'Common Ground' is the largest container shopping mall in the world. It is a building built with more than 200 containers on a fairly large
site. It is located at the entrance to Konkuk University, and there are various brands and restaurants targeting young people in their 20s and 30s.
There's a Street Market and a Food Ground. Restaurants there have many trendy desserts that are good to take picture. Nowadays, people share their daily lives and take many pictures through social media. Because of that, how the food looks is as important as how it tastes these days.
The restaurant I visited today is 'Analog Kitchen' at Food Ground on the 3rd floor. It was my first time trying a restaurant in a container building, so I was wondering how comfortable it would be.
From the store to the bathroom, it is a very pleasant and unique space. It is worth a visit just looking inside.
The map is a little confusing, but it's all designed to connect well, so you can easily find it if you just keep the right direction. All the food stores are on the 3rd floor.
There is a menu in Korean and English at the entrance. There are pictures for the main menu items, and the popular menu is marked with a red star. From pasta to rice, side dishes, and beer, they have a variety of menus. Usually these kind of restaurants don't have rice menus, but thankfully they have rice here.
It is such a nice place that it didn't feel like a container. The insulation is good, so the room is very comfortable.
The space between the tables is enough, so even if it's crowed, it won't be bothering. Besides, there are many outdoor seats, so I think the atmosphere of the outdoor seats will be good in the evening. The ratting sound from railway nearby is quite romantic. It will be more beautiful if the lights are turned on in the evening.
There must have been a lot of celebrities as it's a hot place.
Basic table setting looks neat.
This place is popular as a pub for its meals during the day and bear at night. I visited during the day this time, but next time I want to come at dusk and enjoy a glass of beer. There are fusion beers such as lemon honey beer and green grapes beer.
I ordered the whole squid rice, which is the signature dish of Analog Kitchen. I'm a little nervous because the description emphasizes its spicy sauce.
Whole squid with spicy sauce, sunny side-up egg, stir-fried bean sprouts and seasoned chives. And there is black rice under the egg.
They serve you with scissors and tongs, so I can cut the squid into small pieces and stir it.
I mix vegetables, squid, and rice like this and take a bite! It's quite spicy, but it's not too spicy as explained. The rice is a bit dry, so it's a bit disappointing. The chives and bean sprouts are crunchy, and the squid is chewy and seasoned well. The chives come out when you eat, so cut them again before you eat.
It has generous amount because it has an whole squid and enough rice in it. Especially, I like the crunchy texture of bean sprouts. But I think it would be better to use plain rice than black rice. The black rice is a bit hard because it's not steamed deeply enough and the squid has chewy texture, so my jaw hurts a bit.
Kids are allowed here, and there are dishes you can have with your kids. It would be nice if you bring your family and feed children while parents have a glass of beer.
- Food ★★★☆☆
A convenient pub where you can lightly drink or eat
- Cleanliness ★★★★☆
Overall good. However, the menu is too wrinkled and smeared.
- Service ★★★☆☆
Average
- Ambience ★★★★★
The sound of the subway and the open space are good. Both dating and family dining out are recommended.
- Accessibility ★★★★★
Five minutes walk from exit 6 of Konkuk University station of line 2 and line 7. It's very easy to get to Common Ground, but you might be a little lost looking for this restaurant in there. There isn't much parking space.
- Open Hours: 11:00~22:00, Closed on holidays.
- Recommended number of person: 2 or more
- Recommended menu: Roasted Whole Squid in Special Soy Sauce, Beef Meatballs and French Fries
- Value: Starting from 13,000 won
- Amenities: Separated restrooms for gender, Wifi, packaging, pets are allowed
Address: 200 Acha Mountain Road, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul
