In case you haven't heard, Pusan is now home to the largest mall in Asia or some nonsense. It turns out that it's a pretty nice place; there's an ice rink, a gorgeous rooftop garden with a view of the skyline, and a Gyobo bookstore. What stood out to me though is this restaurant called Cine De Chef. I believe it's on the 5th or 6th floor.

I'm no expert in fine dining, but this place is one of the nicest restaurants I've been to in Pusan. It has a real selection of Italian food--not just spaghetti or risotto. I had the Lasagna Bolognese, and I have to say it's the best lasagna I've had in Asia. A vegetarian lasagna was also available. My girlfriend had rosemary chicken with asparagus, and that, too, was excellent. The menu had a large assortment of soups, salads, and appetizers, most of which I have never seen in any of the other Italian restaurants in town. They brought an assortment of bread before the meal, including some really tasty focaccia, with olive oil on the side. The restaurant even had an impressive dessert menu-- tirimisu, espresso mousse, and more.

The atmosphere though is what makes this place stand out from the other dives in town. The dining area is massive and spacious; it seems like no matter where you sit, you'll be far enough away from other diners that you can actually have a peaceful conversation. The kitchen is entirely open-faced, so you can watch everything as it's being cooked. Black-and-white movies are projected onto the wall above the kitchen staff. No K-pop music blaring either.

Only downside is the prices are a little high, but you're not going to spend any more here than you would at an Outback or Friday's, and what you're getting is far better (and unique for this city). Has anyone else been there?

Well, what are the prices?

A general range would be adequate.

For those of us who've never heard of the place, where is this mall?

It's in Centum city.

Like I said, not any different from what you'd pay at Outback, Fridays, and so on. Pastas, salads, and soups were 10,000-20,000, while larger entrees were 20,000-30,000. My lasagna was 17,000 if I remember correctly, and while the serving size wasn't quite what you'd see at the franchise restaurants, it was still adequate. It would be nice if they included a basic dinner salad with the purchase of any entree, but for right now, I'm just glad that there's a good new restaurant in town.

The picture for the Macaroni Grill place looks pretty damn yummy!

http://centumcity.shinsegae.com/food/resto....asp?fcode=0001

If it is indeed a Macaroni Grill, this is a franchise restaurant in the US and quite good.

A couple friends ate at the Macaroni Grill in Shinsaegae. They are quite familiar with the franchise in the States, and said that this particular incarnation definitely does not live up to the standard that they are used to stateside. They didnt go into detail, but were adamant that they would not be repeat customers.

I recently lunched at the Macaroni Grill Shinsegae; and while I was never a fan of that particular franchise in Teh States (too suburban, I thought), I really enjoyed our meal at Shinsegae. A basket of warm breads was complimentary. Lasagna Bolognese and Risotto Pollo were each W13,000, delicious and filling. (After we ordered, I saw a steak sandwich on the menu for W17,000 iirc. Next time!) With a slice of cheesecake and a coffee, the bill came to W36,000, and was well worth it, imho.

[remainder of post deleted by author on grounds of extreme factual wrongness]

I don't know how this thread turned into one about the Macaroni Grill. I didn't try that place out, but from the look of it, it didn't seem to have any relation to the franchise in the States. The logo, menu, and everything else seemed entirely different.

I was talking about Cine De Chef, which is on the 7th floor, I believe. Anyone else try that place out? I was really impressed.

As far as the differences between "mall" and "shopping center"... you say "potato" with a long 'a', I say "potato" with a short one. Does it matter?

some specific directions, as to how to get to this 'mall' once in Centum City would be FAB !! !!

Its right beside Lotte Dept store and is HUGE... tough to miss.

Yep. Centum City Subway stop. Take the Lotte exit (sign posted) and with Lotte in front of you it's on your left.

Went to Cine de chef last night and would have to say that it's one of the better places in town. It's not that cheap, but I think it's good value. The pizza and pasta are in the 16-20,000 range. The vegetarian lasagna was the best lasagna I've had in Korea. I expect the meat sauce one is good too. It's not a huge serving, but tastes good. The atmosphere is also quite good. I'll definitely be returning.

How does it compare to say a place like Van Gogh's Terrace down in Marine City in Haeundae. I always thought that was one of the best places in town for food and location.