Chez Laurent lures lovers of French cuisine for those in the know

Cassoulet Maison served at the French restaurant Chez Laurent [PARK SANG-MOON]

 


[AMBASSADOR’S TABLE – RESTAURANT REVIEW]

 

Type a name of almost any restaurant into a search engine today and a flood of blog posts and reviews appears, even for places that opened only weeks ago. 

 

Search for classic French restaurant Chez Laurent, however, and almost nothing turns up.

 


“I asked Naver to remove my restaurant from its webpage,” said owner Laurent Min. Naver is Korea’s largest search engine. 

 

He wanted the place to be only for diners who truly appreciate French cuisine, its dining culture and the atmosphere Min has carefully curated — rather than those who simply stumble upon it while browsing for somewhere to eat.

 

And for those who arrive with that intention, the restaurant offers more than just good French food. It provides an experience that closely mirrors dining in France.

 

French restaurant Chez Laurent interior [PARK SANG-MOON]

Inside the intimate restaurant in Yongsan District, central Seoul, a wine-lined bar greets guests at the entrance, while the scent of butter-rich dishes lingers in the air. Handwritten French menus and wooden tables complete the scene, as French chansons lilt softly in the background.

 

Pâté de Campagne au Cognac makes a good first impression. Made from minced pork and chicken liver, the pâté is served cold. It breaks apart easily in the mouth — smooth, salty yet also tangy, a unique flavor for a meat dish. The strong seasoning stems from its origins, as pâté was created in France as a way to preserve older cuts of meat for long-term storage.

 

Accompanying the cold meat is a salad of frisée and parsley with a shallot vinaigrette dressing, along with sour cornichons. Paired altogether with a baguette, the flavors balance neatly.

 

Pâté de Campagne au Cognac served at the French restaurant Chez Laurent [PARK SANG-MOON]

Escargots de Bourgogne served at the French restaurant Chez Laurent [PARK SANG-MOON]

Also on offer is the Escargots de Bourgogne, priced at 22,000 won. The extremely tender snails are bathed in melted butter infused with parsley, salt, garlic and pistachios. While pine nuts are commonly used, the restaurant incorporates pistachios, giving the dish a cleaner, nuttier finish. 

 

Dipped into with bread, the sauce seeps into the plain baguette, amplifying its richness. A dish that once disappointed when tasted in France feels redeemed here.

 

Beyond the celebration of its dishes, the service leaves just as lasting an impression. Min checks on customers promptly, makes sure forks and knives are properly placed and frequently replaces side dishes. Though tipping is not customary in Korea, he would have easily earned generous tips.

 

This level of service reflects Min’s background. After going to France at 14 to learn French, he entered a vocational high school specializing in the culinary arts and chose to pursue front-of-house service. Since then, he has worked for some 20 years in French cuisine at various restaurants and hotels.

 

French restaurant Chez Laurent’s owner Laurent Min, right, and chef Park Young-mi at the restaurant [PARK SANG-MOON]

“Beyond just the food itself, we try to offer the whole experience,” he said. This approach has cultivated a loyal following. His regulars — many of whom Min accumulated over more than a decade in the Korean culinary scene — easily keep the six-table dining room full.

 

The Papillote de Cabillaud arrives wrapped in paper. Once opened, a fragrant burst of lemon, herbs and freshly pressed olive oil rises into the air.

 

The mild dish, served with a separate small bowl of rice, features baked cod alongside 10 kinds of vegetables — cabbage, potatoes, onions, garlic and bell pepper among them. The fish is incredibly tender. In France, it is the kind of simple home-cooked meal mothers prepare with ease.

 

“We used fresh olive oil pressed last year, which probably gave it more aroma,” said chef Park Young-mi.

 

French restaurant Chez Laurent

Park shares a special history with Min. They first met in 2013 at Le Saint-Ex, an authentic French restaurant in Itaewon that has since closed, where they worked together. After Park returned from a year in France studying French cuisine, Min invited her to join his first kitchen, Le Bistro Namsan, in 2019 — a collaboration that continues today.

 

Cassoulet Maison, a specialty associated with the Toulouse region of France, traces its roots to times of war, when preserved meats and available ingredients were simmered together into a hearty, restorative dish.

 

The duck and sausage are so tender they easily break apart with a spoon. While they have a fairly strong salty flavor, the beans that are simmered together help balance and soften the dish. This relatively rare dish in Korea gives a sense that French cusine is much more than just butter-rich classics.

 

The portions here are generous, guided by the chef’s philosophy that no one should leave hungry. 

 

Min and Park also discuss the menu extensively, with the goal of finding the balance where it “tastes delicious to Koreans, yet does not feel bland to French diners.”

 

Millefeuille served at French restaurant Chez Laurent [PARK SANG-MOON]

To finish, a Millefeuille.

 

Instead of the typical vanilla base, the chef made it chocolate-based for winter, giving it a deeper weight, while in-season strawberries keep it fresh. The softness of the cream and the crisp cracking of the pastry pair well, finishing the meal on just the right sweet note.

 

Photos of Min and his regulars hung up on a wall at French restaurant Chez Laurent [PARK SANG-MOON]

What also catches the eye are the framed photos of Min with people lining the walls. They resemble celebratory snapshots with celebrities, but the subjects are simply regular patrons who are leaving Korea during their farewell meal.

 

“A restaurant exists because of its customers. I wanted to remember these regulars because, to me, they are more precious than superstars,” he said.

 

Located at 11, Noksapyeong-daero 32-gil in Yongsan District, the restaurant opens from 6 p.m., except on Sundays and Mondays. The restaurant accepts reservations only, through Instagram direct message or phone call.

 

BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]