Isn't it lovely to have a friend with whom you can have a nice meal? With my new friend-I met her about a month ago-whom I took to Gran Gusto on the first day we met, I made my first visit to Tasty BLVD, an Italian restaurant in Cheongdam/Apgujeong area. Using the map from the Internet, the only difficulty in walking 10-15 minutes from the Apgujeong station (Orange Line, No.3) was the heat and light which summer emitted with passion!We had a reservation for two at 2:00PM, and had to hurry a little to finish the meal, for the restaurant's lunch time ends at 3:00PM. Of course people don't just kick you out saying "Time Out", but it always feels better to have a sense of relaxation timewise. However, I could never make anything before 1:30PM this week, so was the time.
The bread was warm and nice. The black bread with little bits of cheese was what I liked better, soft and chewy. 
The soup, if I remember correctly, was carrot soup. I chose balsamic dressing for the salad, and I liked it. Both soup and salad were good, and my stomach was roaring for the next-did I mention that I did not have breakfast that morning as well as dinner the night before?
The pasta of the day was olive oil based, spicy and with seasonal vegetables. I asked if the pasta could be substituted for something else and was politely refused; this pasta was good, though. Did I, a meat lover, really like this veggie dish? Yes, it was nice. Maybe a little spicy, but that took away the danger of being too oily.
My friend's pasta was served and she liked it. The cream sauce was creamy and rich but not overly rich, and seafood used was fresh. As a side story, fortunately, my friend does not like scallops, which is one of my favorite seafood. She doesn't like the rather bland taste and mushy texture of scallops, she says; I totally think that texture is why scallops are loved! Still, she couldn't stand scallops even more with a cream sauce, however nice. I, therefore, triumphantly took all her scallops and devoured it.
Then, truly the main dish, the highlight of the day revealed itself. With the sound of oil heating and cooking, the hot dish arrived. It looked as if the meat was still being cooked on that thick plate. Without any sauce-they give you seedy mustard and horseradish if requested-and just several roasted garlic, the dish looked rather plain. Yet it was just beautiful.
Cooked perfectly medium rare, this ribeye steak-voted best of the house by the restaurant fans-was the best steak I've ever had. Though I had pretty high expectations from hearing a lot, this deserved its reputation. Once again I felt sorry for vegetarians who could not appreciate such taste-I am glad that my culture, religion, or any personal philosophy does not clash with my mundane instict.
On the side, roasted vegetables and mashed potato with some kind of wasabi influence sauce were served. I'm not a big fan of mahsed potato, but the roasted vegetables were good: especially paprika and mushroom.
The bill was around 47USD for me and 21USD for my friend, including 10% VAT as usual. This was the most money I've ever payed for food in my own expense, and surprisingly for a budget-tight student, I did not regret it. The ribeye steak by its own deserved the price, I thought-though I have to admit I will be a little reluctant in that case, for the steak here is not as huge as the ones in American Steakhouses. But it was a nice experience. Maybe as some people pointed out, the serving speed of the course is slightly hasty, though I didn't have a problem and I didn't have much time anyway; therefore I cannot judge this. The service was polite and I like the location as well. Though it is not situated by a big BLVD like its name, less than 15 minute walk from the subway station is a big merit for a public transportation lover like me. Lots of the restaurants in Cheongdam/Apgujeong area, that is vast majority of fancy restaurants, are not always friendly to me as they are to cars.
PS: I am amused by my ability to half-regenerate the taste using my imagination; the picture of the steak I took isn't even that good!
