings are 6,000 won.

Mr. 8 has many branches in major cities in Korea, but is mostly centered in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The restaurant in Pyeongchang-dong has the grand Bukhan Mountain behind it, providing a good chance to walk off the meal.

● Address: 45-1, Hongji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

● Telephone: (02) 395-8828

● Hours: 11:30 a.m. ― 10 p.m.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)