korean restaurant / All-you-can-eat salmon Versace – 459

Salmon is considered one of the best delicacies in countries surrounding Germany and the Netherlands!

Recently, there has been a growing number of salmon lovers in Korea. The light flavor and plump texture of salmon, and the benefits of salmon began to be widely known, right? Salmon, which was selected as one of the world's top ten superfoods, contains rich vitamins and is excellent for preventing aging and skin care, and salmon's omega-3 fatty acids prevent various vascular diseases such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Also, since it is a high protein and low calorie food, it is gaining popularity as a diet food for women who are sensitive to diet.

Salmon, which is in season from September to October, is one of the best ingredients that can wonderfully reinvent any dish, from simple salmon salad with various vegetables and fresh sauce, to salmon sushi that can make a hearty meal with rice, and salmon sashimi where you can enjoy the natural light flavor of salmon. However, salmon is expensive, so it's not a common folk food you can eat to your heart's content, right? As a result, even when I go to a salmon specialty store, I often fill my stomach with tempura, noodles, and udon rather than just eating salmon.

However, it is said that there is a salmon specialty store where you can enjoy all-you-can-refill salmon at a reasonable price, which is classified as such a high quality ingredient. I would like to introduce “Versace,” a Hyeja restaurant that won the hearts of consumers in the central district of Gangnam, which is full of expensive restaurants.

When you walk into a food alley in Nonhyeon-dong, you'll see an impressive Versace with the phrase “All-you-can-eat raw salmon for 13,900 won.” What's even more impressive is the customers waiting in line from the entrance of the store despite the hot weather. The first customers start lining up at 4 o'clock, and the front of the store is so crowded that you can't see the end 30 minutes before it opens.

The ten tables are not that big, but the interior of the store is very clean. When it's opening time, customers walk into the store one by one, and customers who can't get in walk back and forth, leaving their names and contact information. The customer looked full of anticipation even when the boss said that they would not be seated until around 9 o'clock while putting their name on the waiting list. As I watched the customers who kept waiting for so long, I suddenly became curious about the secret unique to Versace.

Among the salmon specialty stores that sprang up all over Gangnam as salmon began to spread like a pandemic, Versake's unique strategy is “Let's eat as much salmon as you want.” I asked the boss about how he thought about selling expensive salmon as an all-you-can-eat refill for 13,900 won per person.

“There are a lot of salmon specialty stores these days, right? Every time I ate salmon at a salmon specialty store, I felt that the price was too high.

In fact, salmon has fewer parts to throw away, so the unit price is cheaper than flounder. However, as salmon became known as a health food, the number of customers looking for salmon gradually increased, and there were more restaurants that wanted to make a lot of profit from salmon. That's why I thought about it. I think it would be very popular among consumers, especially women, if they offered plenty of salmon at a lower price. Also, my strategy was to provide all-you-can-refill of other side foods with salmon so that consumers could be fully satisfied with only high-quality salmon dishes rather than filling their stomachs.”

– What is the most number of refills you have done so far?

“It's number 13. A man who works out came here once. Ahead of the game, they couldn't drink alcohol; they only ate salmon and left quickly. I remember going there saying that they would definitely have a drink next time.”

As customers rush in as soon as they are afraid to pay the bill and leave, the staff who refill the salmon can't take a break. Orders for salmon refills are constantly being heard all over the place in the store.

– Tips from the boss so that you can enjoy salmon for a long time

・Lemon is soaked in soy sauce without producing juice so that the lemon scent spreads naturally into the soy sauce.

・Soak radish sprouts in soy sauce for a while so that the unique arine flavor of radish sprouts disappears.

・Because Versake's unique sashimi soy sauce made by boiling soy sauce, mirin, cinnamon, and bonito broth together and then cooling it down is softer than regular soy sauce

Even if you soak radish sprouts, it's not salty.

・If you add salmon with onions, soaked radish sprouts, and white kimchi, you can eat salmon for a long time without feeling it.

Salmon is always good no matter how you eat it, but first I tried salmon according to the method the boss told me. If you wrap salmon with onions, radish sprouts slightly soaked in soy sauce, white kimchi, and even wasabi, and wrap them together, the light salmon fills your mouth, and soon the moderate acidity of white kimchi captures the salmon's oily flavor. The soft texture of salmon blends with the crunchy texture of white kimchi, and finally, the spiciness of wasabi maintains a refreshing flavor. To slowly experience all of these flavors, the salmon melts and disappears in the mouth in an instant, so customers don't think about stopping chopsticks, and the staff are busy filling their plates.

The additional sushi rice is another fun way to make and eat salmon sushi yourself. If you feel that salmon alone isn't enough to satisfy your hunger, it's a good idea to roll the sushi rice into a round shape of the right size and eat it with wasabi according to your preferences.

Of the three sauces, the most popular is Horse-Reddish Cream, which stands out for its combination of fresh cream and horseradish. The combination of horseradish cream, which is sour and still has the sweet flavor of fresh cream, and salmon further maximizes the soft flavor of salmon. Since its flavor and aroma are similar to ricotta cheese, it is said to be the most popular sauce among women? If you put salmon, horseradish cream, and capers on the crackers that come with it, you can enjoy a crunchy salmon canape.

– Salmon is a light food, but if you eat a lot of it, you may feel it. Is there a menu that can relieve the flavor you feel?

“I recommend sukiyaki (Japanese hot pot) to relieve the feeling of being felt by salmon. Also, it's not on the menu yet, but when they open a second restaurant soon, they'll be offering Singaporean style shrimp tempura. It's really delicious, but there's no way to explain it. haha. It's a slightly spicy deep-fried shrimp topped with grains and peanuts, but that also removes the taste of salmon.”

It's only been 7 months since I opened the store, and it is said that there have been many fun episodes.

“When I went to the bathroom, there was an old lady who insanely tried to walk into the store, saying that the waiting line had become too long. When I explained that it wasn't OK, they even took my business card and called me every five minutes asking if I could go in. Said that there was even a family disturbance… In the end, we packed enough for all four members of the family to eat.”

It is said that when they offer all-you-can-refill salmon at a reasonable price, there are many unlaughable incidents caused by such hasty customers.

– How long do you plan to keep the price of salmon at 13,900 won per person?

“The second store is about to open right across the street, but if the price increases at the same time as the second store opens, consumers will be sensitive, right? So for now, I'm planning to keep this price until the peak winter season. I'll think about it again in the winter. In fact, it was very difficult in the early days. When the price of salmon was already at its highest point, I set the price at 13,900 won, so there wasn't much profit left. However, if the price of salmon falls again in the future, I think we can continue to maintain this price.”

Autumn is the time when salmon tastes best! In September, when the cool autumn breeze blows, how about going out to eat salmon, which is a seasonal food, with friends, family, or loved ones?

<매장정보>

·VERSAKE

·Address: 1F, Myungjin Building, 20, Hakdong-ro 4-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (No. 104, Nonhyeon-dong 141-9)

·Phone number: 02-3444-7376

·Menu: salmon for 1 person